The Historical Logic and Contemporary Mission of Constructing an Independent Knowledge System for the Discipline of CPC History and Party Building

On April 25, 2022, during his inspection and research at Renmin University of China, General Secretary Xi Jinping put forward requirements for the vast number of philosophy and social science workers, urging them to “consciously take answering the questions of China, the world, the people, and the times as their academic mission, and take manifesting China’s path, China’s governance, and China’s principles as their intellectual pursuit. In researching and solving major issues concerning the overall, fundamental, and critical interests of the Party and the state, they must demonstrate real competence and achieve good results. They should leverage the unique role of philosophy and social sciences in integrating Chinese and foreign cultures and enhancing exchanges among civilizations, spreading China’s voice, China’s theories, and China’s ideas, so that the world can better understand China, and make positive contributions to promoting the building of a community with a shared future for mankind.” This provides a fundamental guideline for the vast number of philosophy and social science workers to conduct their research well. Over more than a century of exploration, Chinese society, under the leadership of the Communist Party of China, has undergone earth-shaking changes, creating economic achievements and social transformations that have attracted worldwide attention, and forming a unique path of Chinese-path modernization. This requires us to summarize and theorize our own development practices and actively construct an independent knowledge system for China.

2022年4月25日，习近平总书记在中国人民大学考察调研时对广大哲学社会科学工作者提出要求，要“自觉以回答中国之问、世界之问、人民之问、时代之问为学术己任，以彰显中国之路、中国之治、中国之理为思想追求，在研究解决事关党和国家全局性、根本性、关键性的重大问题上拿出真本事、取得好成果。要发挥哲学社会科学在融通中外文化、增进文明交流中的独特作用，传播中国声音、中国理论、中国思想，让世界更好读懂中国，为推动构建人类命运共同体作出积极贡献”。这为广大哲学社会科学工作者做好研究提供了根本遵循。在百余年的探索中，中国社会在中国共产党领导下发生了翻天覆地的变化，创造了令世界瞩目的经济成就和社会变革，形成了独特的中国式现代化道路。这就要求我们必须对自身发展实践加以总结和理论化，积极建构中国自主的知识体系。

The Historical Logic of Constructing an Independent Knowledge System for the Discipline of CPC History and Party Building

建构中共党史党建学自主知识体系的历史逻辑

The excellent traditional Chinese culture, which has spanned several thousand years, is the deep foundation for the growth and development of philosophy and social sciences with Chinese characteristics. In modern history, Chinese culture faced a tremendous impact from Western culture, even becoming a “follower” and “chaser” for a time, losing its “subjectivity” and “universality.” With the great achievements in China’s economic construction and social development, constructing an independent knowledge system for China has become an inevitable mission of the times.

绵延几千年的中华优秀传统文化，是中国特色哲学社会科学成长发展的深厚基础。中华文化在近代历史上面临西方文化的巨大冲击，甚至一度成为“追随者”与“追赶者”，失去了“主体性”与“普遍性”。随着中国经济建设和社会发展取得巨大成就，建构中国自主的知识体系便成为时代的必然使命。

The “catch-up” mindset modeled on the West was prevalent throughout the transformation of modern Chinese society, and its result was the rigid imposition of Western analytical models onto Chinese experience, thereby losing one’s own subjectivity. After countless conflicts and exchanges between Eastern and Western cultures, Chinese culture began the awakening of its own subjectivity. The subjectivity of Chinese culture is rooted in the long-standing, extensive, and profound Chinese civilization. Its unique charm, different from other forms of world civilization, has played an important role in the process of Chinese-path modernization.

