Wang Xinyan: Xi Jinping's Major Theoretical Contributions to the Sinicization of Marxist Philosophy
Abstract: The worldview and methodology of Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era has made major theoretical contributions to the Sinicization of Marxist philosophy. First, it represents a major advancement of the tradition of Sinicizing Marxist philosophy; it not only provides a profound analysis and scientific judgment of the contemporary realities of China in the New Era, emphatically stressing that Marxist philosophy must be combined with fine traditional Chinese culture, but also creates the hallmark achievements of the Sinicization of Marxist philosophy in the New Era. Second, it constitutes a great enrichment and development of Chinese Marxist philosophy, specifically enriching and developing its thought on seeking truth from facts, its epistemology, methodology, and the mass conception of history, while opening two entirely new theoretical fields for Chinese Marxist philosophy: Thought on Ecological Civilization and the concept of building a community with a shared future for humanity. Third, it endows Marxist philosophy in the New Era with distinct Chinese characteristics, manifested in its focus on Chinese problems in the New Era, its full embodiment of Chinese wisdom, and its prominent display of Chinese style and Chinese spirit.
Keywords: worldview and methodology of Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era; Sinicization of Marxist philosophy; fine traditional Chinese culture.
Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era is a scientific theoretical system containing rich content across various aspects, including philosophy, economics, and scientific socialism. Its philosophical content is the worldview and methodology of Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era, which constitutes the theoretical foundation of this entire system. This worldview and methodology represent the hallmark achievement of the Sinicization of Marxist philosophy in the New Era, realizing a major advancement of the tradition of Sinicizing Marxist philosophy, a great enrichment of Chinese Marxist philosophy, and endowing Marxist philosophy in the New Era with distinct Chinese characteristics—thus making a major theoretical contribution to the Sinicization of Marxist philosophy.
I. A Major Advancement of the Tradition of Sinicizing Marxist Philosophy
The Sinicization of Marxist philosophy consists of combining Marxist philosophy with China’s specific realities to construct and continuously develop Chinese Marxist philosophy. The "China’s specific realities" mentioned here is a concept with extremely rich connotations: it includes both China’s contemporary realities and China’s historical realities. China’s contemporary realities refer to the developmental status and trends of Chinese society across various fields—economic, political, and cultural—during a specific period. China’s historical realities primarily refer to the fine traditional Chinese culture nurtured during more than 5,000 years of civilization. Correspondingly, the Sinicization of Marxist philosophy also has content across two different dimensions: first, combining Marxist philosophy with China's contemporary realities—that is, using the perspective, values, and methods of Marxist philosophy to observe, analyze, and research various problems in the development of Chinese society, exploring the developmental path of Chinese society in different periods, summarizing the practical experience of Chinese revolution and construction, and creating and developing a Chinese Marxist philosophy capable of guiding Chinese practice and promoting Chinese social progress. Second, combining Marxist philosophy with fine traditional Chinese culture—that is, using the stance, viewpoint, and method of Marxist philosophy to transform fine traditional Chinese culture, promoting its creative transformation and innovative development, and thereby facilitating the construction of an advanced Chinese culture while enriching and developing Chinese Marxist philosophy.
The Sinicization of Marxist philosophy constitutes the fundamental tradition of Chinese Marxist philosophy; the century-long history of Chinese Marxist philosophy is the process of the continuous advancement of this Sinicization. This tradition was established by early Chinese Marxists. After the May Fourth Movement [1], while spreading Marxist philosophy in China—and particularly through a series of ideological battles against various non-Marxist and anti-Marxist trends of thought—Li Dazhao, Chen Duxiu, Mao Zedong, Li Da, Qu Qiubai, Cai Hesen, and others applied the Marxist philosophical stance, viewpoint, and method to examine various problems in Chinese society. Answering the "question of the times" regarding "where China was headed," they reached the important conclusion that China must conduct a proletarian revolution and follow the socialist road like Russia. Therefore, the widespread dissemination of Marxist philosophy in China after the May Fourth Movement had already initiated the historical process of the Sinicization of Marxist philosophy.
During the New Democratic Revolution [2], Chinese Communists, with Comrade Mao Zedong as their chief representative, combined Marxist philosophy with the specific realities of the Chinese revolution and formally inaugurated the tradition of the Sinicization of Marxist philosophy. This was primarily manifested in several ways: First, Mao Zedong conducted a profound philosophical summation of the practical experience of the Chinese revolution, founded Mao Zedong’s philosophical thought, and formed the first hallmark achievement of the Sinicization of Marxist philosophy; this was also the core content of the first historical leap in the Sinicization of Marxism, namely Mao Zedong Thought. Second, Mao Zedong authored classic texts of Chinese Marxist philosophy such as On Practice and On Contradiction, thereby providing the tradition of Sinicizing Marxist philosophy with stable ideological resources and allowing it to take a defined shape. Third, Mao Zedong formally proposed the proposition of the "Sinicization of Marxism," which formally introduced the proposition of the Sinicization of Marxist philosophy and thus formally named this tradition. Fourth, Mao Zedong proposed that the precious cultural heritage "from Confucius to Sun Yat-sen" should be summarized and inherited. This overcame the deficiency of early Chinese Marxists, most of whom completely opposed Marxism to traditional Chinese culture and held a purely negative attitude toward the latter; this allowed the Sinicization of Marxist philosophy—the combination of Marxist philosophy with China's specific realities—to acquire its complete meaning. Fifth, Mao Zedong elucidated that the Sinicization of Marxism includes two aspects: "making Marxism concrete in China" and "making the rich reality of the Chinese revolution Marxist." This fully revealed the meaning of the proposition of the Sinicization of Marxism (including its philosophical dimension) and scientifically defined the basic connotations of the tradition of Sinicizing Marxist philosophy. After the founding of the People's Republic of China, Mao Zedong proposed a "second combination" of Marxism with China’s specific realities, endowing the Sinicization of Marxism (including philosophy) with a distinct character of openness, further enriching and developing Mao Zedong's philosophical thought and making the tradition of Sinicizing Marxist philosophy more robust and complete.
