Ren Limei: Technological Ideological Competition—A New Conceptual Framework for the Future World Order and Human Development
Abstract: This book represents the final research output of the project "Ideological Competition in Science and Technology" (21FKSB017), funded by the National Social Science Fund of China and chaired by Ren Limei.
The level of science and technology determines the height of human civilization; however, it is "science and technology ideology" (科技意识形态) [1] that drives the development of science and technology itself and enables it to promote social progress. By observing the future and destiny of humanity through a technological lens, science and technology ideology investigates the driving role of technological power in the development of human society and the shifts in the global landscape. It constitutes a new cognitive framework for human social development, succeeding the "center-periphery" theory of the modern world-system and the "clash of civilizations" thesis.
Adopting a Marxist standpoint and a technological perspective, this study elucidates the functions and mechanisms by which science and technology ideology guides, controls, and incentivizes technological innovation, ultimately influencing the speed and quality of social development. It analyzes the essential differences and future trajectories of the science and technology ideologies corresponding to two fundamental paths and two fundamental systems [2]. The author points out the advanced nature of socialist science and technology ideology under the guidance of the New Development Philosophy [3] and discusses the contemporary significance of constructing science and technology ideology in socialist countries. The work offers reflections and recommendations for China to actively integrate into and lead the new round of globalization in the era of "Big Science," promote the building of a community with a shared future for humanity, reconstruct the world order, reshape the global landscape, and create a new form of human civilization.
About the Author: Ren Limei is a Doctor of Philosophy and an Associate Research Fellow at the Department of Ideology and Social Trends, Institute of Marxism Studies, Chinese Academy of Social Sciences (CASS). Her primary research interests include innovation theory, social development theory and strategy, and cultural philosophy.
Table of Contents
Preface: Ideological Competition in Science and Technology—A New Framework for Understanding Human Social Development
- Paradigm Shifts in Understanding Human Social Development
- Research and Assessment of Science and Technology Ideology
- Expanding New Horizons for Human Development through Science and Technology Ideology
Chapter 1: Science and Technology Ideology from the Perspective of Historical Materialism Section 1: Understanding Science and Technology Ideology through the Internal Structure of Science and Technology i. Extracting the concept of science and technology ideology from technological structures and the relationships between its parts ii. Constituent parts of science and technology ideology and their dialectical relationships Section 2: The Formative Basis, Framework, and Sources of Power of Science and Technology Ideology from a Historical Perspective i. The creation and development of natural science theories: The basis of science and technology ideology ii. Technological rationality: The architectural foundation of science and technology ideology iii. Knowledge power and technological capacity: The sources of power for science and technology ideology Section 3: Functions and Characteristics of Science and Technology Ideology i. Functions of science and technology ideology ii. Characteristics of science and technology ideology iii. The duality and historicity of the role of science and technology ideology
Chapter 2: Historical Development and Evolution of Science and Technology Ideology Section 1: Science and Technology Ideology in History i. China's "unity of humanity and heaven" [4] and the West's "conquest of nature" ii. The internal humanistic value orientation of the Chinese spirit of "investigating things to extend knowledge" [5] in scientific practice Section 2: Two Transformational Upgrades of Human Ideology i. Upgrading from traditional political ideology to modern political ideology ii. Upgrading from modern political ideology to modern science and technology ideology Section 3: Essence and Change in Modern Science and Technology Ideology i. Substantive breakthroughs in modern science and technology ideology ii. The phenomenon of alienation in the science and technology ideology of modern developed industrial societies and its historical analysis Section 4: Multiple Perspectives for Judging the Value and Role of Science and Technology Ideology i. An existential perspective on science and technology ideology ii. An epistemological perspective on science and technology ideology
Chapter 3: The Dialectical Relationship between Science and Technology Ideology and the National Innovation System Section 1: The National Innovation System as the Primary Material Carrier of Science and Technology Ideology i. Composition and functions of the national innovation system ii. The national innovation system as a carrier of the core content of science and technology ideology Section 2: Science and Technology Ideology Leading the Development of the National Innovation System i. Science and Technology Ideology as a conceptual force influencing innovation activities across society ii. Advanced science and technology ideology can coordinate the primary contradictions and key issues of the modern technological revolution iii. Science and technology ideology as the "adhesive" for the state to integrate all forces into the systemic engineering of technological innovation Section 3: Construction of National Innovation Systems and the Crystallization of Science and Technology Ideologies in Various Countries i. The construction process of national innovation systems as a process of crystallizing science and technology ideologies ii. A comparison of "whole-of-nation system" [6] models for technological innovation under the influence of different science and technology ideologies
Chapter 4: Types of Science and Technology Ideology in Major Global Powers Section 1: Anglo-Saxon Science and Technology Ideology i. The United Kingdom ii. The United States Section 2: Continental European Science and Technology Ideology i. France ii. Germany Section 3: Russian and Indian Science and Technology Ideology i. Russia ii. India Section 4: Transitional and Evolving Types Section 5: Types with Regional Characteristics Summary: Science and Technology Ideology as the Core Driver for Technology-Promoted Economic and Social Development
