Ai Silin: The Underlying Logic of Marxism Guiding the Construction of an Independent Knowledge System for Chinese Philosophy and Social Sciences
In May 2016, General Secretary Xi Jinping pointed out at the Seminar on Philosophy and Social Sciences that "to persist in and develop socialism with Chinese characteristics, we must attach great importance to philosophy and social sciences," and explicitly proposed to "accelerate the construction of philosophy and social sciences with Chinese characteristics." In April 2022, during an inspection of Renmin University of China, General Secretary Xi Jinping emphasized: "Accelerating the construction of philosophy and social sciences with Chinese characteristics boils down to the construction of China's independent knowledge system." Since the 18th National Congress of the CPC, the series of important expositions by General Secretary Xi Jinping regarding Chinese philosophy and social sciences and the construction of their independent knowledge system have deepened our Party’s understanding of the laws governing the development of philosophy and social sciences. They provide the fundamental compliance and a guide to action for the development of Chinese philosophy and social sciences and the construction of an independent knowledge system for Chinese philosophy and social sciences in the New Era.
I. Marxism: The Soul of Contemporary Chinese Philosophy and Social Sciences
Marxism, as a scientific worldview and methodology, is our fundamental guiding ideology for establishing and growing the Party and the country; it must necessarily become the soul leading the construction of an independent knowledge system for Chinese philosophy and social sciences.
- Marxism is the theoretical foundation of contemporary Chinese philosophy and social sciences
General Secretary Xi Jinping emphasized that "contemporary Chinese philosophy and social sciences took the entry of Marxism into our country as their starting point and have gradually developed under the guidance of Marxism," further noting that "adhering to the guidance of Marxism is the fundamental hallmark that distinguishes contemporary Chinese philosophy and social sciences from other philosophy and social sciences." These important judgments, from the height of the unity of history and logic, reveal the inseparable internal connection between Marxism and contemporary Chinese philosophy and social sciences.
The "starting point" is not merely a chronological beginning, but a paradigm shift and the establishment of subjectivity within a specific historical context. Chinese civilization has a long history, and its tradition of philosophy and social sciences dates back to ancient times, making significant contributions to human civilization. After the Opium War, the efficacy and even the legitimacy of Chinese thought and culture were called into question, and Chinese intellectuals began to "look West" on a large scale. Amidst the "Eastward transition of Western learning" [1], various Western trends and theories—such as evolutionism, voluntarism, pragmatism, positivism, liberalism, and anarchism—took the Chinese stage one after another. Western philosophy and social sciences were translated and introduced to China, exerting an important influence on the inception of modern Chinese philosophy and social sciences. However, faced with the dominant position of Western knowledge systems, neither "Chinese learning for fundamental principles, Western learning for practical application" [2] nor "wholesale Westernization" [3] could effectively resolve the "dispute between the ancient and the modern, the Chinese and the Western" [4], let alone solve the problem of China’s future and destiny. Consequently, the Chinese people of that time could neither reconstruct confidence in Chinese culture nor move beyond simple "transportation" and "mechanical application" of Western philosophy and social sciences. As Mao Zedong criticized in Reform Our Study, that kind of research where "one cannot speak without citing ancient Greece" would only "sever history, understanding only Greece but not China."
The arrival of Marxism provided a powerful intellectual weapon for Chinese thought and culture to escape the predicament of dependence and consolidate cultural subjectivity. The core of this transition was a shift from path-dependence on Western knowledge systems toward studying Chinese problems using the Marxist standpoint, viewpoints, and methods. Every knowledge system has its value presuppositions. General Secretary Xi Jinping noted: "There is no such thing as a pure and simple philosophy and social science in the world." People-centeredness is the essential attribute of Marxism. Marxism holds its banner high and declares its class position: serving the liberation of the proletariat and all humanity. Marxism is a theory that speaks for the people and acts as their advocate. In the context of Chinese philosophy and social sciences, this people-centered position is manifested as "conducting scholarship for the people." Marxist philosophy scientifically reveals the general laws of the development of nature, society, and human thought; it is a worldview and methodology of universal significance. Therefore, it possesses strong guiding significance for every discipline in philosophy and social science research. Practicality is a distinctive feature of Marxism. General Secretary Xi Jinping pointed out, "Marxism possesses a distinct practical character; it is committed not only to scientifically 'explaining the world' but also to 'changing the world'." Consequently, Chinese philosophy and social sciences guided by Marxism will inevitably abandon "scholastic" [5] research in favor of concrete practice.