During the period of reform, opening up, and socialist modernization, Chinese Communists, with Comrades Deng Xiaoping, Jiang Zemin, and Hu Jintao as their chief representatives, established Deng Xiaoping Theory, the Theory of Three Represents, and the Scientific Outlook on Development during their successive explorations of the cause of socialism with Chinese characteristics. They formed the theoretical system of socialism with Chinese characteristics, realizing a new leap in the Sinicization of Marxism. Deng Xiaoping Theory, the Theory of Three Represents, and the Scientific Outlook on Development are inherently permeated by and embody the conscious application of the Marxist philosophical stance, viewpoint, and method. Xi Jinping has pointed out that the Marxist stance permeated throughout Deng Xiaoping Theory, the Theory of Three Represents, and the Scientific Outlook on Development is to always stand on the side of the masses, to maintain the Party’s commitment to the public good and its governance for the people, and to regard serving and benefiting the people as the greatest responsibility. The Marxist viewpoints permeated throughout these theories are the basic viewpoints of dialectical materialism and historical materialism, including viewpoints on the laws of human social development and its historical trends, on material productive activity as the fundamental prerequisite for the existence and development of human society, on the coordinated development of economy, politics, culture, and society, and on the well-rounded development of the individual. The Marxist methods permeated throughout these theories are the methodology unified with the Marxist worldview, including the method of materialist dialectics, the method of seeking truth from facts, and the work method of the mass line. Clearly, these stances, viewpoints, and methods are those of Marxist philosophy, and they forged the philosophical foundation of Deng Xiaoping Theory, the Theory of Three Represents, and the Scientific Outlook on Development. By creatively applying the Marxist philosophical stance, viewpoint, and method to analyze and solve various problems in China's economic and social development during this period, these theories maintained and carried forward the tradition of Sinicizing Marxist philosophy.
Since the 18th National Congress of the CPC [3], Chinese Communists, with Comrade Xi Jinping as their chief representative, have combined Marxist philosophy with the specific realities of China in the New Era, forming the worldview and methodology of Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era. This has significantly advanced the tradition of Sinicizing Marxist philosophy, primarily manifested in the following aspects:
First, it provides a profound analysis and scientific judgment of Chinese reality in the New Era. The core and foundation of combining Marxist philosophy with China's specific realities is combining it with China’s contemporary realities; combining it with China’s historical realities essentially serves the former. To combine Marxist philosophy with contemporary reality, one must first accurately grasp that reality. Xi Jinping has conducted an in-depth investigation and scientific analysis of the new historical coordinates of China's social development since the 18th National Congress. He pointed out that the greatest objective reality and the basic national condition of contemporary China is that our country is still in, and will long remain in, the primary stage of socialism. On one hand, through decades of rapid development since reform and opening up, China’s modernization has achieved great success, realizing a historical breakthrough from a state of relatively backward productive forces to the world's second-largest economy. This has brought about a great leap for the Chinese nation from standing up and becoming prosperous to becoming strong, causing China’s economic and social development to exhibit a series of new stage-specific characteristics. On the other hand, the overall level of China’s economic development is not yet high; the world ranking of per capita GNP remains relatively backward, and economic and social development still faces many difficulties and challenges. Problems of unbalanced and inadequate development are prominent, there are many weak links in the realm of people’s livelihoods, the level of social civilization needs improvement, and social contradictions and problems are intertwined and overlapping. The tasks of reform and development remain extremely arduous. It was based on this analysis that, in the report to the 19th National Congress of the CPC, Xi Jinping made the major scientific judgment that "socialism with Chinese characteristics has entered a New Era, and the principal contradiction in Chinese society has evolved into one between unbalanced and inadequate development and the people’s ever-growing needs for a better life." This is both a scientific conclusion reached by Xi Jinping using the worldview and methodology of Marxist philosophy to analyze contemporary Chinese economic and social development, and the foundation for his combination of Marxist philosophy with the specific realities of China in the New Era. The entire theoretical creation of the worldview and methodology of Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era is grounded in this major scientific judgment of Chinese reality in the New Era.
Second, it emphatically stresses that Marxist philosophy must be combined with fine traditional Chinese culture in the New Era. Xi Jinping has pointed out on many occasions that to answer the questions of the times and of practice, and to develop contemporary Chinese Marxism, we must continue to promote the Sinicization of Marxism and "uphold the combination of the basic tenets of Marxism with China's specific realities and with fine traditional Chinese culture." This important thesis of Xi Jinping is usually summarized as the "Two Combinations" of the Sinicization of Marxism. In fact, Xi Jinping mentions combining the basic tenets of Marxism with China’s specific realities and with fine traditional Chinese culture together not to suggest they are two separate, different "combinations," but to emphasize the vital importance of the latter. This emphasis is of great significance.
On one hand, although combining the basic tenets of Marxism with China’s specific realities inherently includes and requires combining them with fine traditional Chinese culture, this does not mean that those committed to the Sinicization of Marxism will necessarily focus on or consciously achieve this. For example, although the early Chinese Marxists initiated the Sinicization of Marxism during its widespread dissemination after the May Fourth Movement, for them, the dimension of combining Marxism with fine traditional Chinese culture was missing. To them, traditional Chinese culture was merely something negative and backward; some even went so far as to view it entirely as "filth and waste."
On the other hand, strengthening the combination of the basic principles of Marxism with fine traditional Chinese culture is an essential requirement for continuing to advance the Sinicization of Marxism in the New Era. One of the important aspects of combining the basic principles of Marxism with fine traditional Chinese culture is to draw upon the intellectual wisdom of fine traditional Chinese culture to enrich and develop Chinese Marxism. Xi Jinping has pointed out that the great achievements of the Party's century of struggle demonstrate that "why the Communist Party of China is capable and why socialism with Chinese characteristics is good is, in the final analysis, because Marxism works, and because Marxism that has been Sinicized and adapted to our times works." "The reason Marxism works lies in the Party's continuous advancement of the Sinicization and modernization of Marxism and its use to guide practice." Clearly, when Xi Jinping says Marxism "works," he is referring to the fact that Chinese Marxism—as the theoretical result of the Sinicization of Marxism—"works." Under the conditions of the New Era, to continue empowering the CPC and building socialism with Chinese characteristics, we must continue to advance the Sinicization of Marxism; this likewise requires us to attach great importance to combining the basic principles of Marxism with fine traditional Chinese culture. As Xi Jinping stated, without fine traditional Chinese culture, there would be no "Chinese characteristics," and there would not be the successful path of socialism with Chinese characteristics we have today. Indubitably, the combination of the basic principles of Marxism with fine traditional Chinese culture emphasized by Xi Jinping inherently includes the combination of Marxist philosophy with fine traditional Chinese culture.
