Gao Xiang: A Decade of Splendor in China's Philosophy and Social Sciences
Magnificent virtue and great industry find their captain in thought. On May 17, 2016, General Secretary Xi Jinping presided over and delivered an important speech at the Symposium on Work in Philosophy and Social Sciences (hereinafter referred to as the "Speech"). This address profoundly elucidated the immense significance, status, and role of the philosophy and social sciences; scientifically answered a series of fundamental, principled, and strategic questions concerning the long-term development of the field in our country; and systematically charted a grand blueprint for accelerating the construction of Chinese philosophy and social sciences. It pointed the way forward and provided the fundamental follow-through for the prosperity and development of contemporary Chinese philosophy and social sciences. Over the past ten years, under the guidance of the spirit of the Speech, China’s philosophical and social science circles have held high the banner. Centered on serving Chinese-path modernization, they have explored objective laws, pursued truth, and carried forward civilization, promoting theoretical innovation and academic prosperity. This has resulted in a new academic landscape brimming with passion, vigor, and vitality. Practice has proven that for contemporary Chinese philosophy and social sciences to possess their own dignity and win a glorious future, they must move firmly forward along the path guided by the spirit of the Speech.
Thought Providing the Navigation
General Secretary Xi Jinping noted: "A country without developed natural sciences cannot stand in the front ranks of the world, and a country without prosperous philosophy and social sciences cannot stand in the front ranks of the world either." Since the 18th National Congress of the CPC, General Secretary Xi Jinping, standing at the strategic height of promoting the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation, has personally planned and guided the cause of our nation's philosophy and social sciences. In the history of academic development in New Era China, the Speech holds major monumental significance. In the ten years since, following the evolution of the situation and focusing on the specific progress in various fields and aspects of philosophical and social science work, General Secretary Xi Jinping has delivered a series of important speeches and issued a series of important instructions and comments. These, together with the Speech, constitute the "Academic Chapter" of Xi Jinping Thought on Culture.
Upholding and consolidating the guiding position of Marxism to establish the heart and cast the soul of Chinese philosophy and social sciences. Upholding the guidance of Marxism is the fundamental hallmark distinguishing contemporary Chinese philosophy and social sciences from others. On this fundamental issue, which concerns the moral state of the world and the hearts of the people, General Secretary Xi Jinping has taken a clear-cut stand. He has not only presided over a series of thematic meetings and issued numerous important instructions on the Project to Study and Build Marxist Theory, but has also, in the face of the mutual agitation of Chinese and foreign trends of thought, guided the academic community to "raise the banner and unsheathe the sword" [1], to "clear the murky water and let the pure flow" [2], and to defend the guiding position of Marxism in the ideological sphere. General Secretary Xi Jinping emphasized: "In treating Marxism, one must not adopt a dogmatic attitude, nor a pragmatic one," and "adhering to a problem-oriented approach is a distinctive feature of Marxism." These statements pointed the way forward for Chinese academia in the New Era.
Inheriting and promoting fine traditional Chinese culture to ensure that Chinese philosophy and social sciences have deep roots and luxuriant leaves. General Secretary Xi Jinping noted: "The Chinese culture that has endured for thousands of years is the profound foundation for the growth and development of philosophy and social sciences with Chinese characteristics." Since the New Era began, the General Secretary has kept the nation's destiny in mind and the cultural lineage in his heart. He personally planned, deployed, and promoted the establishment of the Chinese Academy of History and the National Archives of Publications and Culture, and issued a series of important instructions on inheriting and promoting fine traditional Chinese culture. In particular, on June 2, 2023, General Secretary Xi Jinping attended the Symposium on Cultural Inheritance and Development and delivered an important speech, which profoundly elucidated the prominent characteristics of Chinese civilization, incisively revealed the great significance of the "Two Combinations" [3], and issued the clarion call of the times to "better shoulder the new cultural mission" and "work together to create a new culture belonging to our era." This was a profound Marxist cultural manifesto, demonstrating that our Party's understanding of the laws of cultural development, of traditional Chinese culture, and of the cultural mission of the New Era has reached a new height. It presented the historical responsibility and cultural commitment of contemporary Chinese philosophy and social sciences more clearly to the people.
