Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era Guides the Construction of the “Five Social Sciences”

Since the 18th National Congress of the CPC, the Party Central Committee with Comrade Xi Jinping at its core has attached great importance to the work of philosophy and the social sciences, promoting historic achievements in the cause of philosophy and the social sciences in the New Era. General Secretary Xi Jinping convened and delivered an important speech at a symposium on philosophy and the social sciences, and on many occasions has delivered a series of important speeches and issued a series of important instructions on the work of philosophy and the social sciences. To base theoretical innovation on the great practice of socialism with Chinese characteristics in the New Era and accelerate the construction of philosophy and the social sciences with Chinese characteristics, we must always take Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era as our guide, aim at the goals of “theoretical social sciences,” “applied social sciences,” “popular social sciences,” “open social sciences,” and “digital social sciences,” fully leverage integrated advantages and synergistic forces with new measures, further bring into play the important functions of philosophy and the social sciences in “understanding the world, inheriting civilization, innovating theory, advising governance and educating people, and serving society,” and better answer the “questions of practice” with the “thinking of theory.”

党的十八大以来，以习近平同志为核心的党中央高度重视哲学社会科学工作，推动新时代哲学社会科学事业取得历史性成就。习近平总书记主持召开哲学社会科学工作座谈会并发表重要讲话，在许多场合就哲学社会科学工作发表一系列重要讲话、作出一系列重要指示。立足新时代中国特色社会主义伟大实践推进理论创新，加快构建中国特色哲学社会科学，要始终坚持以习近平新时代中国特色社会主义思想为指引，瞄准“理论社科”“应用社科”“大众社科”“开放社科”“数字社科”的目标，以全新举措充分发挥集成优势和协同力量，进一步发挥哲学社会科学“认识世界、传承文明、创新理论、资政育人、服务社会”的重要功能，以“理论之思”更好地回答“实践之问”。

Innovating “Theoretical Social Sciences”

创新“理论社科”

The theoretical achievements of philosophy and the social sciences play a “lighthouse” role. Engels pointed out: “A nation that wants to stand at the pinnacle of science cannot for a moment do without theoretical thought.” [1]1 Friedrich Engels, *Anti-Dühring*, in *Marx & Engels Collected Works*, vol. 25 (Moscow: Progress Publishers, 1987), p. 389. Translation adapted. Great theories not only possess profound ideological content but also have strong practical significance; guiding practice and carrying out work with theory can ensure tangible results and avoid detours. In this regard, the German sociologist Oppenheim believed that “nothing is as practical as a good theory,” [2]2 A paraphrase of a well-known aphorism often attributed to the German-American psychologist Kurt Lewin, but here ascribed to the German sociologist Franz Oppenheim. and that “theory answers the questions of goals and tools and the relationships between the tools.” Hegel’s dialectics is one of the most important achievements of classical German philosophy; the law of the unity of opposites, the law of the transformation of quantity into quality, and the law of the negation of the negation, first expounded by Hegel in his *Science of Logic*, have become important tools for people to understand and grasp the world. Marxism possesses a high degree of scientificity, truth, influence, and reach; its objective regularity, systematic completeness, and future-oriented foresight have elevated its thought and theory to the peak of the history of human thought. As a scientific theory, another notable characteristic of Marxism is that it is profound yet easy to understand, accessible to the broad working class of its time, and became a powerful ideological weapon guiding the workers’ movement.

哲学社会科学的理论成果具有“灯塔”作用。恩格斯指出：“一个民族要想站在科学的最高峰，就一刻也不能没有理论思维。”伟大的理论不仅具有深刻的思想内涵，而且具有强烈的现实意义，以理论指导实践、开展工作，能够确保取得实效，少走弯路。对此，德国社会学家奥本海姆认为，“没有任何东西像理论那样实际”，“理论回答的是目标和工具以及各工具之间的关系”。黑格尔的辩证法是德国古典哲学最重要的成果之一，对立统一规律、量变质变规律、否定之否定规律是黑格尔在《逻辑学》中首先阐述的，已成为人们认识和把握世界的重要工具。马克思主义具有高度的科学性、真理性和影响力、传播面，客观规律性、体系完备性和未来预见性使其思想理论达到了人类思想史的高峰。作为科学的理论，马克思主义的另一显著特点是深入浅出、通俗易懂，为当时的广大工人阶级所理解和接受，成为指导工人运动的强大思想武器。