Third, he created the landmark achievements of the Sinicization of Marxist philosophy in the New Era. The worldview and methodology of Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era constitutes another landmark achievement in the Sinicization of Marxist philosophy, following the Marxist philosophical positions, viewpoints, and methods of Mao Zedong’s philosophical thought, as well as Deng Xiaoping Theory, the Theory of Three Represents, and the Scientific Outlook on Development. It is an organic whole composed of three major aspects: the dialectical materialist foundation, the philosophical methodology, and the historical materialist foundation of Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era. Among these, the dialectical materialist foundation includes Xi Jinping's theories on seeking truth from facts, the unity of knowledge and action [4], and his thought on ecological civilization. Xi Jinping’s philosophical methodology includes his strategic, historical, dialectical, systemic, innovative, rule-of-law, and bottom-line thinking. The historical materialist foundation includes Xi Jinping’s theory on the subjectivity of the people, his outlook on social development, and the concept of building a community with a shared future for humanity. Furthermore, the positions, viewpoints, and methods that run through the worldview and methodology of Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era are the "Six Must-Upholds": First, we must uphold the principle of putting the people first, which means always standing firmly on the side of the people, grasping their aspirations, respecting their creativity, and concentrating their wisdom to form theories needed by the people, making them a powerful ideological weapon for the people to understand and transform the world. Second, we must uphold self-confidence and self-reliance, firmly believing that China's problems must proceed from China's basic national conditions and be answered by the Chinese people themselves, maintaining the "Four Confidences" [5], and making new contributions to the development of Marxism with a more proactive sense of historical responsibility and creative spirit. Third, we must uphold the fundamentals and break new ground, treating science with a scientific attitude and pursuing truth with the spirit of truth, treating new things with enthusiasm, continuously deepening and expanding our understanding, and constantly promoting theoretical and practical innovation. Fourth, we must uphold a problem-oriented approach, strengthening our problem consciousness, focusing on various major international and domestic issues, and constantly proposing new concepts, new ideas, and new methods to truly solve problems. Fifth, we must uphold a systems perspective, looking at problems with a viewpoint of universal connection, comprehensive systems, and evolutionary change, viewing reality through history and essence through phenomena, and properly grasping the relationships between the whole and the part, the present and the long-term, the macro and the micro, the primary and secondary contradictions, and the special and the general, so as to constantly improve the capacity for dialectical thinking. Sixth, we must uphold a global vision, expanding our world horizons, conforming to the trend of human development and progress, actively responding to the universal concerns of people in all countries, and contributing to solving common problems faced by humanity, drawing on the achievements of human civilization with a broad mind to promote the construction of a better world.
As landmark achievements of the Sinicization of Marxist philosophy in the New Era, the worldview and methodology of Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era are an inheritance and development of the Marxist philosophical positions, viewpoints, and methods of Mao Zedong’s philosophical thought as well as Deng Xiaoping Theory, the Theory of Three Represents, and the Scientific Outlook on Development. They are both part of a continuous lineage and advance with the times.
First, they all take answering the "question of the times" regarding "whither China"—that is, exploring the Chinese path in different periods—as their fundamental theoretical interest. Mao Zedong's philosophical thought was formed in the process of searching for the path of the Chinese Revolution and was further enriched and developed in the process of exploring the path of China's socialist construction; it is the philosophical expression of the Chinese path during the New Democratic Revolution and the early period of socialist revolution and construction. The Marxist philosophical positions, viewpoints, and methods of Deng Xiaoping Theory, the Theory of Three Represents, and the Scientific Outlook on Development were formed in the process of initiating the path of socialism with Chinese characteristics; they are the philosophical expression of the Chinese path during the period of reform, opening up, and socialist modernization. The worldview and methodology of Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era were formed in the process of exploring the path of socialism with Chinese characteristics in the New Era, and are the philosophical expression of the Chinese path in the New Era.
Second, they all take the realization of the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation and the fundamental interests of the Chinese people as their value aspiration. Mao Zedong’s philosophical thought focused on resolving the contradictions between imperialism and the Chinese nation, and between feudalism and the masses, leading our Party to successfully find a revolutionary path with Chinese characteristics, enabling the Chinese nation and the Chinese people to achieve the great leap of "standing up." The Marxist philosophical positions, viewpoints, and methods of Deng Xiaoping Theory, the Theory of Three Represents, and the Scientific Outlook on Development worked toward resolving the contradiction between the people’s growing material and cultural needs and backward social production, leading our Party to successfully initiate the path of socialism with Chinese characteristics, enabling the Chinese nation and the Chinese people to achieve the great leap of "becoming prosperous." The worldview and methodology of Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era revolve closely around resolving the contradiction between the people's growing needs for a better life and unbalanced and inadequate development in the New Era, leading our Party to comprehensively advance the path of socialism with Chinese characteristics in the New Era, ushering the Chinese nation into a great leap from "standing up" and "becoming prosperous" to "becoming strong."
Third, they all achieve the creative application and innovative development of Marxist philosophy, as well as the creative transformation and innovative development of fine traditional Chinese culture. The Sinicization of Marxist philosophy is, in essence, the use of the positions, viewpoints, and methods of Marxist philosophy—along with Chinese traditional philosophical wisdom transformed by Marxist philosophy—to study and answer various major issues in China’s economic and social development across different periods. Therefore, the landmark achievements of the Sinicization of Marxist philosophy must inevitably embody the creative application and innovative development of Marxist philosophy in all aspects, as well as the creative transformation and innovative development of fine traditional Chinese culture. As the latest landmark achievement of the Sinicization of Marxist philosophy, the worldview and methodology of Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era creatively use Marxist philosophy to transform and interpret fine traditional Chinese culture, endowing it with vivid vitality and particularly fully activating traditional Chinese philosophical wisdom. Furthermore, they creatively apply Marxist philosophy and creatively transformed fine traditional Chinese culture to study and answer various major issues in China’s economic and social development in the New Era. In doing so, they elevate the creative application and development of Marxist philosophy, and the creative transformation and development of fine traditional Chinese culture, to a new height, prominently embodying a major advancement of the tradition of the Sinicization of Marxist philosophy.
II. Great Enrichment and Development of Chinese Marxist Philosophy
The theoretical goal of the Sinicization of Marxist philosophy is to create and continuously develop Chinese Marxist philosophy. That is to say, Chinese Marxist philosophy is the theoretical result of the Sinicization of Marxist philosophy. Over the past century, as the Sinicization of Marxist philosophy has continuously moved forward, Chinese Marxist philosophy has been enriched and developed. For this reason, while the worldview and methodology of Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era represent a major advancement in the tradition of Sinicizing Marxist philosophy, they also greatly enrich and develop Chinese Marxist philosophy.
First, they enrich and develop the idea of "seeking truth from facts" in Chinese Marxist philosophy.