Advocating for civilizational exchange and mutual learning to lead Chinese academia onto the world stage. General Secretary Xi Jinping noted: "We must not only let the world know 'China on the tongue' [4], but also 'China in academia,' 'China in theory,' 'China in philosophy and social sciences,' as well as 'developing China,' 'opening China,' and 'China contributing to human civilization.'" General Secretary Xi Jinping has presided over collective study sessions of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee to study the strengthening of our country's international communication capacity. He has also delivered speeches on many important international occasions, advocating for exchange and dialogue between civilizations, encouraging Chinese and foreign scholars to promote mutual learning through academic dialogue, and fostering civilizational progress through knowledge innovation. Under the guidance of the General Secretary, the international communication capacity of Chinese academia has significantly enhanced, and the dialogue between Chinese and foreign civilizations has continued to deepen, providing more thoughtful theoretical support and more innovative intellectual assistance for building a community with a shared future for humanity.
Strengthening and improving the Party's leadership over philosophy and social science work to foster a positive and upward-looking academic ecosystem. General Secretary Xi Jinping emphasized: "The cause of philosophy and social sciences is an important cause for the Party and the people; the philosophy and social science front is an important front for the Party and the people." General Secretary Xi Jinping has invested deep affection and high expectations in the vast number of philosophy and social science workers, emphasizing: "We must care for, cultivate, and utilize this team well," "earnestly implement the Party's policy on intellectuals," and "achieve full trust politically, proactive guidance ideologically, the creation of conditions in work, and care and consideration in life, performing more practical, good, and difficult-solving deeds for them." He required that "leading cadres should treat philosophy and social sciences with a scientific attitude and respect the hard work and research results of philosophy and social science workers." The General Secretary also inspired philosophy and social science workers to solve problems of "academic style" [5], promoting the formation of an excellent style that prizes high-quality work, rigorous scholarship, integrity, and responsibility, thereby creating a clean, healthy, mutually-learning, and positive academic ecosystem.
Brilliant Achievements
Engels once noted: "Since history has also been interpreted materialistically, a new path of development has been opened here as well." Along the direction guided by the Speech, our nation's philosophy and social science cause has ushered in its best period of development in history, achieving a series of remarkable successes. It displays a vigorous vitality characterized by a comprehensive leap in ideological leadership, academic creativity, practical interpretative power, and international influence, contributing academic wisdom to the successful promotion and expansion of Chinese-path modernization.
Research and interpretation of the Party's innovative theories have continued to deepen, and the guiding position of Marxism has become more consolidated. Over the past ten years, the philosophy and social science front has adhered to the guidance of Marxism, taking the promotion of the systematic and theoretical research and interpretation of Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era as its primary task. It has treated the deepening of research into basic Marxist theory and the history of academic thought as a foundational project, integrating the Party's innovative theories into every field and the entire process of Chinese philosophical and social science research. Volumes I through V of Xi Jinping: The Governance of China and Volumes I and II of the Selected Readings from the Works of Xi Jinping have been published. The construction of research centers (institutes) for Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era has proceeded with high quality, achieving full coverage of theoretical research across different fields. A batch of national-level research projects has been organized around the study and interpretation of the Party's innovative theories. The "General Secretary Xi Jinping Book Cabin" has been established overseas, and the "International Forum on Overseas Research of Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era" has been held, making the study of the Party's innovative theories a "prominent study" (xiéxué) [6] both at home and abroad. The Project to Study and Build Marxist Theory has been deeply implemented, with publications such as the Library of Classical Marxist-Leninist Authors and the Marxist Treasury (Mǎzàng). The leading role of Marxism in philosophy and social sciences has become more prominent, and scholars' use of Marxist stances, viewpoints, and methods has become more conscious and fluid. The construction of Schools of Marxism has flourished, and the ranks of ideological and political theory teachers in universities have seen a doubling in numbers, an improvement in quality, and a strengthening of support. Young students are growing robustly under the nourishment of the Party's innovative theories.
