Promoting the Progress of Human Civilization through Exchange and Mutual Learning

In his congratulatory letter to the World Conference on China Studies · Shanghai Forum, General Secretary Xi Jinping pointed out, "Chinese civilization has a long and continuous history, and it has been enriched and developed through exchange and mutual learning with other world civilizations, endowing Chinese-path modernization with profound substance. Only by tracing back to the origins of history can we understand the real world; only by following the roots of culture can we identify today's China; and only through the mutual learning of civilizations can we achieve common progress." This important exposition provides us with a fundamental guideline for understanding history and reality, China and the world, from the perspective of civilization.

习近平总书记在致世界中国学大会·上海论坛的贺信中指出，“中华文明源远流长，在同世界其他文明的交流互鉴中丰富发展，赋予中国式现代化以深厚底蕴。溯历史的源头才能理解现实的世界，循文化的根基才能辨识当今的中国，有文明的互鉴才能实现共同的进步”。这一重要论述，为我们从文明的视角理解历史与现实、中国与世界提供了根本遵循。

Tracing the Origins of History, Understanding the Real World

追溯历史源头，理解现实世界

History is the reality of the past, and reality is the history of the future. Understanding the real world by tracing the origins of history embodies the dialectical relationship between history and reality. The methodological foundation of Marxist philosophy is the unity of logic and history, that is, the organic integration of the logical analysis of dialectical materialism with the analysis of actual historical events. In classic works such as *The German Ideology*, *The Communist Manifesto*, and *Capital*, Marx and Engels extensively drew upon research materials from world history to ensure the authenticity and reliability of their analytical judgments, and on this basis, they elucidated and analyzed the fundamental principles of historical materialism. The fundamental purpose of Marx's systematic study of world history following dialectical logic was precisely to grasp the laws of development of real society, because "the standpoint of the old materialism is civil society; the standpoint of the new materialism is human society, or social humanity," [1]1 Karl Marx, "Theses on Feuerbach," Thesis 10. thereby fulfilling the philosophical mission of "changing the world." Marx found the general laws of the development of human society from historical research, applied them to real society, and used them to analyze the economic, political, cultural, and ideological conditions of real society, making an outstanding contribution in the history of human thought.

历史是过去的现实，现实是未来的历史。在追溯历史源头中理解现实世界，体现了历史与现实之间的辩证关系。马克思主义哲学的方法论基础就是逻辑与历史的统一，即将辩证唯物主义的逻辑分析与实际发生过的历史事件分析进行有机结合。马克思、恩格斯在《德意志意识形态》《共产党宣言》《资本论》等经典著作中，曾大量援引世界历史研究资料，以确保分析判断的真实性和可靠性，并以此为依据阐释和剖析唯物史观基本原理。马克思之所以遵循辩证逻辑对世界历史展开系统研究，根本目的正在于把握现实社会的发展规律，因为“旧唯物主义的立脚点是市民社会，新唯物主义的立脚点则是人类社会或社会的人类”，进而实现“改变世界”的哲学使命。马克思从历史研究中找到人类社会发展的一般规律，将其运用于现实社会之中，并以此分析现实社会的经济、政治、文化、思想等状况，在人类思想史上作出了卓越贡献。

Against the backdrop of the changes unseen in a century in the world, the important thesis that "only by tracing back to the origins of history can we understand the real world" enlightens us that to scientifically grasp important issues such as the current world economic situation, the international political landscape, the exchange and mutual learning of human civilizations, and global ecological and environmental protection, we need to adhere to historical thinking, take history as a mirror, understand the present by examining the past, be adept at using historical perspectives to recognize development laws, grasp the direction of progress, and guide practical work. When facing complex social phenomena, we can clearly understand their causes and consequences, and when engaging in civilizational exchanges, we can grasp the developmental threads of various cultures.

置身于世界百年未有之大变局的时代背景之下，“溯历史的源头才能理解现实的世界”的重要论断启示我们，科学把握当今世界经济情况、国际政治格局以及人类文明交流互鉴、全球生态环境保护等重要议题，需要我们坚持历史思维，以史为鉴、知古鉴今，善于运用历史眼光认识发展规律、把握前进方向、指导现实工作，在面对错综复杂的社会现象时能够清楚了解其来龙去脉，在进行文明交流时能够把握各种文化的发展脉络。

Following the Roots of Culture, Understanding Today's China

依循文化根基，读懂当今中国

General Secretary Xi Jinping pointed out: "Only by understanding where a country comes from can we figure out why it is the way it is today rather than some other way, and only then can we figure out where it is going and where it is not going in the future." [2]2 Xi Jinping, speech at the opening ceremony of the Conference on Dialogue of Asian Civilizations, May 15, 2019. Chinese civilization has outstanding continuity, which means that "if we do not understand China from its long and continuous historical continuity, it is impossible to understand ancient China, nor modern China, nor future China." [3]3 Xi Jinping, speech at a symposium on cultural heritage, quoted from the "Resolution of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China on the Major Achievements and Historical Experience of the Party's Centenary Struggle" (2021).