General Secretary Xi Jinping clearly pointed out during the sixth collective study session of the Political Bureau of the Party Central Committee: “Promoting the systematization and theorization of theory is the inherent requirement and important pathway for theoretical innovation.” [3]3 Xi Jinping, speech at the sixth collective study session of the Political Bureau of the 20th CPC Central Committee, October 2023. By raising high the banner of “theoretical social sciences,” we aim to advocate for the inheritance and innovation of theory and to promote the systematization and theorization of theory. The theoretical character of the theoretical social sciences is rooted in the word “innovation.” We must always adhere to guiding the development of the cause of philosophy and the social sciences with Marxism, closely follow the frontier issues in the development of the cause of socialism with Chinese characteristics in the New Era, continuously carry out research on the theorization of Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era, and conduct special research projects on Marxist theory and practice. By continuously promoting theoretical innovation, we will produce a batch of theoretical innovation achievements with significant influence that embody the characteristics of the times and the features of practice, forming a theoretical innovation system for philosophy and the social sciences with distinct contemporary characteristics and Chinese features.

习近平总书记在中共中央政治局第六次集体学习时明确指出：“推进理论的体系化、学理化，是理论创新的内在要求和重要途径。”我们高举“理论社科”的大旗，就是要倡导理论的传承与创新，推进理论的体系化、学理化。理论社科的理论特性根植于“创新”二字，要始终坚持以马克思主义指导哲学社会科学事业发展，紧扣新时代中国特色社会主义事业发展前沿问题，持续开展习近平新时代中国特色社会主义思想学理化研究、马克思主义理论与实践专项课题研究，通过不断推动理论创新，推出一批体现时代特点和实践特色、具有重大影响力的理论创新成果，形成具有鲜明时代特征、中国特色的哲学社会科学理论创新体系。

Consolidating “Applied Social Sciences”

夯实“应用社科”

In the development of modern natural science and the process of the formation and transfer of world scientific centers, philosophy and the social sciences have played roles in providing ideological emancipation as a precursor, philosophical guidance, social atmosphere preparation, institutional innovation guarantees, and spiritual nourishment. They have enlightened and guided the masses with knowledge and theory, providing strong support and a deep foundation for the development of science and technology. Today, philosophy and the social sciences play an irreplaceable and important role in social science application, decision-making consultation, and other areas.

在近代自然科学发展和世界科学中心形成和转移过程中，哲学社会科学起到了思想解放先导、哲学思想指导、社会氛围铺垫、制度创新保障和精神力量滋养的作用，以知识和理论启发引导民众，为科学技术发展提供了强大支持和深厚铺垫。当今，哲学社会科学在社科应用、决策咨询等方面更是发挥着不可替代的重要作用。

In his congratulatory letter on the 40th anniversary of the founding of the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, General Secretary Xi Jinping emphasized, “Adhere to the concept of doing scholarship for the people, taking the major theoretical and practical issues of our country’s reform, development, and stability as the main direction of attack.” [4]4 Xi Jinping, congratulatory letter to the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences on its 40th anniversary, May 2017. For philosophy and the social sciences to launch a main attack on major theoretical and practical issues, they must be oriented towards solving real-world problems, build “applied social sciences” oriented towards practice, focus on the central work of Party committees and governments, strengthen the planning of major research topics, and improve the construction level of new-type think tank research and exchange centers, decision-making consultation research bases, and collaborative innovation research bases, as well as the research quality of applied high-quality projects in philosophy and the social sciences.