Chapter 5: Independent Innovation: The Core Discourse of Science and Technology Ideology with Chinese Characteristics Section 1: The Historical Generation of Independent Innovation Consciousness i. The foundation and start-up stage of China's national innovation system ii. The construction, development, and growth stage of China's national innovation system iii. The preliminary completion stage of China's national innovation system iv. "Mass entrepreneurship and innovation" [7] as the core discourse during the growth stage of China's national innovation system Section 2: The Historical Role of Independent Innovation Consciousness i. The core of independent innovation is driving technological innovation to lead economic and social development ii. Independent innovation established cultural self-confidence in China's science and technology ideology iii. Forming a value system for China's science and technology ideology through the historical process of independent innovation
Chapter 6: Competition and Conflict in Global Science and Technology Ideologies Section 1: Competition in Science and Technology Ideology and its Spheres of Influence i. Competition manifested at the efficiency level of national innovation systems ii. International competition manifested in the institutional design of technological innovation iii. International competition manifested at the conceptual level Section 2: Conflict Risks in Global Science and Technology Ideological Competition i. The risk of competition between different ideologies escalating into conflict ii. Empirical cases of competition escalating into conflict Section 3: The Economic Essence and Direct Targets of Science and Technology Ideological Competition i. Distribution of returns from technological innovation: The root and essence of ideological competition ii. The "right to speak" (discourse power) [8]: The direct target of ideological competition iii. International cyberspace: The most immediate arena for current international ideological competition
Chapter 7: Analysis of Sino-US Competition in Technology and Science and Technology Ideology Section 1: The Competitive Stance Based on Differences in Technological Value Recognition i. Differences in social recognition of technological values between China and the US ii. Differences in codes of conduct for the dissemination and promotion of science and technology ideology iii. A comparison of China and the US in the anti-COVID-19 struggle within the perspective of international ideological competition iv. How value differences lead to paradoxes in cyber-ideological discourse, focal areas of innovation, and development speeds Section 2: Dynamics and Counter-forces of Decoupling: Strategies and Methods in Ideological Competition i. "Decoupling" as a high-cost policy choice for all countries today ii. Responding to "decoupling": Action and reaction in ideological competition Section 3: China's Strategy in Sino-US Science and Technology Ideological Competition i. Facing the reality of the Sino-US competition and the root causes of "bottleneck" [9] problems ii. Addressing both symptoms and root causes through the new whole-of-nation system Section 4: Possible Futures: Space for Coordination Provided by Technological Development i. The transition from political ideological struggle to science and technology ideological competition as an inevitable choice ii. Why a full "decoupling" would not be a disaster even if caused by ideological competition iii. How technological development provides new space for coordinating aggregate competition
Chapter 8: New Challenges and Opportunities Facing the Construction and Competition of Science and Technology Ideology Section 1: New Challenges Facing the Construction of Science and Technology Ideology i. Big data and AI-based research as a new paradigm for scientific inquiry ii. Cultural technology and intelligent manufacturing constructing new ways of existence and production iii. New technologies like blockchain improving relations of production and social governance iv. New technologies like open-source software generating new ideas and models Section 2: New Hotspots in Future Science and Technology Ideological Competition i. Digital space: The next key field of competition ii. Standard-essential patents: The next focus of competition Section 3: New Trends and Opportunities in International Ideological Competition i. Carbon peaking and carbon neutrality as the current international consensus on the rationality and direction of technological development ii. Potential areas for future consensus: Global policies on the development of Artificial Intelligence (AI)
Chapter 9: Toward a New Era of International Science and Technology Ideological Competition Section 1: The New Situation of International Competition in Technology and Ideology i. The new "three tiers" in the global landscape of ideological competition ii. The "two powers, multipolar, and regionalized competition" landscape Section 2: China's Strategy for Welcoming the New Era of Global Ideological Competition i. Welcoming new competition with high levels of confidence ii. Actively shaping the period of strategic opportunity for national development iii. Continuously strengthening the competitive advantages of science and technology ideology with Chinese characteristics Section 3: Basic Methods, Principles, and New Tasks for China in Advancing Modern Science and Technology Ideology i. Basic methods for advancing the development of modern science and technology ideology ii. Advocating principles for beneficial international competition in science and technology ideology iii. New tasks for the innovative development of China's science and technology ideology Section 4: Constructing the Discourse System and Discourse Power of Science and Technology Ideology with Chinese Characteristics in the New Era i. Deconstructing Western "modernization" theory to create a discourse environment for ideological competition ii. Building a discourse system and enhancing the "right to speak" for China's science and technology ideology iii. Adhering to the "people-centered" attribute of technological innovation to strengthen the competitiveness of Chinese discourse iv. Deeply participating in global technology governance and enhancing discourse power through the building of a community with a shared future for humanity
Conclusion References