习近平总书记指出：“只有了解一个国家从哪里来，才能弄懂这个国家今天怎么会是这样而不是那样，也才能搞清楚这个国家未来会往哪里去和不会往哪里去。”中华文明具有突出的连续性，这意味着“如果不从源远流长的历史连续性来认识中国，就不可能理解古代中国，也不可能理解现代中国，更不可能理解未来中国”。

"Following the roots of culture" requires not only dedicating efforts to understanding the historical process of Chinese civilization but also delving deeper into historical development to explore the intrinsic origins of fine traditional Chinese culture. The reason why "following the roots of culture" can become a necessary condition for "identifying today's China" lies in the fact that fine traditional Chinese culture provides a profound foundation for building the modern civilization of the Chinese nation. Exploring the origins of fine traditional Chinese culture will inevitably further expand the cultural resources for building the modern civilization of the Chinese nation. The humanistic spirit contained in fine traditional Chinese culture, whether it is the relentless pursuit of the ideal personality or the simple expression of the harmonious coexistence between man and nature, has not been buried by history. After creative transformation and innovative development, it still radiates new vitality and vigor in the era we live in. At the same time, only by deeply understanding traditional culture can we more accurately grasp the classic discourses within it, discard the dross and select the essential, thereby further enriching the cultural soil for building the modern civilization of the Chinese nation.

“循文化的根基”不仅要致力于了解中华文明的历史进程，更要从历史发展中深入探究中华优秀传统文化的内在渊源。“循文化的根基”之所以可以成为“辨识当今的中国”的必要条件，就在于中华优秀传统文化为建设中华民族现代文明提供了深厚基础，探寻中华优秀传统文化的渊源必然能够进一步拓展建设中华民族现代文明的文化资源。中华优秀传统文化中蕴含的人文精神，无论是对理想人格的不懈追求，还是对人与自然和谐共生的朴素表达，都没有被历史尘封，经过创造性转化和创新性发展后，在我们所处的时代依然焕发出崭新生机与活力。同时，也唯有深入了解传统文化，我们才能对传统文化中的经典论述进行更为准确的把握，取其精华、去其糟粕，从而进一步厚植建设中华民族现代文明的文化沃土。

"Following the roots of culture" is by no means a task that can be accomplished overnight; it requires the concerted efforts of all sectors of society to form a synergy. At the level of family education, young people should be enlightened about fine traditional Chinese culture in an imperceptible, subtle way; at the level of school education, students should be enabled to comprehensively understand the core viewpoints and important expositions in classic works of fine traditional Chinese culture through theoretical and systematic educational methods, and by studying history, they should further understand the writing backgrounds and contemporary significance of these classic works, grasping the cultural essence and contemporary value; at the level of social education, the role of entities such as public media, social platforms, and cultural institutions should be fully utilized to disseminate fine traditional Chinese culture through a combination of online and offline methods, allowing all members of society to share the fruits of cultural construction.

“循文化的根基”绝非朝夕之功，需要社会各方在协同推进中形成合力。在家庭教育层面，要以一种潜移默化的方式对青少年进行中华优秀传统文化的启蒙；在学校教育层面，以理论化、系统化的教育方法让学生全面了解中华优秀传统文化经典著作中的核心观点和重要论述，并通过学习历史使其进一步理解这些经典著作的写作背景和时代意义，把握文化精髓和当代价值；在社会教育层面，充分发挥公共媒体、社交平台以及文化机构等主体的作用，以线上线下相结合的方式传播中华优秀传统文化，让全体社会成员共享文化建设的成果。

Adhering to Mutual Learning Among Civilizations, Achieving Common Progress

坚持文明互鉴，实现共同进步

Civilizations become colorful through exchange, and civilizations become rich through mutual learning. The attitude adopted towards different civilizations concerns the progress of human civilization and the peaceful development of the world. Chinese civilization has outstanding inclusiveness and peacefulness, which fundamentally determines the historical orientation of the Chinese nation's interactions, exchanges, and integration; determines the harmonious pattern of coexistence of multiple religious beliefs in China; determines the open-mindedness of Chinese culture to absorb everything from world civilizations; determines that China has always been a builder of world peace, a contributor to global development, and a defender of the international order; determines that China continuously pursues civilizational exchange and mutual learning without engaging in cultural hegemony; determines that China will not impose its own values and political system on others; and determines that China insists on cooperation, not confrontation, and will never engage in the small circle of "attacking those who hold different views." [4]4 "Attacking those who hold different views" (党同伐异) is a Chinese four-character idiom meaning to side with one's own faction and attack those who disagree.