The idea of seeking truth from facts in Chinese Marxist philosophy began with Mao Zedong’s philosophical creation. Through the creative transformation and innovative development of fine traditional Chinese culture, Mao Zedong summarized the worldview and methodology of Marxist philosophy as "seeking truth from facts." He scientifically customized its basic connotation, emphasizing that seeking truth from facts is the ideological and working method, as well as the ideological and work style, that Communists should possess, thereby effectively establishing "seeking truth from facts" as the Party’s ideological line. After the Third Plenary Session of the 11th CPC Central Committee [6], Chinese Communists, represented primarily by comrades Deng Xiaoping, Jiang Zemin, and Hu Jintao, proceeded from China's reality and added the important content of "emancipating the mind," "advancing with the times," and "seeking truth and being pragmatic" to the Party’s ideological line, continuously enriching and developing the idea of seeking truth from facts. Building on this foundation, Xi Jinping, in combination with China’s reality in the New Era and particularly the needs of Party building, expounded a theory of seeking truth from facts with distinct characteristics of the times. Xi Jinping's theory not only emphasizes that seeking truth from facts is the essence and soul of Marxism and its Sinicized theoretical results—it is the soul of flourishing the Party and the country—but also profoundly reveals its essence and practical path as the Party’s method of thought, work, and leadership, as well as its style. In particular, he comprehensively elaborated on the New Era connotations and practical requirements of the ideological and work style of seeking truth from facts. He specified the style of "seeking truth and being pragmatic" as "speaking the truth, proposing practical measures, doing practical work, and seeking practical results," emphasizing that the focus of the Party's style construction in the New Era is "speaking honest words, doing honest things, and being an honest person." By doing so, he endowed the "facts/reality" (shi) in "seeking truth from facts" (shishi qiushi) with a much richer connotation than mere "empirical facts," providing a powerful ideological weapon for strengthening the Party’s style construction and opposing the "Four Winds" of formalism, bureaucratism, hedonism, and extravagance.
Second, they enrich and develop the epistemology of Chinese Marxist philosophy.
In the process of creating the first landmark achievement of the Sinicization of Marxist philosophy—Mao Zedong’s philosophical thought—Mao based himself on the premise that the viewpoint of practice is the primary and fundamental viewpoint of Marxist epistemology. Absorbing rational elements from the epistemology of traditional Chinese philosophy, he defined practice as an activity in which "the subjective meets the objective" and summarized the process of cognition as a cycle of practice and cognition "looping back and forth into infinity." From this, he constructed an "outlook on the unity of knowing and doing" aimed at achieving "the concrete and historical unity of the subjective and the objective, theory and practice, and knowing and doing," thereby laying the foundation for Chinese Marxist philosophical epistemology. It should be said that Mao Zedong's "outlook on the unity of knowing and doing" was inherently contained within his thought on seeking truth from facts; it was the specific unfolding of the core content within his thought on seeking truth from facts regarding the discovery of truth through practice and the testing and development of truth through practice. The Marxist philosophical positions, viewpoints, and methods of Deng Xiaoping Theory, the "Three Represents," and the Scientific Outlook on Development enriched and developed Chinese Marxist philosophical epistemology. For example, the discussion on the criterion of truth [7] led by the Chinese communists with Comrade Deng Xiaoping as the primary representative initiated, for the first time in the history of Chinese Marxist philosophy, a broad discussion and in-depth research on the question of the criterion of truth. This not only clarified the basic Marxist epistemological principle that practice is the sole criterion for testing truth but also greatly deepened people's understanding of a series of important issues, such as why practice is the sole criterion, how practice tests the truthfulness of cognition, the certainty and uncertainty of the criterion of practice, and the relationship between practical testing and logical proof. This effectively promoted the restoration and re-establishment of the Party's ideological line of seeking truth from facts at the Third Plenary Session of the 11th CPC Central Committee. Xi Jinping has further enriched and developed Chinese Marxist philosophical epistemology, constructing a theory of the unity of knowing and doing with distinct characteristics of the New Era and Chinese features. Xi Jinping’s theory of the unity of knowing and doing unfolds around the incisive summary of the relationship between knowing and doing: "'knowing' is the foundation and the prerequisite, while 'doing' is the focus and the key; one must promote 'doing' through 'knowing' and promote 'knowing' through 'doing,' achieving the unity of knowing and doing." Through the creative transformation and innovative development of the doctrines on the relationship between knowing and doing in traditional Chinese philosophy, he has provided a comprehensive and profound exposition of the relationship between knowing and doing, or cognition and practice. The greatest feature of Xi Jinping’s theory of the unity of knowing and doing is the simultaneous endowment of both knowing and doing with a dimension of virtue. The "knowing" he speaks of includes not only "knowledge gained through hearing and seeing"—that is, knowledge of objective things—but also "knowledge of virtue"—that is, ideals, beliefs, and moral cultivation. The "doing" he speaks of includes not only activities to transform the objective world but also the fulfillment of ideals and beliefs and moral practice. It is precisely through this creative interpretation of the categories of "knowing" and "doing" that Xi Jinping has endowed the relationship between knowing and doing with a richer connotation than before and transformed the unity of knowing and doing into a requirement of Party spirit for communists. Therefore, Xi Jinping’s theory of the unity of knowing and doing is both the Chinese Marxist philosophical epistemology of the New Era and a theory of Party spirit cultivation for communists in the New Era. Such a theory of the unity of knowing and doing has greatly enriched and developed Chinese Marxist philosophical epistemology.