In short, the introduction of Marxism to China and the establishment of its guiding position in the ideological sphere marked the moment when Chinese philosophy and social sciences truly gained their own soul and subjectivity.
- Consolidating the guiding position of Marxism in philosophy and social sciences
Adhering to the guidance of Marxism is a fundamental issue concerning the direction of the development of Chinese philosophy and social sciences and must not be shaken in the slightest. However, for a certain period, "in actual work, Marxism was marginalized, hollowed out, or turned into a mere label in some fields; it was 'marginalized' in some disciplines, 'missing' from textbooks, and 'silent' in forums." At the Seminar on Philosophy and Social Sciences, General Secretary Xi Jinping explicitly pointed out that this situation must be taken very seriously.
Since the 18th National Congress of the CPC, the CPC Central Committee with Comrade Xi Jinping at its core has clearly proposed that we must uphold the fundamental system of the guiding position of Marxism in the ideological sphere, deeply implement the Project to Study and Build Marxist Theory, and fully implement Marxist guidance in all aspects of ideological and theoretical construction, philosophy and social science research, and education and teaching. In recent years, the construction of key textbooks for the Project to Study and Build Marxist Theory has been further strengthened, covering major disciplinary fields of philosophy and social sciences, and the textbook system for Chinese philosophy and social sciences guided by Marxism has been continuously improved. In 2024, the Ministry of Education launched the "New Era Series" textbook construction, explicitly requiring that the Party's latest innovative theoretical achievements be fully integrated and organically incorporated into textbooks to promote the construction of an original textbook system for Chinese philosophy and social sciences.
The right to speak [6] for Marxism has been continuously strengthened. Various disciplines in philosophy and social sciences have taken root in Chinese soil, basing themselves on the vivid practice of Chinese-path modernization. They summarize and extract new concepts, categories, and expressions that possess subjectivity, originality, and branding significance [7], while creating a discourse that is easily understood and accepted by the international community to spread China's voice and enhance international discursive power, changing the situation of "having the truth but being unable to speak it, or speaking it without it being heard." The improvement of academic discursive power is also reflected in the powerful criticism of erroneous trends of thought. In today's complex and sharp struggle in the ideological sphere, facing the challenges of various social trends of thought, workers in philosophy and social sciences have dared to "unsheathe the sword" and speak out on major issues, clarifying blurred understandings and consolidating social consensus. The situation of being "silent in forums" has been fundamentally changed. From this, it is evident that Marxism is becoming the "main thread" running through the knowledge system of philosophy and social sciences.
Therefore, whether in the realm of thought and culture or in the field of philosophy and social science research, the phenomena of being "marginalized," "missing," and "silent" have been fundamentally reversed, and the construction of an independent knowledge system for Chinese philosophy and social sciences now rests upon a more solid foundation of thought and public opinion.
II. The Party's Innovative Theories: The Intellectual Guidance for Constructing an Independent Knowledge System for Chinese Philosophy and Social Sciences
The Party’s innovative theories are the latest achievements in the Sinicization and modernization of Marxism. To advance the construction of an independent knowledge system for Chinese philosophy and social sciences in the New Era, we must take the Party’s innovative theories as our guide, adhere to the "Two Combinations" and the "Six Must-Upholds," and continue to deepen the systematic and academic [8] research and interpretation of the Party’s innovative theories.
