Hao Lixin: Adhere to the "Soul and Root" of Adapting Marxism to the Chinese Context and the Needs of the Times
An important pattern inherent in the Sinicization and modernization of Marxism is the adherence to "combining the basic tenets of Marxism with China's specific realities and with China's fine traditional culture." To succeed in these "Two Combinations," [1] we must consistently uphold two "lifelines" (mai): the "soul-line" (hunmai) of Marxism and the "root-line" (genmai) of China's fine traditional culture. The fundamental reason why Sinicized and modernized Marxism works is that Chinese Communists, while combining the basic tenets of Marxism with China's specific realities, have focused on combining those same tenets with China's fine traditional culture. By firmly holding onto the soul of Marxism and the roots of China’s fine traditional culture, they have ensured that Sinicized and modernized Marxism is deeply rooted in the soil of Chinese history and culture and in the foundation of the masses, imbuing it with vital energy and great intellectual power. While presiding over the sixth group study session of the Political Bureau of the 20th CPC Central Committee, General Secretary Xi Jinping emphasized: "The major proposition of the Sinicization and modernization of Marxism itself dictates that we must never abandon Marxism, which is our soul-line, nor China's fine traditional culture, which is our root-line." With this as the basis and prerequisite, theoretical innovation must be grounded in practice, respond to the questions of the times, advance academic and systematic research, and summarize the wisdom of the masses. This has pointed out the direction for upholding the "soul-line" and "root-line" of the Sinicization and modernization of Marxism.
Upholding the "Soul-line" and "Root-line" Is the Basis and Prerequisite for Theoretical Innovation
In the theoretical innovation of the Sinicization and modernization of Marxism, Marxism is the "soul-line" and China's fine traditional culture is the "root-line." The soul-line refers to the soul, core, and lifeline of thought and culture; the root-line refers to the foundation, source, and lifeblood of thought and culture. "Soul" and "root" are metaphors that reflect the importance inherent in schools of thought, culture, or theoretical concepts, expressing the significance of Marxism and China's fine traditional culture in theoretical innovation. In our theoretical innovation, we can neither lose the "ancestors" (laozuzong) [2] of scientific theory nor the "ancestors" of our national culture.
Marxism is the guiding ideology of our Party and the foundation upon which the Party and the country were established and thrive. The guiding position of Marxism in the fields of thought, culture, and ideology constitutes the fundamental system of China's ideological and cultural sphere. That Marxism is the soul-line of theoretical innovation means it is the core idea of the system of theoretical thought, exercising a commanding, leading, and guiding role over the entire body of thought. Marxism possesses characteristics such as scientific rigor, a people-centered nature, practicality, and innovativeness, occupying the high ground of both truth and morality.
China’s fine traditional culture is long-standing and profound; it is the crystallization of the wisdom and the essence of Chinese civilization, and the cultural gene, intellectual lifeline, and spiritual home of the Chinese nation. General Secretary Xi Jinping, in his speech at the opening ceremony of the International Conference Commemorating the 2,565th Anniversary of Confucius' Birth and the 5th Congress of the International Confucian Association, pointed out: "Fine traditional culture is the foundation for the inheritance and development of a country and a nation. If it is lost, the spiritual lifeline is severed." Subsequently, at the Symposium on Literature and Art, General Secretary Xi Jinping emphasized: "China's fine traditional culture is the spiritual lifeline of the Chinese nation, an important source for nourishing Socialist Core Values, and a solid foundation for us to stand firm amidst the turbulence of world cultures." China's fine traditional culture possesses spiritual traits such as emphasizing benevolence, prioritizing the people, maintaining integrity, venerating justice, advocating harmony, and seeking Great Unity (datong). [3] These constitute the profound cultural heritage of the Chinese path. China’s fine traditional culture contains important concepts such as the world belongs to the public (tianxia wei gong), the people are the foundation of the state, governing with virtue, discarding the old and leaning toward the new, appointing the virtuous and capable, self-strengthening, carrying the world with great virtue, upholding good faith and cultivating harmony, and being kind to one’s neighbors. These are manifested in a cosmological view of the unity of heaven and humanity, a world view of harmony among all nations, a social view of harmony without uniformity (he er bu tong), [4] and a moral view of kindness in the human heart. The positive social ideals and the pursuit of upward and virtuous values contained within them are highly compatible with the value propositions of Marxism, particularly scientific socialism. History and reality show that only by being rooted in the fertile soil of the history and culture of one’s own country and nation can the tree of Marxist truth flourish. Only by consolidating the historical and mass foundations for the Sinicization and modernization of Marxism can Marxism effectively answer the questions of China and the questions of the people, and take deep root in the land of China. Theoretical innovation in Marxism cannot lose its soul or its roots. Without the scientific guidance and theoretical foundation of Marxism, and without the cultural bedrock of China's fine traditional culture, theoretical innovation would lose its direction and commit subversive errors.