Third, [he has] enriched and developed Chinese Marxist philosophical methodology. Marxist philosophy itself is a scientific theoretical system that unifies worldview and methodology. Chinese Marxists committed to the Sinicization of Marxist philosophy aim to use Marxist philosophy to transform China and answer the question of the times—"where is China going"—that is, to search for a Chinese path. Consequently, they necessarily attach importance to the methodological nature of Marxist philosophy and strive to construct a Chinese Marxist philosophical methodology in the process of combining Marxist philosophy with China's concrete reality. Mao Zedong’s philosophical thought as a whole possesses distinct methodological characteristics; most of his works utilize the positions, viewpoints, and methods of Marxist philosophy to investigate and analyze politics, economy, culture, military affairs, and Party building. Even in his philosophical works such as On Practice, On Contradiction, and Where Do Correct Ideas Come From?, the theoretical gravity lies in methodology. At the same time, Mao Zedong also constructed a philosophical methodological system, the content of which includes the method of seeking truth from facts, the method of investigation and research, the method of contradiction analysis, and the method of the mass line. This constitutes the unique theoretical contribution of Mao Zedong’s philosophical thought to Marxist philosophy and initiated the tradition in Chinese Marxist philosophy of emphasizing methodological construction. Deng Xiaoping Theory, the "Three Represents," and the Scientific Outlook on Development also emphasized the construction of philosophical methodology. This is highlighted in how they successively injected new content such as "emancipating the mind," "advancing with the times," and "seeking truth and being pragmatic" into the Party’s ideological line of seeking truth from facts, causing the ideological, working, and leadership methods of seeking truth from facts to be continuously enriched and developed. Simultaneously, Deng Xiaoping Theory, the "Three Represents," and the Scientific Outlook on Development made creative use of the ideological method of dialectical materialism, the ideological method of seeking truth from facts, the working method of the mass line, and the method of overall planning and taking all factors into consideration. Xi Jinping has placed outstanding emphasis on the construction of Marxist philosophical methodology. Through the creative application of Marxist philosophy, especially materialist dialectics, he has explicitly proposed, systematically elaborated, and consciously adhered to a series of methodological principles, such as strategic thinking, historical thinking, dialectical thinking, systems thinking, innovative thinking, rule-of-law thinking, and bottom-line thinking, constructing an extremely rich Marxist philosophical methodological system. Among these, strategic thinking means standing tall and seeing far, taking in the whole situation, comprehensively observing and grasping the overall trends and fundamental directions of the development of things, and thereby making accurate judgments and scientific plans strategically to win the strategic initiative. Historical thinking means emphasizing the learning and study of history to expand the historical perspective for observing and analyzing problems, summarizing and drawing lessons from historical experience, drawing wisdom and spiritual strength from history, and grasping and flexibly applying historical laws. Dialectical thinking means looking at problems from the perspective of connections and development, focusing on grasping and resolving the internal contradictions of things, and especially consciously adhering to the unity of "the theory of two points" and "the theory of the key point" [8]. Systems thinking means grasping the systemic integrity of things, adhering to the principles of systems thinking, and emphasizing the use of systems thinking methods—especially strengthening top-level design and emphasizing holistic advancement and key breakthroughs. Innovative thinking means seeking the new and the changing, daring to break new ground, continuously improving the capacity for innovation, striving to creatively analyze and solve problems, and using innovation to drive development. Rule-of-law thinking means respecting the law and strictly implementing the rule of law, focusing on using the law as the yardstick for judging right and wrong and handling problems, and consciously ensuring that there are laws to go by, that laws are observed, that law enforcement is strict, and that lawbreakers are prosecuted. Bottom-line thinking means preparing for the worst in all things while striving for the best possible results, seeking to achieve the dialectical unity of "maintaining the line" and "achieving goals." This is one of the most creative components of the worldview and methodology of Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era, greatly enriching the treasure house of Chinese Marxist philosophical methodology.
Fourth, [he has] enriched and developed the mass historical perspective of Chinese Marxist philosophy. The Marxist view of history—historical materialism—is a mass historical perspective that profoundly reveals the decisive role of the masses of the people in historical development and explicitly expresses the value pursuit of "seeking interests for the vast majority of people." As a theoretical achievement of the Sinicization of Marxist philosophy, Chinese Marxist philosophy established a firm mass historical perspective from the very beginning. Mao Zedong emphasized that only the people are the force that creates world history, and communists must persist in serving the people wholeheartedly, starting from the interests of the people in everything, and being responsible to the people. Deng Xiaoping Theory, the "Three Represents," and the Scientific Outlook on Development also "consistently stood on the side of the masses of the people." For example, Deng Xiaoping emphasized taking whether the people support, approve, and are happy as the starting point and end point of all work; his "Three Favorables" [9] standard for measuring the success or failure of all Party and state work is, in the final analysis, a people’s standard. The "Three Represents" particularly emphasized the need to "represent the fundamental interests of the overwhelming majority of the Chinese people." Xi Jinping has further enriched and developed the mass historical perspective of Chinese Marxist philosophy, constructing and systematically elaborating on the theory of the people's principal status. Xi Jinping's theory of the people's principal status emphasizes adhering to the people's position, maintaining the people's principal status, learning from the people with an open mind, listening to the people's voice, drawing wisdom from the people, putting the people in the highest position in one's heart, and taking the people's yearning for a better life as the Party's goal. It profoundly interprets the Party's fundamental purpose, political character, and value pursuit, and profoundly answers the questions of "for whom, relying on whom, and who am I." Like a red thread, it runs through every aspect of Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era. Its core content mainly includes three aspects: everything for the people, everything relying on the people, and the fruits of development being shared by all the people. Among these three aspects, if the first two—everything for the people and everything relying on the people—were also important contents of the previous mass historical perspective of Chinese Marxist philosophy, then the third aspect—the emphasis on the fruits of development being shared by all the people—is a brand-new theoretical creation of Xi Jinping’s theory of the people's principal status. Xi Jinping has also concretized the theory of the people's principal status into a people-centered outlook on social development, providing a systematic exposition of the goals, drivers, concepts, strategies, and paths of development. Within this, the goal of development is to improve people's well-being and promote the well-rounded development of the person; the driver of development is the principal contradiction of our society in the New Era—namely, the contradiction between the people's ever-growing needs for a better life and unbalanced and inadequate development. Meanwhile, the five major development concepts of innovation, coordination, green development, openness, and sharing; the development strategies such as reinvigorating China through science and education, strengthening the country through human resources, innovation-driven development, rural revitalization, coordinated regional development, sustainable development, and integrated military-civilian development; as well as the path of developmental development through comprehensively deepening reform—all aim to effectively resolve the principal contradiction in our society in the New Era and better satisfy the people's ever-growing needs for a better life. Xi Jinping’s theory of the people's principal status is a major development of the mass historical perspective of Chinese Marxist philosophy in the New Era.
Fifth, [he has] pioneered two brand-new theoretical fields of Chinese Marxist philosophy. The first is ecological civilization thought, which is the core content of the dialectical materialist view of nature underpinning Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era. The view of nature is a philosophical theory regarding the relationship between humanity and nature, which has two important aspects: the utilization and transformation of nature by humanity, and the respect, adaptation, and protection of nature by humanity. The attention Chinese Marxist philosophical views of nature paid to these two aspects of the relationship underwent a process of change and development. Determined by the principal contradictions of Chinese society at the time, Mao Zedong and Deng Xiaoping mainly focused on the former aspect of the relationship; their theoretical focus was on how to promote the development of social productive forces through the effective utilization and transformation of nature. After entering the 21st century, the Chinese Marxist philosophical view of nature increasingly attached importance to the latter aspect. For example, the report to the 16th CPC National Congress in 2002 emphasized promoting harmony between humanity and nature and following a "civilized development path of sound ecology." The report to the 17th CPC National Congress in 2007 pointed out that "building an ecological civilization" was a "new requirement for achieving the goal of building a moderately prosperous society in all respects." Since the 18th CPC National Congress, Xi Jinping, by combining the Marxist view of nature with the concrete realities of China in the New Era—and particularly through the creative transformation and innovative development of the idea of "unity of heaven and humanity" [10] in traditional Chinese philosophy—has constructed and elaborated an extremely systematic ecological civilization thought. The core concepts of Xi Jinping’s ecological civilization thought include: humanity and nature are a community of life; lucid waters and lush mountains are invaluable assets; a sound ecological environment is the most universal benefit to people’s well-being; carrying out the construction of ecological civilization in all directions, all regions, and throughout the entire process; protecting the ecological environment with the strictest systems and the most rigorous rule of law; and jointly seeking global ecological civilization construction. These are established upon profound reflection on the relationship between humanity and nature and a profound summary of the historical experience of human civilization’s development. They manifest the distinct characteristic of adhering to the harmonious coexistence of humanity and nature—emphasizing both the utilization and transformation of nature and its respect, adaptation, and protection. This not only provides a theoretical guide for the construction of ecological civilization in our country but also offers a Chinese solution for global ecological civilization construction, representing a major new achievement in the Sinicization of the Marxist philosophical view of nature.