The construction of the disciplinary system, academic system, and discourse system has moved forward in depth, and the foundation for building an independent knowledge system has become more solid. Over the past ten years, we have taken the construction of the disciplinary, academic, and discourse systems as our main direction of attack, deeply implementing the Philosophy and Social Sciences Innovation Project, enhancing subjectivity and originality, and accelerating the construction of an independent Chinese knowledge system for philosophy and social sciences. The disciplinary system has become more systematic and complete, with a multi-faceted, all-field, and all-element disciplinary system basically formed. Emerging and interdisciplinary subjects such as the study of CPC history and Party building, discipline inspection and supervision studies, area studies, national security studies, humanistic economics, and frontier studies [7] have gradually risen. "Cold-gate" or "endangered" [8] disciplines of significant cultural value and heritage significance have received priority support. The construction of the textbook system, which serves as the solid support for the disciplinary system, has yielded fruitful results, and the construction of important information platforms such as the National Philosophy and Social Sciences Documentation Center has been fully advanced. Meanwhile, the academic community has gradually formed a batch of analytical paradigms with Chinese characteristics, deeply researching and interpreting original and iconic concepts such as "new quality productive forces" and "cultural subjectivity." The discourse system has become more vivid and vital; original and iconic concepts such as "Chinese-path modernization," "whole-process people's democracy," and "a community with a shared future for humanity" have profoundly influenced the international academic community, becoming "golden keys" for international scholars to enter the hall of Chinese knowledge in the New Era.
The unique role of serving Chinese-path modernization and national rejuvenation has become more prominent, and the practical significance of serving the country through scholarship and applying knowledge to statecraft has become more salient. Over the past ten years, the philosophical and social science circles have earnestly studied and implemented General Secretary Xi Jinping’s important instruction to "adhere to a people-centered research orientation," harboring deep feelings for the country and serving national rejuvenation. Scholars have closely followed the pulse of the times and responded to its concerns, focusing on major practical issues such as implementing the new development philosophy, promoting common prosperity, developing new quality productive forces, forging a strong sense of community for the Chinese nation, strengthening the governance of China's frontiers, the high-quality joint construction of the "Belt and Road," and promoting the building of a community with a shared future for humanity. They have put forward a series of insightful views and produced a batch of practical and effective research results. A multi-level, institutionalized mechanism for providing policy advice and suggestions from the central to local levels has been established, and a positive atmosphere of scientific decision-making and valuing expert opinions has become increasingly thick.
The subjectivity of Chinese academia has been unprecedentedly enhanced, and academic exchange between China and the world has entered a new period of equal and mutual learning. When the nation's fortunes flourish, its culture prospers. Over the past ten years, along with the significant increase in our country's comprehensive national strength and international status, the cultural confidence of philosophy and social science workers has been unprecedentedly strengthened. Scholars have held fast to the Chinese cultural stance and cultural subjectivity, consciously extracting new materials and putting forward new views from the magnificent waves of modernization and from the depths of the Chinese nation's long and vast history and culture. They have striven to build a knowledge system with distinct Chinese characteristics, and a batch of high-quality works representing the academic spirit and cognitive level of New Era China has been disseminated overseas. We persist in basing ourselves on domestic reality while conducting research with an open door, participating in international academic exchanges and dialogues with a broad vision, a magnanimous heart, and an attitude of equality and confidence. China is becoming an important force in global academic governance. This is a remarkable historical transformation, holding monumental significance in the history of Chinese academic development since modern times.
The ranks of philosophy and social science talents have continued to expand, and the structure has become increasingly refined. Over the past ten years, a group of masters and giants with solid theoretical foundations have stood at the forefront of academic progress, courageously leading the way and setting trends. A large number of young talents have emerged and grown robustly under the care of the Party and the government. The construction of talent pools for endangered disciplines and interdisciplinary fields has been significantly strengthened. "Each generation brings forth new talents," and Chinese academia has successors. The academic literacy of the masses has continued to rise, and "popular scholarship" is becoming a new academic ecosystem for all people in the digital intelligence era. As a new phenomenon, popular scholarship calls for and promotes professional knowledge to step out of the "ivory tower."
While fully affirming our achievements, we also clearly recognize: compared with the earnest expectations and requirements of General Secretary Xi Jinping and the Party Central Committee, and compared with the practical needs of the great practice of Chinese-path modernization, contemporary Chinese philosophy and social sciences still have a significant gap to bridge. Whether in terms of the quality of the ranks or the quality of results; whether in terms of innovation capacity or the academic ecosystem, there is considerable room for improvement. Academic work in New Era China shoulders a heavy mission and has a long way to go.
Valuable Experience
The ten years of exploration have yielded extraordinary achievements. Looking back at this academic journey brimming with passion and poetic quality, there are many experiences worth summarizing.