Guarding the "Soul-line" of Marxism Well
Adhering to Marxism as guidance is the soul of realizing the "Two Combinations" and advancing the theoretical innovation of Marxism. Within the "Second Combination," we must achieve the mutual fulfillment of Marxism and China's fine traditional culture under the guidance of Marxism. On the one hand, we must indigenize Marxism and make it Chinese; on the other hand, we must make China's fine traditional culture modern. These two aspects melt and integrate into a new cultural organic entity.
Marxist theory is the guiding ideology of our Party and state. We must deeply understand the basic characteristics of Marxist theory, such as its scientific, people-centered, practical, and open nature. In the 1872 German Preface to the Manifesto of the Communist Party, Marx and Engels emphasized the "historical" and "conditional" nature of the application of theory. "The practical application of the principles will depend, as the Manifesto itself states, everywhere and at all times, on the historical conditions for the time being." Lenin also believed that for a Marxist party, "an independent elaboration of Marx’s theory is especially necessary... for this theory provides only general guiding principles, which, in particular, are applied in England differently than in France, in France differently than in Germany, and in Germany differently than in Russia." Marxism must be indigenized and combined with the specific realities and history and culture of each country before it can play its role as scientific guidance for a specific nation.
Adhering to Marxism is the prerequisite and foundation for theoretical innovation. General Secretary Xi Jinping pointed out: "Theoretical innovation must speak new words, but we cannot lose the ancestors; to forget one's origins is to sever the soul-line and root-line, eventually leading to the subversive error of losing both. We must unswervingly adhere to Marxism as the foundation for establishing and strengthening the Party and the country. We must never stop developing Marxism by rooting it in the fertile soil of our country's and nation's history and culture. We must strengthen our confidence in our history and culture, adhere to the principle of making the past serve the present and bringing forth the new from the old (tuichen chuxin). [5] Guided by Marxism, we must comprehensively mine the 5,000-year-old treasure house of Chinese civilization, use Marxism to activate the vital and excellent elements of China's fine traditional culture and endow them with new connotations of the era. We must inject the great spirit and rich wisdom of the Chinese nation more deeply into Marxism, effectively connecting the essence of Marxist thought with the cream of China's fine traditional culture to create a 'nuclear fusion' (jubeian) resulting in new theoretical advantages and reaching new heights of thought." This important discourse explains from two aspects how to place adherence to Marxism in the primary position during theoretical innovation.