- The "Two Combinations": The fundamental path for constructing an independent knowledge system for Chinese philosophy and social sciences
General Secretary Xi Jinping pointed out: "The fundamental path for us to advance the Sinicization and modernization of Marxism is the 'Two Combinations'." This judgment not only summarizes the Party’s experience in theoretical innovation but also provides the fundamental compliance for constructing an independent knowledge system for Chinese philosophy and social sciences.
First, we must solidify the practical foundation for constructing an independent knowledge system for Chinese philosophy and social sciences. Engels pointed out: "The theoretical thought of every age, including that of our own age, is a historical product, which at different times assumes very different forms and, therewith, very different contents." Combining the basic principles of Marxism with China’s specific realities requires that Chinese philosophy and social sciences must take root in Chinese soil and center on what we are currently doing. The great practice of building socialism with Chinese characteristics—whether viewed from the history of the international communist movement or the history of human development—is unprecedented, providing an inexhaustible source and impetus for theoretical innovation. General Secretary Xi Jinping emphasized: "Only by taking our country's reality as the starting point for research, proposing theoretical viewpoints with subjectivity and originality, and constructing a disciplinary system, academic system, and discourse system with our own characteristics, can our country's philosophy and social sciences form their own features and advantages." It is easy to see from this that only by rooting itself in Chinese soil can the distinct features and advantages of the independent knowledge system of Chinese philosophy and social sciences be fully demonstrated.
Second, we must fortify the cultural roots of the independent knowledge system of Chinese philosophy and social sciences. Constructing an independent knowledge system for Chinese philosophy and social sciences requires firm cultural and historical confidence. Practice has proven that it is precisely through the "Two Combinations" that Marxism has become Chinese and Chinese civilization has become modern; consequently, the independent knowledge system of Chinese philosophy and social sciences has acquired a profound cultural subjectivity. To continue the Chinese cultural lineage, "we must strengthen the excavation and interpretation of fine traditional Chinese culture, making the most basic cultural genes of the Chinese nation compatible with contemporary culture and coordinated with modern society; we must promote the cultural spirit that spans time and space, transcends national borders, possesses eternal charm, and has contemporary value," further solidifying the cultural foundation and historical character of the independent knowledge system.
- The "Six Must-Upholds": The methodology for constructing an independent knowledge system for Chinese philosophy and social sciences
The "Six Must-Upholds" are the concentrated expression of the worldview and methodology of Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era, representing the inheritance and development of the Marxist worldview and methodology. To continue accelerating the construction of an independent knowledge system for Chinese philosophy and social sciences, we must grasp the worldview and methodology of the Party’s innovative theories and uphold and apply the standpoints, viewpoints, and methods that permeate them.
Upholding the principle of "putting the people first" requires that the construction of an independent knowledge system for Chinese philosophy and social sciences always takes the people's standpoint as its fundamental position, conducting scholarship for the people. Persisting in "self-confidence and self-reliance" requires elevating Chinese experience into Chinese theory and continuously consolidating the subjectivity of the independent knowledge system for Chinese philosophy and social sciences. Persisting in "upholding the fundamentals and breaking new ground" requires adhering to the guiding position of Marxism in our country's philosophy and social sciences while continuously promoting innovation in knowledge, theory, and methodology—ensuring that we neither lose our direction nor fail to advance with the times. Adhering to a "problem-oriented approach" means solidifying the practical foundation of philosophy and social sciences, enabling them to achieve academic innovation by answering the "questions of China, the world, the people, and the times." Persisting in a "systems-oriented approach" means coordinating the construction of the disciplinary, academic, and discourse systems of philosophy and social sciences with Chinese characteristics, promoting dialogue, collaborative research, cross-disciplinary integration, and coordinated development across disciplines. Maintaining a "global vision" means having a mind as broad as the sea [9], focusing on international academic frontiers and the common challenges facing human development with a more expansive perspective, contributing Chinese scholarship and theory to solve major problems concerning the future and destiny of humanity.