Second is the concept of building a community with a shared future for humanity. This is a crucial component of the historical materialist foundation of Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era and a major achievement in the Sinicization of the Marxist theory of world history. In The German Ideology, Marx and Engels pointed out that as the universal intercourse between nations and the subsequent relations of interdependence develop, history is transformed into world history to an ever-greater extent. Xi Jinping has noted that this prediction by Marx and Engels has become a reality: today, the global nature of human interaction is deeper and more extensive than at any time in the past; the links and interdependencies between countries are tighter than ever; and humanity has become a community with a shared future in which "everyone has a stake in everyone else" [11]. However, this spontaneously formed community with a shared future for humanity faces a profound crisis. On one hand, the spontaneous community is built upon an unequal international political and economic order, which creates severe difficulties for the economic and social development of countries worldwide, particularly the vast number of developing nations. On the other hand, like all human communities, the spontaneous community is bound together by certain ties of common interest. Aside from the interdependence brought about by the global division of labor and global cooperation under the background of economic globalization (according to Engels, the interdependence between people who divide labor is a form of common interest), there is also a "negative" form of common interest—namely, the shared security and shared risks humanity faces when confronting global problems. This poses a serious threat to the survival and development of all humankind. Consequently, Xi Jinping has repeatedly emphasized the need to build a community with a shared future for humanity, advocating for a community centered on the concept of win-win cooperation—one characterized fundamentally by lasting peace, universal security, common prosperity, openness, inclusiveness, and a clean and beautiful environment. This community, centered on win-win cooperation, is a "conscious" community with a shared future for humanity, fundamentally different from the "spontaneous" one. What Xi Jinping refers to as "building a community with a shared future for humanity" means moving from spontaneity toward consciousness. This concept is a brand-new theoretical creation of Chinese Marxist philosophy, providing a "Chinese solution" for addressing the common challenges facing contemporary humanity, promoting global governance, and safeguarding and realizing the common interests of all humankind.
In short, the worldview and methodology of Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era have enriched and developed Chinese Marxist philosophy from many different aspects, pushing it to a brand-new theoretical height in the New Era.
III. Endowing Marxist Philosophy in the New Era with Distinctive Chinese Characteristics
Mao Zedong once pointed out that discussing Marxism in isolation from China's characteristics would inevitably result in an abstract and hollow Marxism; one must learn to apply Marxism to China’s specific environment, making it concrete in China and ensuring that every manifestation of it carries the necessary Chinese characteristics. The Marxist philosophical positions, viewpoints, and methods in Mao Zedong's philosophical thought, as well as in Deng Xiaoping Theory, the Theory of Three Represents, and the Scientific Outlook on Development, are all theoretical achievements of the Sinicization of Marxist philosophy—products of applying it to China’s specific environment in different periods. Thus, they all necessarily possess Chinese characteristics. The same is true for the worldview and methodology of Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era; it applies Marxist philosophy to the specific environment of China in the New Era, endowing it with distinctive Chinese characteristics.
First, the worldview and methodology of Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era focus on the "Chinese problems" of the New Era. Marx pointed out that "the problem is the slogan of the era, the most practical cry expressing the state of the era's spirit" [12]. Xi Jinping has emphasized: "Problems are the voice of the era; answering and guiding the resolution of problems is the fundamental task of theory." Xi Jinping’s application of Marxist philosophy to the specific environment of New Era China is expressed specifically through the use of Marxist philosophy to study, answer, and solve the Chinese problems of the New Era. Focusing on these problems is a prominent feature of this worldview and methodology; answering the "questions of China" and the "questions of the people" constitutes its fundamental purpose.
The most fundamental Chinese problem in the New Era is the principal contradiction in our society—namely, the contradiction between the people’s ever-growing need for a better life and unbalanced and inadequate development. This is the "most practical cry expressing the state of the era's spirit" and constitutes the central issue of the worldview and methodology of Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era, and indeed of the Thought as a whole.
This worldview and methodology were constructed as the philosophical foundation for the Party’s guiding ideology in the New Era, belonging to the fundamental content of the Party's theoretical building. The leadership of the Communist Party of China is the most essential feature of socialism with Chinese characteristics and the fundamental guarantee for resolving the principal contradiction and meeting the people’s ever-growing need for a better life. Precisely to make this guarantee stronger and more forceful, the worldview and methodology of Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era place particular emphasis on the building of the Party's ideology and work style. Xi Jinping’s theories on seeking truth from facts, the unity of knowing and doing [13], philosophical methodology, and the people-centered approach [14] all directly serve the ideological and work-style building of the Party. They provide a safeguard for better resolving the principal contradiction and meeting the people's needs under the Party's leadership. Specifically, the "seeking truth from facts" theory provides the guarantee in terms of ideological, work, and leadership methods, as well as style; the "unity of knowing and doing" theory ensures that the Party spirit [15] of the vast number of Party members and cadres meets the requirements for solving the principal contradiction; the philosophical methodology provides the fundamental methodological principles; and the "people as the subject" theory establishes the value concepts and basic standpoint. Other contents of the worldview and methodology also serve these goals. For instance, Xi Jinping’s ecological civilization thought aims to promote the harmonious coexistence of man and nature and satisfy the people’s growing need for a beautiful ecological environment. One could say that this worldview and methodology represent the philosophical "top-level design" [16] for resolving the principal social contradiction of the New Era.
Second, the worldview and methodology of Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era fully embody Chinese wisdom. Xi Jinping has pointed out that the process of theoretical innovation is one of discovering, filtering, researching, and solving problems. In this process, we must particularly grasp three resources: Marxist resources, the resources of fine traditional Chinese culture, and the resources of foreign philosophy and social sciences. We must adhere to the principles of "making the past serve the present and foreign things serve China," integrating resources from the past, present, China, and abroad to reflect continuity and nationality. As a result of the Party's theoretical innovation in the New Era, this worldview and methodology demonstrate continuity and nationality while focusing on Chinese problems, fully embodying Chinese wisdom.