First, we must unswervingly adhere to the fundamental guiding ideology of Marxism and never stop rooting Marxism in the soil of China's fine traditional culture. From its very beginning, the Communist Party of China chose Marxism as its guiding ideology and has unwaveringly adhered to and developed Marxism through more than a century of struggle. Why is the CPC capable? Why is socialism with Chinese characteristics good? Ultimately, it is because Marxism works, and because Sinicized and modernized Marxism works. This is the intellectual secret behind the success of China's revolution, construction, and reform. Adhering to Marxism in the New Era requires adhering to and applying the scientific Marxist worldview and methodology, as well as the worldview and methodology of the latest achievement in the Sinicization and modernization of Marxism—Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era. Specifically, we must uphold the stances, viewpoints, and methods running through it: putting the people first, maintaining self-confidence and self-reliance, staying problem-oriented, upholding the fundamentals and breaking new ground, applying systems thinking, and maintaining a global vision. In his speech at the ceremony marking the centenary of the CPC, General Secretary Xi Jinping explicitly proposed the major proposition of the "Two Combinations" for the first time, which represents a profound understanding of the patterns of the Sinicization and modernization of Marxism. Throughout the various historical periods of revolution, construction, and reform, the CPC has focused on combining Marxism with China's fine traditional culture while advancing the process of Sinicization and modernization. Comrade Mao Zedong once pointed out: "Today's China is a development of historical China; we are Marxist historicists, and we should not sever history. From Confucius to Sun Yat-sen, we should summarize and inherit this precious legacy." He also stated, "Our belief that Marxism is the correct method of thought does not mean we ignore the Chinese cultural heritage." Comrade Mao Zedong’s theory of "seeking truth from facts," as well as several important discussions in works such as On Practice and On Contradiction, all absorbed ancient Chinese philosophical wisdom. Concepts such as the "moderately prosperous society" (xiaokang shehui) [6] within the theoretical system of socialism with Chinese characteristics were also nourished by China's fine traditional culture. Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era has raised confidence in history and culture to new heights and opened a new realm for the combination of the basic tenets of Marxism with China's fine traditional culture.
Second, we must carry out the "Second Combination" [7] under the guidance of Marxism. This is manifested in two specific aspects. On one hand, we must comprehensively mine the 5,000-year-old treasure house of Chinese civilization. By applying the Marxist views on history, civilization, nationhood, and class, as well as dialectics, we must view traditional culture comprehensively and historically, distinguishing the essence from the dross. We should deeply mine the speculative wisdom of ancient sages who "probed the relationship between heaven and man and understood the transformations from the past to the present," promote the patriotic spirit of "rectifying the mind, cultivating the self, regulating the family, and governing the state," and absorb the beneficial lessons of ancient governance and the simultaneous application of virtue and law. On the other hand, we must use Marxism to activate the vibrant and excellent elements within China's fine traditional culture and endow that culture with new connotations of the times, "injecting the great spirit and rich wisdom of the Chinese nation more deeply into Marxism." Marxism is the essence of the spirit of the times; it not only reflects the highest scientific achievements of the era in which it was produced but also reflects and absorbs the achievements of modern and contemporary world civilizations as it advances with the times, thereby possessing contemporary value. China's fine traditional culture contains rich elements that remain important today. Due to the obscuring effects of historical dust and the constraints of historical tradition, some traditional ideas may exhibit certain gaps or fractures in relation to the development requirements of modern society. This necessitates the activation, development, and promotion of these ideas through contemporary humanistic spirit and scientific thought. Therefore, we must use Marxism as guidance to perform "creative transformation and innovative development" [8] of China's fine traditional culture, rather than simply continuing or copying it.
Guarding the "Root-line" of China’s Fine Traditional Culture Well
The Sinicization and modernization of Marxism is a great cultural choice made by the Chinese people under the leadership of the CPC. Continuing the fine thread of Chinese civilization is a necessary cultural prerequisite for advancing the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation through Chinese-path modernization.
In A Study of History, British historian Arnold Toynbee summarized the patterns of development for various civilizations and cultures, arguing that every civilization survives and evolves through a pattern of "challenge and response." The development of Chinese civilization and culture in modern times has also undergone such a process. Facing the various challenges brought by Western civilization and culture, the Chinese New Culture Movement introduced "Mr. Democracy" and "Mr. Science." Pioneers among Chinese progressive intellectuals, particularly the Chinese Communists, chose Marxism, which was a manifestation of civilizational progress adapted to the development of Chinese society. The process of integrating Marxism into the development of Chinese culture was both a process of criticizing the dross of China's feudal traditional culture and a process of inheriting and promoting China's fine traditional culture. While choosing Marxism, China did not abandon its own fine cultural traditions. This is a conscious cultural "response."