在致中国社会科学院建院40周年的贺信中，习近平总书记强调，“坚持为人民做学问理念，以研究我国改革发展稳定重大理论和实践问题为主攻方向”。哲学社会科学面向重大理论和实践问题开展主攻，就要以解决现实问题为导向，面向实践打造“应用社科”，围绕党委政府中心工作，加强重大科研选题策划，提高新型智库研究与交流中心、决策咨询研究基地和协同创新研究基地建设水平和哲学社会科学应用精品工程课题研究质量。

The applied character of “applied social sciences” is rooted in the word “practice.” It involves discovering, analyzing, and solving problems through research topics, consultation reports, policy recommendations, etc., and promoting the transformation and implementation of various achievements in philosophy and the social sciences. The focus is on major theoretical and practical issues concerning national and local reform, development, and modernization, continuously improving the transformation and application benefits of research achievements in philosophy and the social sciences, and effectively serving the scientific decision-making of Party committees and governments. At the macro level, it provides advice and suggestions for the top-level design of national major policies; at the specific institutional level, such as the legal system, governance system, education system, and medical insurance system, it promotes institutional reform and innovation through profound research in philosophy and the social sciences.

“应用社科”的应用特性根植于“实践”二字，要通过调研课题、咨询报告、政策建议等发现问题、分析问题、解决问题，推动各类哲学社会科学成果的转化落实。重点聚焦国家和地方改革发展和现代化建设重大理论与实践问题，不断提升哲学社会科学研究成果转化应用效益，有效服务党委政府科学决策。在宏观层面为国家大政方针的顶层设计出谋划策，在具体制度层面，如法律制度、治理制度、教育制度、医保制度等，以深厚的哲学社会科学研究推动制度改革创新。

Popularizing “Popular Social Sciences”

普及“大众社科”

General Secretary Xi Jinping emphasized: “The broad masses of intellectuals must uphold the supremacy of the country, the supremacy of the nation, and the supremacy of the people, always bearing the overall situation in mind and having the greater self in their hearts.” [5]5 Xi Jinping, speech at a symposium with intellectuals, April 2016. The theoretical research “circle” of philosophy and the social sciences is important, but the broad masses of the people who receive the research results are even more important. The theories of philosophy and the social sciences originate from practice and from the people. To be effective, research results must give back to the people and benefit the people more. Today, the formation of the broad masses of the people’s civic awareness, rule-of-law awareness, environmental awareness, patriotic awareness, and sense of gratitude, as well as the formation of concepts such as social morality, independent spirit, respect for science, respect for labor, and love for nature, are inseparable from the popular dissemination of the achievements of philosophy and the social sciences. Guided by Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era and practicing the concept of doing scholarship for the people, workers in philosophy and the social sciences must make the research achievements of philosophy and the social sciences “land,” transforming them from rational to perceptual, from static to dynamic, from meaningful to interesting, from paper-based to oral, and from theoretical to practical, so that they can be accepted, recognized, and practiced by ordinary people.

习近平总书记强调：“广大知识分子要坚持国家至上、民族至上、人民至上，始终胸怀大局、心有大我。”哲学社会科学的理论研究“圈子”很重要，接受研究成果的广大人民群众更重要。哲学社会科学理论来自于实践，来自于人民，要想发挥作用，就必须使研究成果更多地反哺人民、造福人民。在今天，广大人民群众的公民意识、法治意识、环保意识、爱国意识、感恩意识的形成，社会公德、独立精神、崇尚科学、尊重劳动、热爱自然等理念的形成，离不开哲学社会科学成果的大众化传播。哲学社会科学工作者坚持以习近平新时代中国特色社会主义思想为指导，践行为人民做学问的理念，就要使哲学社会科学研究成果“落地”，从理性的变成感性的、静态的变成动态的、有意义的变成有意思的、纸质的变成口头的、理论的变成生活的，使其能够为普通老百姓所接受、认可、践行。

The popular character of “popular social sciences” is rooted in the word “popularization.” It mainly involves the work of popularizing the social sciences, focusing on different groups such as minors, farmers, urban workers, and civil servants, and fully leveraging the important role of philosophy and the social sciences in “understanding the world, inheriting civilization, innovating theory, advising governance and educating people, and serving society.” With the goal of improving humanities and social science literacy, building “popular social sciences” oriented towards the grassroots means facing the grassroots, facing schools, facing communities, and facing the public. Adapting to the needs of the new journey of the New Era, closely centering on the deployments of Party committees and governments, we must vigorously carry out social science popularization activities oriented towards the grassroots, schools, communities, and the public, fully tap and release the humanities dividend, and consolidate the foundation of civilized quality for Chinese-path modernization.