以西方为模板的“追赶型”思维普遍存在于近代中国社会的转型过程中，其结果就是将西方的分析模式硬套在中国经验上，丧失了自己的主体性。在经过无数次东西方文化的冲突与交流后，中华文化开启了自我主体性的觉醒。中华文化的主体性植根于源远流长、博大精深的中华文明，其不同于世界其他文明形态的独特魅力，在中国式现代化的进程中发挥了重要作用。

Since reform and opening up, the Communist Party of China, facing complex domestic and international situations and severe challenges, has led the people of the whole country to overcome many long-standing unresolved difficulties, leaping to become the world’s second-largest economy. Therefore, contemporary philosophy and social science workers are even more in need of providing localized explanations for China’s development miracle and embodying theoretical reflection in practical experience. This requires contemporary philosophy and social science workers to break through their own limitations, enhance their resolve, take ourselves as the mainstay, engage in comprehensive innovation, and contribute greater strength in the process of building a philosophy and social science system with Chinese characteristics, Chinese style, and Chinese manner. As the world’s largest Marxist ruling party, the Communist Party of China is committed both to the millennia-long great cause of the Chinese nation and to the noble cause of human peace and development. The discipline of CPC history and Party building revolves around “the governance of the Communist Party of China” and “the governance of China.” It is a systematic theory and knowledge of the Party’s history and its own construction, encompassing a scientific evaluation of the Party’s historical process and a scientific summary of the Party’s historical experience and the basic laws of Party building. It is one of the disciplines most characterized by China’s independent knowledge system. Research on CPC history and Party building can greatly enrich China’s independent knowledge system and provide Chinese solutions for the governance of political parties in other countries around the world.

改革开放以来，中国共产党面对国内外复杂形势和严峻挑战，领导全国人民攻克了许多长期没有解决的难题，一跃成为世界第二大经济体。因此，当代哲学社会科学工作者更需要为中国发展奇迹提供本土化解释，在实践经验中体现理论反思。这要求当代哲学社会科学工作者突破自我局限，增强定力，以我为主，综合创新，在建设具有中国特色、中国风格、中国气派的哲学社会科学过程中贡献更大的力量。作为世界上最大的马克思主义执政党，中国共产党既立志于中华民族千秋伟业，又致力于人类和平与发展崇高事业。中共党史党建学围绕着“中国共产党之治”与“中国之治”展开，是党的历史和自身建设的成体系的理论和知识，包含着对党的历史进程的科学评价、对党的历史经验和党的建设基本规律的科学总结，是最具中国自主知识体系特点的学科之一。中共党史党建学的研究可以极大地丰富中国自主知识体系，并为世界其他国家的政党治理提供中国方案。

The Contemporary Mission of Constructing an Independent Knowledge System for the Discipline of CPC History and Party Building

建构中共党史党建学自主知识体系的时代使命

In his important speech at the Symposium on Cultural Heritage Development, General Secretary Xi Jinping pointed out: “After long-term efforts, we are more capable than any previous era of resolving the ‘dispute between the ancient and the modern, China and the West,’ and we are also more urgently in need than any previous era of a batch of cultural achievements that integrate the ancient and the modern, and synthesize China and the West. We must persist in adapting Marxism to the Chinese context and the needs of the times, inherit and develop the excellent traditional Chinese culture, promote the localization of foreign cultures, and continuously cultivate and create socialist culture with Chinese characteristics for the New Era.” We have completed in just a few decades the industrialization process that took Western developed countries several hundred years, creating the miracles of rapid economic development and long-term social stability, and steadily advancing on the broad road of the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation. Based on this, we can more objectively and calmly recognize the historical and cultural foundation for the Chinese people’s choice of the socialist path and the leadership of the Communist Party of China. Starting from this historical background, how should the discipline of CPC history and Party building construct its independent knowledge system?