One aspect is the full embodiment of the wisdom of Chinese Marxist philosophy. As a theoretical outcome of the Sinicization of Marxist philosophy, Chinese Marxist philosophy inherently embodies the positions, viewpoints, and methods of Marxist philosophy while containing the unique theoretical creations of Chinese Marxists. It is a creative application and innovative development of Marxist philosophy. The Marxist philosophical frameworks within Mao Zedong's thought, Deng Xiaoping Theory, the Three Represents, and the Scientific Outlook on Development are all crystallizations of Chinese Marxist philosophical wisdom. Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era is the concentrated expression of this wisdom today. On one hand, it fully inherits this legacy: the positions, viewpoints, and methods running through the theories of his predecessors are all important intellectual resources. On the other hand, it enriches this wisdom. This is proven by Xi Jinping's enrichment of "seeking truth from facts," epistemology, methodology, and the mass line, as well as his opening of two brand-new theoretical fields mentioned earlier.
Another aspect is the full embodiment of traditional Chinese philosophical wisdom. The Sinicization of Marxist philosophy inherently includes and requires the integration of Marxist philosophy with traditional Chinese wisdom. Xi Jinping not only emphasizes the modern value of traditional Chinese philosophy—stressing that the Marxist worldview and methodology must be integrated with the essence of fine traditional Chinese culture—but also personally practices this integration, achieving the "creative transformation and innovative development" of traditional Chinese philosophical wisdom in the New Era. Xi Jinping has pointed out that concepts such as: following nature (道法自然, dào fǎ zì rán); the unity of heaven and man (天人合一, tiān rén hé yī); the world belongs to the public (天下为公, tiān xià wéi gōng); constant self-improvement (自强不息, zì qiáng bù xī); social commitment (厚德载物, hòu dé zài wù); the people as the foundation of the state (民为邦本, mín wéi bāng běn); governing through virtue (为政以德, wéi zhèng yǐ dé); discarding the old to establish the new (革故鼎新, gé gù dǐng xīn); advancing with the times; seeking truth from facts; the unity of knowing and doing; appointing the virtuous and capable (任人唯贤, rèn rén wéi xián); promoting harmony and trust (讲信修睦, jiǎng xìn xiū mù); being kind to neighbors (亲仁善邻, qīn rén shàn lín); thrift and self-discipline (俭约自守, jiǎn yuē zì shǒu); harmony without uniformity (和而不同, hé ér bù tóng); and being mindful of danger in times of peace (居安思危, jū ān sī wēi) are all crystallizations of Chinese civilizational wisdom. These Traditional philosophical concepts constitute the intellectual resources for Xi’s worldview and methodology. He uses this wisdom not only to solve problems regarding the relationships between man and nature, man and man, and man and himself within the New Era of socialism with Chinese characteristics, but also to explore solutions for common challenges facing humanity today. His theories on ecological civilization, the people-centered approach, and the community with a shared future for humanity all reflect the activation of traditional Chinese philosophical wisdom, shining with its light.
Finally, it fully embodies the wisdom of the Chinese Communists. In the process of promoting the Sinicization of Marxist philosophy, the Chinese Communists have always paid attention to the philosophical summation of their own practical experience. Mao Zedong's philosophical thought included a profound philosophical summation of the Chinese revolution; its core texts, On Practice and On Contradiction, aimed to reveal the epistemological and methodological roots of the subjectivism that had repeatedly caused tragic losses to the Chinese revolution. Xi Jinping’s worldview and methodology similarly summarize the valuable experience of the Chinese Communists' long-term struggle. His important discourses—such as "adhering to seeking truth from facts will make the Party and the country flourish; violating it will lead them astray," "'Knowing' is the foundation and premise, while 'doing' is the focus and key; we must promote doing through knowing and knowing through doing to achieve the unity of knowing and doing," "the more our cause develops in depth, the more we must enhance our dialectical thinking ability," "a good ecological environment is the most universal welfare for the people’s wellbeing," and "we must always adhere to the people's standpoint and the people's status as the subject"—are all philosophical summations of the Party's practical experience. Xi Jinping especially emphasizes the philosophical summation of the Party's Great Practice in the New Era. His summary of the positions, viewpoints, and methods running through the Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era in the report to the 20th CPC National Congress fully reflects the unique wisdom of the Chinese Communists in the New Era.
Furthermore, the worldview and methodology of Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era prominently manifest a "Chinese style and Chinese spirit" [17]. When Mao Zedong discussed how to endow Marxism with Chinese characteristics, he placed special emphasis on making Marxism possess a "fresh and lively Chinese style and Chinese spirit which the common people of China love to see and hear." As the landmark achievement of the Sinicization of Marxist philosophy in the New Era, the worldview and methodology of Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era possess a distinct Chinese style and Chinese spirit. This is primarily manifested in the following aspects:
First is the extensive citation of classical Chinese sayings. Based on a profound understanding of the high degree of compatibility between the fine traditional Chinese culture and Marxism, a prominent feature of Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era is the flexible and natural invocation of classical aphorisms from traditional Chinese cultural texts to explain Marxist truths. This is fully reflected in the system's worldview and methodology. For example, he uses "There are constants in governing a state, but benefiting the people is the fundamental" (Wenzi), "The people are the foundation of the state; when the foundation is solid, the state is at peace" (Book of Documents), "Cold feet harm the heart; coldness among the people harms the state" (Shenjian), "Be the first to worry about the world's worries and the last to enjoy its joys" (Memorial to Yueyang Tower), and "Tasks that benefit the people must be promoted even if they are as fine as a hair; things that harm the people must be removed even if they are as small as a speck" (Zhouguan Bianfei) to explicate the theory of the people as the subject. He uses "Harmony generates all things, while sameness leads to no succession" (Guoyu), "Many words lead to exhaustion; it is better to guard the center" (Laozi), "A tree that fills the arms grows from a tiny sprout; a nine-story tower rises from a heap of earth" (Laozi), "If you can renovate yourself one day, do so from day to day; yea, let there be daily renovation" (Book of Rites), "Change is the nature of Heaven and Earth" (Baopuzi), "When one reach is exhausted, it changes; change leads to opening; opening leads to persistence" (Book of Changes), "The way of increase is to move with the times" (Book of Changes), "When the main thread of the net is lifted, the meshes open; when the fundamental is grasped, the secondary follows" (Fuzi), "Hold the essentials at the top, and distribute the details below" (Zhongxing Wulun), "The new and the old push one another; daily life never stagnates" (An Interpretation of the Book of Documents), and "He who does not plan for the whole situation is not sufficient to plan for a single area" (Proposal to Relocate the Capital and Establish Feudatories) to explicate Marxist philosophical methodology. He uses "Being friendly to others and a good neighbor" (Zuo Zhuan), "Even if a state is large, if it loves war, it will perish" (The Methods of the Sima), "Do not do unto others what you would not have them do unto you" (Analects), "Harmonizing all nations" (Book of Documents), "When the Great Way prevails, the world is shared by all" (Book of Rites), "All things are nourished together without injuring one another; ways are pursued in parallel without conflict" (Book of Rites), "The beauty of a harmonious soup lies in combining different flavors" (Records of the Three Kingdoms), and "The sea welcomes all rivers; its greatness comes from its capacity for inclusion" (a self-exhortation couplet by Lin Zexu) to explicate the concept of building a community with a shared future for humanity. Such citations are too numerous to count across all aspects of the worldview and methodology of Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era. They endow this system with a rich national character and demonstrate a high degree of cultural confidence.