Insightful Westerners have previously conducted relatively objective comparisons between Chinese and Western cultures and offered quite enlightening viewpoints. In his 1920s article "A Comparison of Chinese and Western Civilizations," the British philosopher Bertrand Russell argued: "In our own day, China has been brought into close contact with our Western civilization... Contacts between different civilizations have often in the past proved to be landmarks in human progress... in most cases the pupil has been more apt than the teacher. In the case of China, if we regard her as the pupil, she may easily surpass the teacher; in fact, there is probably quite as much that we can learn from them as they can learn from us, but there is much less likelihood of our learning it." Although Russell’s characterization or metaphor of "pupil" and "teacher" may not necessarily be appropriate, this passage may illustrate a certain regularity inherent in cultural exchange. It is worth noting that within cultural development and Sino-foreign exchanges, there exist erroneous arguments advocating "Western-centrism" and "Western cultural superiority," as well as erroneous trends of thought such as "historical nihilism" [9] and "cultural nihilism" that negate the history of Chinese civilization and fine traditional Chinese culture. Adhering to a correct view of history, civilization, and culture, strengthening historical and cultural confidence, revealing the vital elements within fine traditional Chinese culture, and grasping its prominent characteristics are the important internal grounds for us to oppose erroneous arguments and trends and to safeguard the "root lineage" of Chinese culture.
To safeguard the "root lineage," we must profoundly grasp the prominent characteristics of Chinese civilization. The ideological concepts, humanistic spirit, and moral norms contained in fine traditional Chinese culture are the core of the Chinese people's thought and spirit; these important factors constitute or determine the prominent characteristics of Chinese civilization. In his important speech at the Meeting on Cultural Inheritance and Development, General Secretary Xi Jinping profoundly analyzed and highly summarized these prominent characteristics. The continuity of Chinese civilization determines that it has remained unbroken for over 5,000 years, fundamentally dictating that the Chinese nation must follow its own path. The innovative nature of Chinese civilization determines that the Chinese nation upholds the fundamentals and breaks new ground rather than being stuck in the past, and respects antiquity without returning to it, fearing no new challenges and daring to accept new things. The unity of Chinese civilization determines that the cultures of various ethnic groups are integrated as one, and that the Chinese people share the common conviction that our territory is indivisible, our state must not be in chaos, our ethnic groups must not be scattered, and our civilization must not be broken; national unity is the core of China's core interests. The inclusivity of Chinese civilization determines the historical orientation of the Chinese nation toward interaction, exchange, and integration, the harmonious pattern of coexistence among China’s diverse religious beliefs, and the open-mindedness of Chinese culture in absorbing and incorporating world civilizations. Finally, the peaceful nature of Chinese civilization determines that China remains a builder of world peace, a contributor to global development, and a defender of the international order, pursuing exchange and mutual learning between civilizations rather than cultural hegemony. These prominent characteristics form the important foundation for our firm historical and cultural confidence.
To safeguard the "root lineage," we must tell the story of fine traditional Chinese culture well, clearly explaining the Chinese people's outlooks on the universe, the world, society, and morality. The cosmological view of "unity of heaven and humanity" (tian ren he yi) [10] asserts the interconnectedness of all things, emphasizes the organic correlation of the entire world, admires the imitation of nature’s laws, and pursues harmonious coexistence between man and nature. The "all-under-heaven" (tianxia) [11] outlook of "coordinating all nations" advocates for being kind to neighbors, the idea that the world is one family, and the Great Unity (datong) [12]; it promotes turning swords into plowshares, living in harmony, and practicing openness, inclusivity, and mutual learning among civilizations. The social outlook of "harmony without uniformity" [13] asserts that "harmony generates substance, while sameness leads to no continuation" and that "the man of noble character seeks harmony but not uniformity, while the petty man seeks uniformity but not harmony"; it promotes seeking common ground while reserving differences, acknowledging and respecting diversity, and pursuing equality, harmony, and co-prosperity. The moral outlook of "kindness in the human heart" emphasizes the ethical relationships between the self and others, society, and nature, valuing virtue and the pursuit of spiritual tranquility, as well as the moral heights of "the benevolent person loves others" and "extending oneself to others."