“大众社科”的大众特性根植于“普及”二字，主要是进行社会科学普及工作，重点面向未成年人、农民、城镇劳动者和公务员等不同人群，充分发挥哲学社会科学“认识世界、传承文明、创新理论、咨政育人、服务社会”的重要作用。以提升人文社科素养为重点，面向基层打造“大众社科”，就要面向基层、面向学校、面向社区、面向公众，适应新时代新征程需要，紧紧围绕党委政府部署，大力开展面向基层、面向学校、面向社区、面向公众的社科普及活动，充分挖掘释放人文红利，夯实中国式现代化的文明素质基础。

Advancing “Open Social Sciences”

推进“开放社科”

Theoretical innovation inherently possesses the basic characteristic of openness and inclusiveness. Scientificity, people-centeredness, practicality, and openness are the distinctive theoretical characteristics of Marxism. General Secretary Xi Jinping emphasized: “Marxism is an open theoretical system that continuously develops with the progress of the times, practice, and science. It does not end truth, but opens the path to truth.” [6]6 Xi Jinping, speech at the ceremony marking the 200th anniversary of Marx’s birth, May 2018. Advancing the development of an open theoretical system requires open platforms and mechanisms. If philosophy and the social sciences are like a vast ocean, “the sea admits hundreds of rivers, its capacity is great,” [7]7 A classical Chinese saying, originally from the *Shangshu* (Book of Documents), often used to praise broad-mindedness. then workers in philosophy and the social sciences should be great masters, “without fixed form, yet embracing the vastness of the mind.” [8]8 A phrase from the *Shishuo Xinyu* (A New Account of the Tales of the World), a 5th-century collection of anecdotes and character sketches, describing a person of great mental breadth. We must promote research in philosophy and the social sciences with an inclusive attitude and an open vision, and promote the pioneering development of the Party’s innovative theory.

理论创新天然具有开放包容的基本特征，科学性、人民性、实践性、开放性是马克思主义的鲜明理论特性。习近平总书记强调：“马克思主义是随着时代、实践、科学发展而不断发展的开放的理论体系，它并没有结束真理，而是开辟了通向真理的道路。”推进开放的理论体系发展需要有开放的平台和机制。如果说哲学社会科学是浩瀚大海，“海纳百川，有容乃大”，那么哲学社会科学工作者就应当是大先生，“形器不存，方寸海纳”，要以包容的心态、开放的视野推动哲学社会科学研究，推动党的创新理论开拓发展。

"Open social sciences" means openness not only between different geographical regions at home and abroad, and between different institutions and departments such as universities, research institutes, Party schools, and enterprises, but also openness in academic thought that is inclusive, eclectic, and critically developmental; more fundamentally, it means mutual openness between social science platforms across disciplines, colleges, and schools. The open character of "open social sciences" is rooted in the word "inclusiveness." Taking the pooling of forces from all sides as the starting point, building an inclusive and open social science enterprise for the whole of society means opening wide the door of philosophy and social sciences with Chinese characteristics and constructing a grand social science pattern of broad union and broad collaboration that cuts across industries, fields, and regions.

“开放社科”既是国内外不同地理区域之间的开放，高校、研究机构、党校、企业等不同机构部门之间的开放，也是兼容并包、批判发展的学术思想的开放，更是学科间、学院间、学校间社科平台的相互开放。“开放社科”的开放特性根植于“包容”二字，以凝聚各方合力为抓手，面向全社会打造包容开放的社科事业，就是要把中国特色哲学社会科学的大门打开，构建跨行业、跨领域、跨区域的大联合大协作的大社科格局。