习近平总书记在文化传承发展座谈会上的重要讲话中指出：“经过长期努力，我们比以往任何一个时代都更有条件破解‘古今中西之争’，也比以往任何一个时代都更迫切需要一批熔铸古今、汇通中西的文化成果。我们必须坚持马克思主义中国化时代化，传承发展中华优秀传统文化，促进外来文化本土化，不断培育和创造新时代中国特色社会主义文化。”我们用几十年时间走完西方发达国家几百年走过的工业化历程，创造了经济快速发展和社会长期稳定的奇迹，稳步走在中华民族伟大复兴的康庄大道上。基于此，我们可以更为客观从容地认识到中国人民选择社会主义道路、选择中国共产党领导的历史文化基础。从这一历史背景出发，中共党史党建学应当如何建构自主知识体系呢？

Constructing an independent knowledge system for the discipline of CPC history and Party building must always adhere to the primary position of the leadership of the Communist Party of China in the process of Chinese-path modernization. Since its founding, the Communist Party of China has been different from Western political parties that represent the interests of a particular special group. It has always adhered to a people-centered approach: “The Communist Party of China has its roots in the people, its blood in the people, and its strength in the people. The Communist Party of China has always represented the fundamental interests of the broadest majority of the people, sharing weal and woe and life and death with the people. It has no special interests of its own and has never represented any interest group, any power group, or any privileged stratum.” [1]1 This quotation is from Xi Jinping’s speech at a ceremony marking the centenary of the Communist Party of China on July 1, 2021. It can be seen that the Communist Party of China has broken away from the Western political party’s positioning of representing only the interests of a minority, taking the fundamental interests of the broadest majority of the people as its goal.

建构中共党史党建学自主知识体系，要始终坚持中国共产党领导在中国式现代化过程中的首要地位。中国共产党自成立伊始，就与西方为某一特殊群体利益代言的政党不同，一直坚持以人民为中心，“中国共产党根基在人民、血脉在人民、力量在人民。中国共产党始终代表最广大人民根本利益，与人民休戚与共、生死相依，没有任何自己特殊的利益，从来不代表任何利益集团、任何权势团体、任何特权阶层的利益”。可见，中国共产党摆脱了西方政党仅代表少数人利益的定位，将最广大人民的根本利益作为奋斗目标。

Constructing an independent knowledge system for the discipline of CPC history and Party building must possess both historical thinking and political thinking. From the founding of the Party, which “opened up heaven and earth,” to the founding of New China, which “changed heaven and earth,” to reform and opening up, which “shook heaven and earth,” and then to the historic achievements and historic transformations in the cause of the Party and the state since the 18th National Congress of the CPC, the Communist Party of China has led the Chinese people to forge ahead with determination, moving from victory to victory. [2]2 The phrases “opened up heaven and earth” (开天辟地), “changed heaven and earth” (改天换地), and “shook heaven and earth” (翻天覆地) are standard four-character idioms used in official CPC historiography to characterize the founding of the CPC (1921), the founding of the People’s Republic of China (1949), and the launch of reform and opening up (1978), respectively. On the one hand, the discipline of CPC history and Party building must proceed from historical facts to accurately describe the establishment, development, and continuous self-revolution of the Communist Party of China. On the other hand, the discipline of CPC history and Party building has a strong political and ideological character, requiring a correct approach to the twists and turns in the Communist Party of China’s exploration of China’s development path. We can neither use political standards as the sole criterion to ignore objectivity and authenticity, nor use historical standards to obscure the important significance of CPC history and Party building in consolidating the Chinese people’s feelings of family and country.

建构中共党史党建学自主知识体系，要兼具历史性思维与政治性思维。从建党的开天辟地到新中国成立的改天换地，到改革开放的翻天覆地，再到党的十八大以来党和国家事业取得历史性成就、发生历史性变革，中国共产党带领中国人民砥砺奋进、从胜利走向胜利。一方面，中共党史党建学要从历史事实出发，来准确描述中国共产党的建立、发展以及不断自我革新的历史。另一方面，中共党史党建学具有很强的政治性和意识形态特性，需要正确对待中国共产党在探索中国发展道路过程中的曲折性。我们既不能以政治性为唯一标准去忽视客观性和真实性，也不能以历史性来掩盖中共党史党建学对于凝聚中国人的家国情怀的重要意义。