To safeguard the "root lineage," we must profoundly comprehend the compatibility between fine traditional Chinese culture and Marxism. Marxism is the essence of the spirit of the age. Scientific socialism is an important component of Marxism; it is a theory regarding human liberation, comprehensive social progress, and the free and comprehensive development of individuals. Its value system or value pursuits contain a "people-centeredness" and a standpoint of the people, advocating for harmony between man and nature, man and society, and the individual within themselves, taking comprehensive social progress, the comprehensive development of people, and human happiness as the highest value goals. Although the basic tenets of Marxism and fine traditional Chinese culture emerged from different backgrounds, soils, and theoretical foundations, there is consistency or commonality in their value pursuits. This is the fundamental and important reason for the compatibility between the two.
Safeguarding the "root lineage" of fine traditional Chinese culture is both an intrinsic requirement for the Sinicization and modernization of Marxism and a fundamental requirement for the continuous inheritance and development of Chinese civilization.
Theoretical Innovation Propels the "Second Integration"
The process of the Sinization and modernization of Marxism is a process of continuous theoretical innovation. In the process of combining the essence of the basic tenets of Marxism with the gems of fine traditional Chinese culture, the following principles should be followed to promote theoretical innovation.
First, we must answer the new questions of the era. Safeguarding the "soul lineage" and the "root lineage" must conform to the requirements of the era, be grounded in the practice of the era, and answer major questions of the era. The era is the mother of thought, and practice is the source of theory. Theoretical innovation is not a fantasy conceived in an ivory tower; it must never be detached from the practice of its time, but must reflect the voice of the era and continuously summarize practical experience. The current era is one in which the "two overarching situations"—the changes unseen in a century and the strategic overall situation of the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation—are accelerating and interacting deeply. Various fields of domestic social development face a series of new and major issues, and human society as a whole faces many common problems in urgent need of solution. We must grasp the threads and correct direction of world historical development with a broader horizon and a longer-term perspective. We must clearly recognize the macro-logic and macro-trends of our country's development, human social development, and world civilization. We must grasp the historical evolution and practical requirements of Chinese-path modernization, deepen our understanding of the laws governing high-quality development and the construction of a new development pattern, and deepen our understanding of the strategic thought of the Party's self-revolution. We must comprehensively and systematically propose scientific concepts and effective countermeasures to solve realistic problems, allowing contemporary Chinese Marxism and 21st-century Marxism to demonstrate even more powerful and persuasive truth-power.
Second, we must promote the systematization and theoreticization of theory. This is an intrinsic requirement and an important path for promoting the systematization and theoreticization of the theoretical achievements of the "Second Integration." We must deepen research on the Marxism of Sinicization and modernization. We must conduct in-depth studies of the internal mechanisms of the "Second Integration," explore the spiritual principles of the deep compatibility between the two, seek effective paths for their combination, and summarize the theoretical results of this combination. We must comprehend the theoretical nature of Marxism—namely the scientific connotation, essential characteristics, historical basis, logical support, and scientific demonstration of the Marxist theoretical system. Simultaneously, we must excavate, refine, and organize the gems of fine traditional Chinese culture. On this basis, we should study the connotations, characteristics, and system of the "cultural organism" formed after the two have combined and achieved one another, and provide a theoretical analysis and interpretation of the elements, structure, and functions of the cultural form of Chinese-path modernization. The development of Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era is a process of continuous enrichment, expansion, systematization, and theoreticization. We must continuously conduct theoretical research and interpretation to deepen our understanding and grasp of the theoretical system of Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era.
Third, we must focus on drawing theoretical innovation wisdom from the creative activities of the masses. The fundamental characteristic of Marxist theory is its "people-centeredness." The Sinicization and modernization of Marxism originate from the wisdom, exploration, and creation of the people. The basic path for promoting the "Second Integration" and achieving theoretical innovation is to persist in respecting the practice of the people, upholding the value standpoint of the people, and adhering to the mass line. The masses are the subjects of cultural development; their activities of cultural and spiritual production and the results thereof are both the foundation of fine traditional Chinese culture and the decisive driving force for its inheritance and development. The fruits of the deep integration of the basic tenets of Marxism with fine traditional Chinese culture should be reflected not only in systematized and theoreticized theories but also in the daily cultural life that the people "use every day without realizing it," ensuring that the Party’s innovative theories truly become theories that "touch the ground, gather the wisdom of the people, conform to the people's will, and win the people's hearts."