As academic mass organizations, social science federations are the competent business authorities for social science societies and research associations, and serve as the bridge and bond linking Party committees and governments with the social science community. To build a grand social science pattern of broad union and broad collaboration from the perspective of "open social sciences," it is necessary to effectively play the bridging and bonding role of social science federations, further improve the performance mechanism for group member units, the collaborative mechanism for social science research, and the linkage mechanism among provincial, municipal, and county social science federations, further implement the system for maintaining contact with social organizations and experts in the social sciences, advance the organizational construction of university social science federations and county-level social science federations, and give full play to the overall combined force of the "five main armies" [9]9 The "five main armies" (五路大军) refers to the five categories of institutions that constitute the main force of philosophy and social science research in China: universities, Party schools (schools of administration), military academies, scientific research institutes, and research bodies within Party and government departments. of the social science community, including philosophy and social science workers from institutions of higher learning, Party schools (schools of administration), military academies, scientific research institutes, and research bodies within Party and government departments. In recent years, Jiangsu has comprehensively promoted the construction of "open social sciences," focusing on building the Jiangsu Social Science Museum to create a home for social science workers; promoting the establishment

作为学术性群众团体，社科联是社科类学会、研究会的业务主管部门，是党委政府联系社科界的桥梁和纽带。以“开放社科”视野建设大联合大协作的大社科格局，就要切实发挥社科联的桥梁纽带作用，进一步完善团体会员单位履职机制、社科研究协作机制、省市县社科联联动机制，进一步落实联系社科类社会组织、专家制度，推进高校社科联、县级社科联组织建设，充分发挥高等院校、党校（行政学院）、部队院校、科研院所、党政部门研究机构在内的哲学社会科学工作者等社科界“五路大军”的整体合力。近年来，江苏全面推动“开放社科”建设，着力建设江苏社会科学馆，打造社科工作者之家；推动建

and improvement of the mechanism for external academic exchange and collaboration in the Jiangsu social science community, cultivating "academic ambassadors for external exchange," and building iconic platforms for external academic exchange.

立健全江苏社科界对外学术交流协作机制，培育“对外交流学术大使”，打造标志性对外学术交流平台。

Building "Digital Social Sciences"

打造“数字社科”

General Secretary Xi Jinping has stressed: "If we cannot promptly study, propose, and apply new ideas, new concepts, and new methods, theory will become pale and feeble, and philosophy and social sciences will suffer from 'muscle weakness.'" [10]10 This quotation is from Xi Jinping's speech at the symposium on philosophy and social science work on May 17, 2016. In the era of digitalization and informatization, traditional philosophy and social sciences, empowered by information technology and network technology, are undergoing irreversible and enormous changes. Materialized achievements such as paper theses, monographs, offline forums, and reports are the main carriers and external manifestations of traditional social sciences. The integration of networks, large servers, cloud platforms, electronic publications, and virtual reality technology makes digital social sciences the inevitable direction of development for contemporary philosophy and social sciences. Take generative artificial intelligence, typified by ChatGPT, as an example: it can conduct conversations by learning and understanding human language, interact based on the context of the chat, truly communicate like a human, and even complete tasks such as writing emails, video scripts, copywriting, translation, code writing, and thesis writing. Facing the frontiers of the times and the frontiers of science and technology, actively using new methods such as digitalization and informatization to build "digital social sciences" has become an inevitable choice for contemporary philosophy and social sciences to conform to the trend of the times and promote theoretical innovation.

习近平总书记强调：“如果不能及时研究、提出、运用新思想、新理念、新办法，理论就会苍白无力，哲学社会科学就会‘肌无力’。”在数字化、信息化时代，传统的哲学社会科学在信息技术、网络技术加持下，正在发生不可逆转的巨大变化。纸质论文、专著、线下论坛、报告等物质化的成果是传统社科的主要载体和外在呈现形式，综合网络、大型服务器、云平台、电子化读物、虚拟现实技术等使数字社科成为当代哲学社会科学的必然发展方向。以ChatGPT为典型代表的生成式人工智能为例，它能够通过学习和理解人类的语言来进行对话，还能根据聊天的上下文进行互动，真正像人类一样进行交谈交流，甚至能完成撰写邮件、视频脚本、文案、翻译、代码编写和论文撰写等任务。面向时代前沿、科技前沿，积极运用数字化、信息化等新办法打造“数字社科”，成为当今哲学社会科学顺应时代潮流、推动理论创新的必然选择。