- Systematization and academic grounding: The inherent requirements for constructing an independent knowledge system for Chinese philosophy and social sciences
General Secretary Xi Jinping pointed out: "The reason why Marxism has a profound influence lies in its revelation of the truth of human social development through profound academic logic and the demonstration of its scientific nature through a complete system." In recent years, significant results have been achieved in the systematic and academic research and interpretation of the Party's theories, but in the actual process of advancement, efforts are still needed to solve some structural difficulties. For example, academic depth is sometimes insufficient, disciplinary support remains weak, and issues such as homogenization, superficiality, and fragmented or one-sided research persist. Discussions in various fields and disciplines often "fight separate battles," lacking a revelation of the internal logical connections between concepts and propositions.
First, focus on systematic construction and holistic grasping. The Party's innovative theories in the New Era constitute a scientific system with rich connotations, rigorous logic, and continuous development. Academic research must first overcome fragmented and one-sided understanding and commit to a holistic grasp. We must deeply explore the theoretical origins, historical background, core tenets, spiritual essence, and practical requirements of the Party's innovative theories in the New Era, clarifying the internal links and logical structure between their various components. We must deeply study the relationship between the Party's innovative theories in the New Era and Marxism-Leninism, Mao Zedong Thought, and Deng Xiaoping Theory...
The relationship between the Important Thought of Three Represents and the Scientific Outlook on Development is one of both continuous descent and advancing with the times, clearly outlining the thread of theoretical development. Concurrently, it is necessary to conduct in-depth explorations of their profound connections with fine traditional Chinese culture. From the abundant discourses of the Party’s innovative theories in the New Era, we must extract core categories such as "high-quality development," "new quality productive forces," "whole-process people’s democracy," "Chinese-path modernization," "the modernization of the national governance system and capacity," and "a community with a shared future for humanity." By deeply researching the dialectical relationships between these categories, we can form a logically rigorous system of identifying concepts.
Second, efforts must focus on academic systematic-interpretation and academic expression. We must promote the deep transformation of the Party’s innovative theories from political and policy language into academic and disciplinary language. We should organize interdisciplinary forces and comprehensively employ multi-disciplinary research methods and analytical paradigms to conduct deep academic excavation and demonstration of the major viewpoints, strategic thoughts, and practical strategies within the Party’s innovative theories. This involves deeply explaining the theoretical, historical, and practical logic behind them, and profoundly revealing the underlying truths, academic principles, and philosophies. We must promote a discourse shift, using rigorous and standardized academic language to accurately and vividly express the original contributions of the Party’s innovative theories.
Third, efforts must focus on popularized dissemination and practical transformation. The ultimate goal of systematization and academic interpretation is to allow the Party’s innovative theories to be grasped by the masses and transformed into a powerful material force for practice, thereby manifesting the formidable power of these theories to explain and transform the world. In this regard, we must achieve the organic transformation of political and academic discourse into popular discourse. We should be adept at using popular language that resonates with the masses, adapt to the new changes of the digital age, and fully utilize new technologies such as artificial intelligence to innovate the methods of disseminating the Party’s innovative theories, ensuring they "enter the mind and enter the heart" [10].
III. The Discipline of Marxist Theory: Navigating and Demonstrating the Construction of an Independent Knowledge System for Chinese Philosophy and Social Sciences
Since the establishment of Marxist theory as a first-level discipline at the end of 2005, through more than 20 years of development, significant results have been achieved in disciplinary layout, team building, talent cultivation, scientific research, social service, external exchange, and supporting the construction of ideological and political theory courses. The developmental level of the Marxist theory discipline directly determines its ability and effectiveness in leading the construction of an independent knowledge system for Chinese philosophy and social sciences. Under the new situation, we must vigorously promote the high-quality development of the Marxist theory discipline and construct an independent knowledge system for it.