The Party's innovative theories are the banner and soul of Chinese philosophy and social sciences in the New Era.
Looking back at the history of human scholarship, it is not difficult to discover that all scientific activity, especially theoretical and academic exploration, is never a directionless wandering; rather, it is a rational process possessed of a standpoint, goals, and norms. Adhering to the guidance of Marxism is the most fundamental conclusion drawn from the development of Chinese scholarship since the May Fourth Movement [9]. By mastering Marxism, Chinese scholarship has fundamentally mastered its own future. Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era is contemporary Chinese Marxism and 21st-century Marxism. If New Era Chinese scholarship is to achieve sublimation and win a bright future worthy of the times, it must unswervingly take the Party’s innovative theories as its banner and soul, and persist in and strengthen the Party’s leadership over philosophy and social science work. Only in this way can our autonomous knowledge system stand firm, act rightly, and go far.
Promoting theoretical innovation is the only path for the prosperity and development of Chinese philosophy and social sciences.
The human academic enterprise has always been a process of forging ahead through exploration. Without innovation, scholarship lacks vitality, let alone a future. We must, of course, inherit excellent academic traditions, but the purpose of inheritance is sublimation rather than stagnation. The precious character of Marxist theory is its ability to advance with the times. Among all human academic forms, the Marxist academic vision is the most open, its heart the most expansive, and it is the most free from sectarianism [10]. It is most adept at drawing wisdom and nourishment from all progressive ideas and civilizational achievements, and most skilled at determining the direction of progress and drawing momentum for advancement through the combination of theory and practice, history and reality. Constructing an autonomous knowledge system for Chinese philosophy and social sciences requires scholars to explore and innovate boldly, using scientific achievements full of wisdom and inspiration to boost academic progress and civilizational sublimation.
Serving Chinese practice is the sacred mission of Chinese philosophy and social sciences in the New Era.
Sentiments of devotion to home and country [11] and the principle of statecraft [12] are the profound, ancient, and consistent fine traditions of Chinese scholarship. The view that treats philosophy and social science research as a cold, mechanical process devoid of emotion is a distortion and desecration of the academic spirit and humanistic tradition. Looking across the history of human scholarship, every outstanding achievement of the greatest era-defining significance has been imbued with humanistic sentiment, faced social reality head-on, and shouldered the mission of the times. Chinese-path modernization has explored a brand-new path of development and created a magnificent landscape never realized by Western modernization. There are a large number of new practical subjects that require theoretical answers, a large number of deep-seated "hot" and difficult issues that require clarification, and a constant emergence of practical experiences that require theoretical generalization and elevation. Philosophy and social science workers must consciously throw themselves into the great tide of Chinese-path modernization and strengthen research on issues that are global, strategic, forward-looking, and law-bound. Drawing the wisdom and strength for theoretical innovation from the great practice of the masses in transforming the world is our responsibility and mission, and the only way to promote an academic leap forward.
Creating an excellent academic ecosystem is the basic prerequisite for achieving academic progress.
Philosophy and social science research is a serious scientific undertaking that requires the support of sentiment, ethics, and norms. We must create a political ecosystem that is full of integrity, open and inclusive, and seeks truth from facts. The Chinese academic community in the New Era must carry forward the scientific spirit, strictly abide by scientific norms, and encourage scholars to persist in the unification of personal integrity, professional conduct, and scholarly pursuit. We must strengthen the construction of scientific research integrity and, through a combination of "soft" constraints and "hard" measures, ensure that scholars have strength of character, results have quality, and the halls of academia have dignity.
Advancing with Determination
Marx once remarked: "The philosophers have only interpreted the world in various ways; the point, however, is to change it." Today's world is the most complex world in human history, and also the fastest-changing. Our country's development has entered a period where strategic opportunities and risks/challenges coexist, and uncertain and unpredictable factors are increasing. A new round of technological revolution and industrial transformation, represented by artificial intelligence, is affecting all fields of production and life at an unprecedented speed. Philosophy and social science workers must follow the direction guided by the spirit of the Speech [13], cherish valuable experience, consciously conduct scholarship from the commanding heights of history and the era, accelerate the construction of an autonomous knowledge system for Chinese philosophy and social sciences, and create new glories for Chinese scholarship.