Taking informatization and networking as the path, and building "digital social sciences" oriented toward the future, it is necessary to take "Internet+," "new media+," and "converged media+" as important starting points, to give social sciences the wings of informatization, and to let "digital social sciences" dance at the "fingertips." Taking the digitalization of social science resources, the informatization of social science work, and the networking of social science academic research and exchange as the path, using Internet, big data, and artificial intelligence technologies, we should promote the networking, informatization, digitalization, and intelligentization of philosophy and social science work. We should build a public database for the development of Jiangsu's social science undertakings, promote the unified aggregation of government and public sector data resources, and open and share them intensively with philosophy and social science research.

以信息化网络化为路径，面向未来打造“数字社科”，就要把“互联网+”“新媒体+”“融媒体+”作为重要抓手，为社科插上信息化的翅膀，让“数字社科”随“指尖”舞动。以社科资源数字化、社科工作信息化和社科学术研究交流网络化为路径，运用互联网、大数据和人工智能技术，推动哲学社会科学工作网络化、信息化、数字化和智能化。打造江苏省社科事业发展公共数据库，促进政府和公共部门数据资源统一汇聚和集中向哲学社会科学研究开放共享。

Overall, the "Five Great Social Sciences" form an organic whole that is closely linked and indispensable. "Theoretical social sciences" plays the role of "holding up the sky" [11]11 "Holding up the sky" (顶天) is a Chinese idiom meaning to stand tall and reach the highest level; here it metaphorically refers to the foundational and guiding role of theory.; in this process, it is necessary to continuously use the Party's innovative theories of the New Era to cultivate the roots and nourish the soul, and to continuously provide theoretical support and intellectual support for advancing Chinese-path modernization. "Applied social sciences," "mass social sciences," "open social sciences," and "digital social sciences" each play the role of "standing on the ground" [12]12 "Standing on the ground" (立地) is a Chinese idiom meaning to be firmly grounded in reality; here it metaphorically refers to the practical, applied functions of the other four social science dimensions.; their main task is to center on "theoretical social sciences" and implement the relevant achievements in the concrete practice of serving the people and serving socialism. Among them, "applied social sciences" stands on the practical level, focusing on the transformation of achievements and the testing of applications; "mass social sciences" stands on the human level, focusing on the popularization of social sciences and the improvement of literacy; "open social sciences" stands on the field level, focusing on being rooted domestically and linked internationally; "digital social sciences" stands on the information level, focusing on facing the future and approaching the youth. Each major level is inclusive and integrated with the others, constantly enriching the height of theory, the depth of practice, the density of the population, the degree of information integration, and the breadth of the field, prompting us to stand tall, see far, and land steadily, and to promote the greater prosperity and flourishing of Jiangsu's philosophy and social science undertakings with a more forward-looking vision, a broader mind, and a larger stage.

总的来看，“五大社科”是一个紧密联系、缺一不可的有机体。“理论社科”发挥着“顶天”的作用，在这一过程中，要不断用新时代党的创新理论培根铸魂，不断为推进中国式现代化提供理论支撑和智力支持。“应用社科”“大众社科”“开放社科”“数字社科”分别发挥着“立地”的作用，主要任务是围绕“理论社科”，把相关成果落实到为人民服务、为社会主义服务的具体实践之中。其中，“应用社科”立在实践层面，注重成果转化、应用检验；“大众社科”立在人的层面，注重社科普及、提升素养；“开放社科”立在领域层面，注重立足国内、联动国外；“数字社科”立在信息层面，注重面向未来、贴近青年。各大层面兼容并蓄、互为一体，不断丰富着理论的高度、实践的深度、人群的密度、信息的融合度、领域的广度，促使我们要站得高、看得远、落得稳，以更前瞻的视野、更广阔的胸怀、更宽大的舞台，促进江苏省哲学社会科学事业更加繁荣昌盛。

Online editor: Paul

网络编辑：保罗