1. Recognizing the Status and Mission of the Leading Discipline
The discipline of Marxist theory aims at the holistic study of Marxist theory, grasping the Marxist position, viewpoint, and method in their totality. Consequently, it can command and influence the research paradigms of various disciplines, providing fundamental positions, value orientations, and methodological guidance for other philosophy and social sciences across multiple dimensions—political direction, stance and method, talent cultivation, and academic research. Since the 18th CPC National Congress, the unique status of the Marxist theory discipline has become clearer and further strengthened. From the "Opinions on Further Strengthening and Improving the Propaganda and Ideological Work of Universities under the New Situation" issued by the General Office of the CPC Central Committee and the General Office of the State Council in January 2015, to the "Opinions on Accelerating the Construction of Philosophy and Social Sciences with Chinese Characteristics" issued by the CPC Central Committee in May 2017, to the "Certain Opinions on Deepening the Reform and Innovation of School Ideological and Political Theory Courses in the New Era" issued by the two General Offices in August 2019, and the "Opinions on Strengthening the Construction of Marxist Academies in the New Era" issued by the General Office of the CPC Central Committee in September 2021—the foundational status of the Marxist theory discipline has been emphasized from different dimensions, clearly proposing that it should play a navigational and leading role.
For the Marxist theory discipline to realize its navigational and leading role, we are required to place it in a position of "prioritized development, superior development, and high-quality development." In July 2015, the Publicity Department of the CPC Central Committee and the Ministry of Education issued the "Innovation Plan for the Construction System of Ideological and Political Theory Courses in Regular Higher Education Institutions," clearly stating the need to "effectively build the Marxist theory discipline into a superior discipline." Since the 18th CPC National Congress, the Marxist theory discipline has achieved leapfrog development. The number of authorized points for the first-level discipline of Marxist theory increased from 37 in 2013 to 114 in 2025, ranking at the forefront of various philosophy and social science disciplines. The layout of disciplinary sites has become more rational, covering all 31 provincial-level administrative regions, with a roughly balanced distribution across the eastern, central, and western regions. The cultivation system for undergraduate, master's, and doctoral talents in Marxist theory continues to improve, the quality of talent cultivation is rising, and the employment trend for graduates is positive.
2. Focus Points for Promoting High-Quality Development of the Marxist Theory Discipline in the New Era
Without high-quality development, the unique role of the Marxist theory discipline would be difficult to exercise effectively. To this end, we must firmly grasp the political direction of disciplinary construction, recognize its mission and tasks, and strengthen disciplinary confidence. We need new atmosphere and new actions in strengthening the teaching staff, improving talent cultivation, scientific research, social service, and external exchange, while focusing efforts on the following aspects:
First, promoting the balanced development of second-level disciplines within Marxist theory. In 2005, the first-level discipline of Marxist theory had five sub-disciplines, such as the Basic Principles of Marxism. In 2008 and 2017, "Basic Issues of Modern and Contemporary Chinese History" and "Party Building" were added as second-level disciplines, gradually forming the disciplinary system. However, as the system matures, the problem of imbalanced development among sub-disciplines has become increasingly prominent. In the future, we should focus on strengthening the two sub-disciplines of the "History of Marxist Development" and "Studies of Foreign Marxism." Meanwhile, we must continuously optimize the second-level disciplinary system in light of new tasks, expanding its internal and external boundaries by establishing or developing new research directions such as "Studies on Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era," "Studies on the Theory and Practice of Chinese-path Modernization," "Marxist Theoretical Education," and the "History of Marxist Dissemination."
Second, coordinating the development of Marxist theory with the discipline of CPC History and Party Building. Currently, there are 15 authorized first-level doctoral points for CPC History and Party Building in universities, the vast majority of whose faculty are ideological and political course teachers in Marxist Academies. It should be noted that among the 110 doctoral points for Marxist theory, most are still in a critical stage of quality improvement. Therefore, we must coordinate the development of these two disciplines. On one hand, both authorized disciplines should be housed and constructed within Marxist Academies; on the other hand, the application process for these disciplinary points should be coordinated.