Supporting and serving the construction of an autonomous knowledge system with Chinese schools of thought.
Constructing an autonomous knowledge system for Chinese philosophy and social sciences is the developmental direction of contemporary Chinese scholarship. Strengthening the cultivation and construction of schools of thought is a necessary prerequisite and support for achieving this grand goal. Ancient Chinese academic culture has a long and profound tradition of "schools" (xuepai), and Marxist scholarship has precious experience in cultivating and developing schools. We must take the Party’s innovative theories as our guide, inherit the Chinese academic lineage, remain grounded in Chinese practice, and uphold the Chinese spirit. We must use problem horizons, research paradigms, academic concepts, and theoretical discourses with distinct Chinese characteristics to create Chinese schools of philosophy and social sciences with subjectivity, originality, and explanatory power. This will provide knowledge support for the construction of an autonomous knowledge system for Chinese philosophy and social sciences and provide the academic confidence for Chinese scholars to engage in equal dialogue and exchange with the international academic community.
Participating in and leading the new trend of the technological revolution.
"Science is a historically productive, revolutionary force." Every major change in science and technology brings about an update in thinking methods and knowledge systems. Currently, the new round of technological revolution and industrial transformation represented by artificial intelligence has profoundly changed the objects, methods, and boundaries of philosophy and social science research, and is deeply reshaping—and will continue to reshape—the trends and forms of academic research. Facing the future, philosophy and social science workers should throw themselves without hesitation into the torrent of epochal change, promoting systemic changes in research methods, tools, and organizational forms. They should explore new research models of human-machine collaboration and, on the basis of upholding humanistic spirit and value judgments, achieve the organic unity of technological empowerment and theoretical innovation. We must attach great importance to the profound impact of the new technological revolution on lifestyles, governance modes, and international relations, and conduct forward-looking research. We should actively guide and regulate the development of popular scholarship, explore ways of expressing and disseminating knowledge for the public, and enrich and improve the level of popular scholarship.
Innovating the organization of scientific research.
In today's world, no single discipline can solve major theoretical and practical problems on its own; at the same time, academic progress is increasingly built on the achievements of related disciplines. Breaking down disciplinary barriers and promoting interdisciplinary integration is becoming the "new normal" for academic development worldwide. We must take measures to further release productive forces in scholarship and produce both results and talent through interdisciplinary integration. We should build comprehensive research platforms for multi-disciplinary joint assaults on key problems, encourage outstanding scholars to "take the lead" [14], and assemble interdisciplinary comprehensive innovation teams to form new types of academic communities with rich connotations and distinct characteristics, exploring new horizons, building new systems, cultivating new knowledge, and achieving new breakthroughs.
Persisting in and strengthening the Party's overall leadership.
The Party's leadership over philosophy and social science work is an inevitable requirement and the fundamental guarantee for the prosperity and development of our country's philosophy and social sciences. At no time and under no circumstances can this be ambiguous or wavered. We must persist in taking the Party's political construction as the lead, further deepen the reform of the scientific research system and mechanisms, and establish a modern management system and mechanism suitable for the development of Chinese philosophy and social sciences in the New Era. We must firmly grasp talent as the foundation, further increase the intensity of talent team construction—especially focusing on the cultivation of young talent—and strive to build a large-scale, fully-categorized, and well-linked echelon of excellent philosophy and social science talent. We must continuously optimize the academic ecosystem, improve evaluation and incentive mechanisms, encourage exploration, and support innovation. We must improve the scientific research integrity system to ensure a clean and upright atmosphere in our academic circles.
Through the changing years and the shifting sands of time, looking back from the present to the past, "it is precisely the time when the way of governance and the state of the world flourish together, and the fate of culture and the fate of the nation are both prosperous" [15]. Along the direction guided by the Speech, Chinese philosophy and social sciences have achieved a glorious decade and written an academic masterpiece. Looking to the future, we will unswervingly follow the direction guided by the Speech to provide ideological and intellectual support for the cause of building a strong country and national rejuvenation. As General Secretary Xi Jinping emphasized: "This is an era that needs theory and is certainly capable of producing theory; this is an era that needs thought and is certainly capable of producing thought. We must not fail this era."
(The author is the President and Secretary of the Leading Party Members’ Group of the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences) Source: People's Daily (May 15, 2026, Page 09) Editor: Huihui