文明因交流而多彩，文明因互鉴而丰富。以什么样的态度对待不同文明，事关人类文明进步，事关世界和平发展。中华文明具有突出的包容性与和平性，从根本上决定了中华民族交往交流交融的历史取向，决定了中国各宗教信仰多元并存的和谐格局，决定了中华文化对世界文明兼收并蓄的开放胸怀，决定了中国始终是世界和平的建设者、全球发展的贡献者、国际秩序的维护者，决定了中国不断追求文明交流互鉴而不搞文化霸权，决定了中国不会把自己的价值观念与政治体制强加于人，决定了中国坚持合作、不搞对抗，决不搞“党同伐异”的小圈子。

General Secretary Xi Jinping pointed out, "We should uphold the principles of equality, mutual learning, dialogue, and inclusiveness among civilizations, transcend civilizational estrangement through civilizational exchange, transcend civilizational clashes through civilizational mutual learning, and transcend civilizational superiority through civilizational coexistence." [5]5 Xi Jinping, speech at the opening ceremony of the Conference on Dialogue of Asian Civilizations, May 15, 2019. This important exposition embodies a scientific attitude towards civilizational exchange and cultural communication. Every civilization embodies the ideological essence of human culture and is the historical accumulation of long-term development. To correctly grasp the relationship between tradition and modernity, we must not only see the differences between traditional and modern civilizations in terms of historical background and basic concepts, returning to the specific historical contexts of the development of human civilization to accurately grasp the tension between the two; but also recognize that any civilization, regardless of the national or ethnic social soil from which it springs, is fluid and open, each with its own merits and unique characteristics.

习近平总书记指出，“我们要树立平等、互鉴、对话、包容的文明观，以文明交流超越文明隔阂，以文明互鉴超越文明冲突，以文明共存超越文明优越”。这一重要论述，体现了对待文明交流和文化沟通的科学态度。每一种文明都凝聚了人类文化的思想精华，都是在长期发展过程中的历史积淀。正确把握传统与现代之间的关系，既要看到传统文明和现代文明在时代背景、基本观念等方面存在的差异，回到人类文明发展的具体历史情景中准确把握两者的张力；同时也要认识到，任何一种文明，不管它产生于哪个国家、哪个民族的社会土壤之中，都是流动的、开放的，各有千秋、各具姿容。

From a practical perspective, "All things are nurtured together without harming one another, and the Dao runs parallel without conflicting." [6]6 A classical Chinese saying from *The Doctrine of the Mean* (《中庸》), one of the Four Books of Confucianism. Different civilizations can achieve common progress through exchange and mutual learning, which is conducive to transforming the Global Civilization Initiative from an ideological concept into concrete action. On the one hand, the progress of human civilization pursues not a "zero-sum game" but "the beauty of each and the beauty of all," [7]7 "The beauty of each and the beauty of all" (美美与共) is a phrase popularized by the Chinese sociologist Fei Xiaotong, referring to the ideal of appreciating one's own beauty and that of others, leading to shared beauty and harmony. which requires that the development of each form of civilization must consider the cultural traditions and actual conditions of each nation, rather than copying the development paths of other forms of civilization. Based on mutual learning among civilizations, different countries and nations can respect the civilizational differences between each other with an open and inclusive attitude, seek common ground while reserving differences on the basis of equal treatment, and realize exchange and communication between civilizations. On the other hand, with the deepening of worldwide interactions, various nations and countries have become a community of shared future, sharing weal and woe, requiring the pooling of consensus from all sides to jointly promote the progress of human civilization. Currently, deficits in peace, development, security, and governance are constantly worsening, and humanity faces unprecedented challenges. The world once again stands at a historical crossroads. Where it goes depends on the choice of the people of all countries, and it is especially necessary to pool consensus from all sides and enhance collective action in global governance. To achieve smooth international cooperation, it is inevitably necessary to correctly handle the issue of civilizational differences, and "mutual learning among civilizations" provides the correct approach for solving this problem. "Mutual learning" expresses a reciprocal relationship. In the process of civilizational interaction, each civilization should regard itself and other civilizations as the main forces driving civilizational development, seek common development, follow the common values of all humanity, and truly promote the overall progress of human civilization.

从实践层面看，“万物并育而不相害，道并行而不相悖”，不同文明能够在交流互鉴中共同进步，有利于推动全球文明倡议从思想理念成为实际行动。一方面，人类文明的进步，追求的绝非“零和博弈”，而是“美美与共”，这就要求每一种文明形态的发展都要考虑各个民族的文化传统和实际情况，而不能照搬其他文明形态的发展道路。基于文明互鉴，不同国家、不同民族之间能够以开放、包容的态度尊重彼此之间的文明差异，在平等对待的基础上求同存异，实现文明间的交流与沟通。另一方面，伴随世界范围交往实践的不断深入，各个民族、国家已经成为休戚与共的命运共同体，需要凝聚各方共识，携手促进人类文明进步。当前，和平赤字、发展赤字、安全赤字、治理赤字不断加重，人类面临前所未有的挑战，世界又一次站在历史的十字路口，何去何从取决于各国人民的选择，尤其需要凝聚各方共识，增进全球治理集体性行动。实现国家间合作的顺利开展，必然需要正确处理文明差异问题，而“文明的互鉴”则为这一问题的解决提供了正确思路。“互鉴”表达的是一种相互关系，在文明交往过程中，每一种文明要将自身和其他文明都看作推动文明发展的主体力量，寻求共同发展，遵循全人类共同价值，真正推进人类文明整体的进步。

Online Editor: Paul

网络编辑：保罗