Third, strengthening the supporting role of the Marxist theory discipline for the teaching of ideological and political theory courses. Disciplinary construction and the construction of these courses are complementary, playing an irreplaceable role in fulfilling the fundamental task of "fostering virtue through education" [11] and improving the quality of talent cultivation. Since the implementation of the "05 Scheme" [12], the various disciplinary points have played a strong supporting role. However, there remain some coordination and matching issues. To solve this, a series of practical measures are needed to give full play to the discipline's support for these courses. Evaluation systems have an important guiding role; however, in current evaluations and professional title reviews, the emphasis on research projects, papers, and books is relatively high, while the importance of teaching ideological and political courses remains insufficient. This has largely resulted in relevant units paying insufficient attention to course construction and some teachers investing insufficient energy into pedagogical research. Therefore, it is urgent to construct a scientific, standardized, and effective evaluation system that supports the disciplinary construction of ideological and political courses.
3. Paths to Accelerate the Construction of an Independent Knowledge System for the Marxist Theory Discipline
First, strengthening the synergistic construction of the disciplinary system, academic system, and discourse system. These "three systems" are the concentrated embodiment of a knowledge system. They are distinct yet mutually supportive: the disciplinary system is the foundation, the academic system is the core and support, and the discourse system is the carrier and external expression.
Regarding disciplinary system construction, we must continue to improve existing second-level disciplines like the Basic Principles of Marxism. Interdisciplinary integration has become a major driver of high-quality development. Thus, we should more deeply promote the linkage between Marxist theory and related disciplines, its integration with other philosophy and social sciences, and its cross-pollination with artificial intelligence and other sciences, forming a disciplinary system that reflects the latest achievements of the Sinicization and modernization of Marxism. Regarding academic system construction, we should focus on collective breakthroughs in basic Marxist theory, the systematic and academic interpretation of the Party’s innovative theories, and the theory and practice of Chinese-path modernization to produce landmark results. Regarding discourse system construction, we must systematically extract identifying concepts and original theories to build a category system that reflects disciplinary and academic requirements.
Second, promoting the practical transformation of the knowledge system into systems for curriculum, textbooks, and teaching. The goal of constructing the knowledge system of the Marxist theory discipline lies in its application; we must transform the disciplinary, academic, and discourse systems into systems for curriculum, textbooks, and teaching. In the new journey of the New Era, the discipline must optimize curriculum settings based on its positioning, cultivation goals, and research directions, forming a clear and layered structure for undergraduate, master's, and doctoral stages. General Secretary Xi Jinping noted: "To cultivate good and useful talents in philosophy and social sciences, one must have good textbooks." The discipline must strengthen textbook construction and write specialized textbooks to build a high-quality system with Chinese characteristics, style, and flair. In 2024, the Ministry of Education initiated the compilation of several specialized textbooks, such as "An Introduction to the Theoretical System of Socialism with Chinese Characteristics," "An Introduction to Mao Zedong Thought," and "An Introduction to Foreign Marxism." This marks significant progress in the New Era. The teaching system is transformed from the textbook system; the Marxist theory discipline should follow pedagogical laws, base itself on student characteristics, and timely transform textbook content into teaching content that students can easily accept.
In conclusion, using Marxism to lead the construction of an independent knowledge system for Chinese philosophy and social sciences is a systemic project and a long-term task that requires persisting over the long term. Marxism is the soul of contemporary Chinese philosophy and social sciences; the Party’s innovative theories in the New Era inject the essence of the times into it, and the Marxist theory discipline plays a navigational and demonstrating role through high-quality development. These three are organically unified, together forming the logical main line for constructing an independent knowledge system for Chinese philosophy and social sciences.