Constructing an independent knowledge system for the discipline of CPC history and Party building aims to provide unique experience in party building for the new form of human political civilization. An independent knowledge system originates from practice and, in turn, provides directional guidance and methodological support for practice, which is conducive to enhancing cultural confidence and confidence in the path. Therefore, we need to refine academic propositions, academic ideas, academic viewpoints, and academic standards rooted in China’s development practice. China’s successful development experience, the historical achievements of the Communist Party of China, and its current strategies are political phenomena of global significance. Interpreting China’s development requires “telling China’s story well, spreading China’s voice well, and presenting a true, multi-dimensional, and comprehensive China to the world.” [3]3 This is a standard formulation from CPC propaganda directives, emphasizing the need to proactively shape China’s international image. Some of these knowledge systems and conceptual categories have commonality, such as “political party,” “organization,” and “state governance,” while others have uniqueness, such as “Yan’an experience” and “governance of a major country.” [4]4 “Yan’an experience” refers to the period (1935–1948) when the CPC was headquartered in Yan’an, Shaanxi, during which it developed key governance and military strategies. “Governance of a major country” (大国之治) is a contemporary slogan highlighting China’s distinctive approach to managing a large, complex state. Constructing an independent knowledge system for China and providing unique experience in party building for the new form of human political civilization is the historical mission incumbent upon workers in the discipline of CPC history and Party building.

建构中共党史党建学自主知识体系，旨在为人类政治文明新形态提供独特的政党建设经验。自主知识体系来源于实践，反过来为实践提供方向指引与方法支撑，有利于增强文化自信和道路自信。因此，我们需要提炼出立足于中国发展实践的学术命题、学术思想、学术观点、学术标准。中国成功的发展经验、中国共产党的历史成就和现实策略是具有全球性意义的政治现象。对中国发展的解读，需要“讲好中国故事、传播好中国声音，向世界展现真实、立体、全面的中国”。其中一些知识体系与概念范畴具有共通性，比如“政党”“组织”“国家治理”等，也有一些具有独特性，比如“延安经验”“大国之治”等。建构中国自主的知识体系，为人类政治文明新形态提供独特的政党建设经验，是中共党史党建学工作者义不容辞的历史使命。

The Role of Innovating Disciplinary Evaluation Standards in Constructing an Independent Knowledge System for the Discipline of CPC History and Party Building

创新学科评价标准对建构中共党史党建学自主知识体系的作用

The “Decision of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China on Further Deepening Reform Comprehensively to Advance Chinese-Path Modernization,” adopted at the Third Plenary Session of the 20th Central Committee of the CPC, clearly states that education, science and technology, and talent are the foundational and strategic supports for Chinese-path modernization. [5]5 The Third Plenary Session of the 20th Central Committee was held in July 2024. The “Decision” is a major policy document outlining comprehensive reforms for the period 2024–2029. It is necessary to thoroughly implement the strategy of rejuvenating the country through science and education, the strategy of strengthening the country through talent, and the innovation-driven development strategy; to coordinate and advance the integrated reform of the systems and mechanisms for education, science and technology, and talent; to improve the new system for mobilizing resources nationwide; and to enhance the overall effectiveness of the national innovation system. Building a strong nation in higher education requires deep-level changes, among which disciplinary evaluation is the baton for disciplinary development and the weather vane for talent cultivation.

党的二十届三中全会通过的《中共中央关于进一步全面深化改革、推进中国式现代化的决定》中明确指出，教育、科技、人才是中国式现代化的基础性、战略性支撑。必须深入实施科教兴国战略、人才强国战略、创新驱动发展战略，统筹推进教育科技人才体制机制一体改革，健全新型举国体制，提升国家创新体系整体效能。建设高等教育强国需要深层变革，其中学科评价更是学科发展的指挥棒，是人才培养的风向标。