Second is the extensive use of the vivid language of the masses. Xi Jinping is particularly adept at using the lively language that the people love to hear and see to explain the positions, viewpoints, and methods of Marxist philosophy. For example, when explicating the importance of "knowledge of virtue," he compares worldview, outlook on life, and values to the "master switch" of the spiritual world; he compares ideals and beliefs to spiritual "calcium" and the "ballast stone" of thought, emphasizing that "revolutionary ideals soar higher than the heavens." He describes those lacking ideals and beliefs as suffering from "rickets" and warns that those whose "master switch is not tightened" will inevitably suffer from "leaks and drips" on various issues. When analyzing the ideological and work style of seeking truth from facts, he requires leading officials to "throw themselves down and sink to the front lines" in investigations, opposing "show-style," "potted-landscape style," and "dragonfly-skimming-the-water style" research. He emphasizes that "hollow talk harms the country, while solid work rejuvenates the nation," advocating for "leaving iron marks when grasping and stone prints when stepping," "rolling up sleeves and working with grit," and "one part deployment, nine parts implementation." He criticizes superficial practices like putting up "flower stands," putting on "fake appearances," creating "models," building "potted landscapes," displaying "showcases," or engaging in "image projects." He describes these "fake, grand, empty, and hollow" vanities as "the moon in the water or a flower in the mirror." He requires leading officials to have the state of mind where "success does not have to be attributed to me," the breadth of spirit to "follow one blueprint to the end," the determination to "bite into the green mountain and never let go," the perseverance to "persist over the long term," and the "spirit of the nail." These qualities are necessary to focus on solving the "last kilometer" problem in policy implementation. When discussing the unity of knowledge and action and the tempering of Party spirit for Communists in the New Era, he criticizes those lacking spiritual "calcium" who "consult ghosts and gods instead of the common people," who are obsessed with praying to Buddhas or believe in "qigong masters," and who are ready at any time to "jump ship" and go abroad. Regarding Party building, he emphasizes that "it takes a good blacksmith to make good steel" and that we must "confine power within the cage of institutions." He advocates for the courage of "turning the blade inward" and the determination of "using strong medicine to cure a chronic illness, applying heavy penalties to end chaos," "scraping the bone to remove poison," and "a brave man cutting off his own wrist." He insists on a "zero tolerance" attitude and the strategy of "fighting tigers and flies together" in the anti-corruption struggle. He emphasizes that Party members and officials should "look in the mirror, straighten their clothes, take a bath, and treat their ailments" during the educational practice of the Party's mass line, warning officials not to "calculate small sums" in their hearts, not to leave "secret doors," or open "skylights" when executing systems. In discussing ecological civilization construction, he uses "lush mountains and lucid waters are invaluable assets" [18] to explain the dialectics of economic development and environmental protection, and uses "letting residents see the mountains, see the water, and remember their nostalgia" to explain how to build cities into beautiful homes where humanity and nature coexist in harmony. In explicating the theory of the people as the subject, he emphasizes that "the common people are the heavens, the common people are the earth." In explaining Marxist philosophical methodology, he uses "pulling the ox by the nose" to illustrate the need to focus on the primary contradiction. All of these make the worldview and methodology of Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era possess a very down-to-earth and popularized style.
Third is the proficiency in vividly telling Chinese stories. Xi Jinping is very skilled at using Chinese stories from ancient and modern times to explain the principles of Marxist philosophy. The Chinese stories he tells include stories of Chinese civilization and history, the history of the Communist Party of China, and stories of the Chinese revolution and construction, especially the New Era of socialism with Chinese characteristics. While the topics and content of the stories vary, the central purpose of telling them is to illustrate the need to persist in the positions, viewpoints, and methods of Marxist philosophy in governance. For example, he tells of the thoughts of various schools of scholars in ancient China and their timeless value to show how we should treat traditional culture scientifically and promote the creative transformation and innovative development of fine traditional Chinese culture. He tells stories of the rise and fall of the Qin, Han, Tang, and Qing dynasties, the stories of Li Zicheng and Li Xiucheng from their uprisings to their ultimate failures, and the story of the "self-destruction" of a great family in Dream of the Red Chamber leading to total ruin, in order to warn the broad ranks of Party members and officials to be cautious in small matters and in solitude [19]. He exhorts them to always keep the people in their hearts, maintain the string of self-discipline, clarify great virtues, observe public virtues, be strict with private virtues, and forever preserve the political character of integrity and honesty. He tells stories of the scholars of the Jin dynasties whose "empty talk neglected affairs" and how the Kangxi Emperor refused the gift of Ganoderma (lingzhi) to emphasize that leading officials must achieve seeking truth from facts and the unity of knowledge and action, striving for real work and taking responsibility while avoiding "discussing the path while sitting" or speaking without acting. He tells of the heroic deeds of Party history figures such as Li Dazhao, Chen Wangdao, Zhu De, Liu Hulan, Zhao Yiman, Yang Jingyu, Qiu Shaoyun, Huang Jike, Lei Feng, and Jiao Yulu, as well as Party history stories like the "half belt," the "half quilt," Liu Qiyao (Chairman of the Jiangxi Provincial Soviet Government) begging while carrying gold bars, and the quartermaster during the Long March who froze to death while managing clothing and equipment. These are used to illustrate the infinite power of ideals and faith and how the broad ranks of Party members and officials must always persist in serving the people and take the people's yearning for a better life as their goal. He tells stories of the mother of a war hero Deng Yufen, the Six Sisters of Yimeng, and the elders and fellow villagers of Liangjiahe to illustrate that the masses are the source of our strength and that we must always rely on them. These intimate and vivid stories provide the worldview and methodology of Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era with a powerful spiritual penetration and appeal.