The National Conference on Organizational Work held in June 2023 [6]6 The National Conference on Organizational Work is a high-level meeting convened by the CPC Central Committee to discuss Party organizational and personnel matters. The 2023 conference was held in June. for the first time formally proposed and systematically expounded Xi Jinping’s important thought on Party building, a milestone in the history of the development of Marxist Party-building theory and in the history of CPC Party building. In the *Introduction to Disciplines and Specialties in Graduate Education and Their Basic Degree Requirements (Trial Version)* published in January 2024, four sub-disciplines—CPC history and Party building theory, CPC history, Party leadership and Party building, and Party work theory and practice—were designated as second-level disciplines under the first-level discipline of CPC history and Party building. This fully demonstrates that the disciplinary construction goals of CPC history and Party building have a strong practical and theoretical orientation.

2023年6月召开的全国组织工作会议，首次正式提出和系统阐述了习近平总书记关于党的建设的重要思想，这在马克思主义建党学说发展史和中国共产党党建史上具有里程碑意义。在2024年1月公布的《研究生教育学科专业简介及其学位基本要求（试行版）》中，将中共党史党建学理论、中国共产党历史、党的领导和党的建设、党务工作理论与实践四个学科作为中共党史党建学一级学科下设的二级学科，足见中共党史党建学的学科建设目标具有极强的实践导向和理论导向。

Theory originates from practice and guides practice. The CPC has grown from a small party with only a few dozen members into the world’s largest Marxist ruling party. Its glorious course contains a vast amount of practical experience and an enormous number of practical cases. As a discipline that takes the rich practice and great achievements of the CPC as its research object, CPC history and Party building is highly cross-cutting and innovative in terms of research object, research paradigm, and research methods. It must not only sensitively reflect the latest changes in the world situation, national conditions, and Party conditions in its research results, but also keep pace with the times, highlight a problem-oriented approach, and propose countermeasure research on major practical issues. It must also focus on the Party’s organizational work and the building of a talent team, providing educational support and talent cultivation guarantees for forging a contingent of organizational cadres who are absolutely reliable politically and absolutely loyal to the Party, ensuring a continuous supply of talent and successors. Therefore, in the evaluation criteria for the discipline of CPC history and Party building, greater prominence should be given to independence and practicality. It is not permissible to stick to old conventions and simply conduct quantitative evaluation based on “talent,” “titles,” “honors,” and “papers.” The role of fostering virtue through education [7]7 “Fostering virtue through education” (立德树人) is a core principle in Chinese education policy, emphasizing moral cultivation as the foundation of talent development., the effectiveness of social contribution, and the adaptability and practical results of talent cultivation must be incorporated into an integrated evaluation. This will ensure, through the evaluation system, that the discipline of CPC history and Party building achieves the integration of specialized advancement and social implementation, and the combination of theory and practice.

理论来源于实践并指导实践。中国共产党从一个只有几十名党员的小党发展成为世界上最大的马克思主义执政党，其光辉历程中蕴含着海量的实践经验和巨量的实践案例。而以中国共产党的丰富实践和伟大成就作为研究对象的学科，中共党史党建学在研究对象、研究范式、研究方法上都具有极强的交叉性和创新性，既要将最新的世情国情党情的变化敏锐地体现在研究成果中，又必须紧跟时代步伐、突出问题导向，对重大现实问题提出对策性研究，还应当着眼于党的组织工作与人才队伍建设，为打造一支政治上绝对可靠、对党绝对忠诚的组工干部队伍提供教育支撑和人才培养保障，确保人才源源不断、后继有人。因此，在中共党史党建学学科评价标准上，更应当凸显自主性和实践性，不能墨守成规，简单地以“人才”“帽子”“称号”“论文”来进行量化评价，必须将立德树人作用、社会贡献效能、人才培养的适配性和实效性纳入一体评价，从评价体系上来保证中共党史党建学实现专业化推进与社会化实施相贯通、实现理论与实践相结合。

(The author is Deputy Party Secretary of the School of CPC History and Party Building, Renmin University of China)

（作者系中国人民大学中共党史党建学院党委副书记）

Online editor: Tongxin

网络编辑：同心