Deeply Understanding the Rich Connotation of the “Second Integration”

General Secretary Xi Jinping pointed out: “The ‘Second Integration’ is our Party’s profound summation of the historical experience of adapting Marxism to the Chinese context and the needs of the times, and a profound grasp of the laws governing the development of Chinese civilization. It shows that our Party’s understanding of the Chinese path, theory, and system has reached a new height, that our Party’s historical confidence and cultural confidence have reached a new height, and that our Party’s consciousness of promoting cultural innovation in inheriting fine traditional Chinese culture has reached a new height.” This is a concentrated summary of the status and significance of the “Second Integration,” and also a profound revelation of its rich connotation, highlighting the more fundamental, broader, deeper, and more enduring role and power of culture. Xi Jinping Thought on Culture is a major achievement of the “Two Integrations”; the “Two Integrations,” especially the “Second Integration,” run like a red thread through Xi Jinping Thought on Culture. In this sense, we must deeply recognize that to study and implement Xi Jinping Thought on Culture, we must firmly grasp the “Second Integration,” enhance our understanding of laws in the mutual compatibility and mutual achievement of Marxism and fine traditional Chinese culture, and in opening up new frontiers in adapting Marxism to the Chinese context and the needs of the times, engrave it in our hearts, establish it in our words, and practice it in our deeds.

习近平总书记指出：“‘第二个结合’，是我们党对马克思主义中国化时代化历史经验的深刻总结，是对中华文明发展规律的深刻把握，表明我们党对中国道路、理论、制度认识达到了新高度，表明我们党的历史自信、文化自信达到了新高度，表明我们党在传承中华优秀传统文化中推进文化创新的自觉性达到了新高度。”这是对“第二个结合”地位和意义的集中概括，也是对其丰富内涵的深刻揭示，彰显了文化更基本、更广泛、更深沉、更持久的作用和力量。习近平文化思想是“两个结合”的重大成果，“两个结合”特别是“第二个结合”犹如一根红线贯穿习近平文化思想始终。在这个意义上，我们要深刻认识到，学习贯彻习近平文化思想，必须牢牢把握“第二个结合”，在马克思主义和中华优秀传统文化的彼此契合与相互成就中增强规律性认识，在开辟马克思主义中国化时代化新境界中铭于心、立于言、践于行。

I. From the “First Integration” to the “Second Integration” Is an Inevitability of the Development of the Times

一、从“第一个结合”到“第二个结合”是时代发展必然

From the “First Integration” to the “Second Integration” is a concentrated manifestation of the development of the laws of adapting Marxism to the Chinese context and the needs of the times. Adhering to the integration of the basic tenets of Marxism with China’s specific realities is a creation of the Chinese Communists. “Integration,” as a summation of laws, on the one hand, reinforces the essential requirements of Marxism, because Marxist theory comes from practice and can only play its due role and manifest the vitality of Marxism by returning to practice; on the other hand, it reinforces the application of the Marxist stance, viewpoint, and method, continuously opening up ways, means, and forces to solve Chinese problems. Whether it is the “First Integration” or the “Second Integration,” the former part of “integration” is always the basic tenets of Marxism. This is the premise and also the foundation. Unlike the “First Integration,” which emphasizes objective social reality, the “Second Integration” emphasizes historical and cultural reality. The culture contained in the “First Integration” is broad in scope, functioning as a factor permeating economic and social life; the culture in the “Second Integration” is narrow in scope, functioning as an independent factor, reinforcing the role of culture as a more fundamental, deeper, and more enduring force. In 1885, Engels pointed out in a letter to the Russian citizen Vera Ivanovna Zasulich: “Marx’s historical theory is the basic condition for any unswerving and consistent revolutionary strategy; to find this strategy, what is needed is to apply this theory to the economic and political conditions of one’s own country.” “But to do this, it is necessary to understand these conditions.” In 1956, Mao Zedong, in a conversation with musicians, said that the basic principles for realizing the socialist revolution take different forms in different countries. “The October Revolution and the Chinese Revolution have many differences. The Soviet Union went from the cities to the countryside; we went from the countryside to the cities.” The fundamental reason for the different choices of revolutionary paths and the different forms of realizing the basic principles of revolution lies precisely in the different realities of the two countries. Every country has its own distinct historical and cultural realities; integrating one’s own theory with one’s own historical and cultural reality is both necessary and inevitable. “Integration” is a summation of the laws of upholding and developing Marxism, and a concrete pathway for upholding fundamental principles and breaking new ground. In the development of “integration,” we forged a revolutionary path of encircling the cities from the countryside, won the victory of the New Democratic Revolution, and, integrating with China’s specific realities, achieved brilliant accomplishments in the period of socialist revolution and construction, the new period of reform and opening up and socialist modernization, and the New Era of socialism with Chinese characteristics. It is because we adhere to “integration” that we can continuously uphold truth and continuously correct errors. Just as General Secretary Xi Jinping emphasized, “The positive

从“第一个结合”到“第二个结合”，是马克思主义中国化时代化规律发展的集中体现。坚持把马克思主义基本原理同我国具体实际相结合，是中国共产党人的创造。“相结合”作为规律的总结，一方面强化的是马克思主义的本质要求，因为马克思主义理论来自实践，只有回到实践中才能发挥其应有作用，才能显现出马克思主义的生命力；另一方面强化的是马克思主义立场观点方法的运用，不断开拓解决中国问题的途径、方式和力量。无论是“第一个结合”，还是“第二个结合”，“相结合”的前者都是马克思主义基本原理。这是前提，也是根本。与“第一个结合”侧重强调客观社会实际不同，“第二个结合”侧重强调历史文化实际。“第一个结合”所包含的文化是广义的，其作为渗透于经济社会中的因素发挥作用；“第二个结合”中的文化是狭义的，其作为独立因素发挥作用，强化的是文化作为更为基本、更为深层、更为持久力量的作用。1885年恩格斯在致俄国公民维拉·伊万诺夫娜·查苏利奇的一封信中指出：“马克思的历史理论是任何坚定不移和始终一贯的革命策略的基本条件；为了找到这种策略，需要的只是把这一理论应用于本国的经济条件和政治条件。”“但是，要做到这一点，就必须了解这些条件”。1956年毛泽东在同音乐工作者的谈话中谈到，实现社会主义革命的基本原则，在各个国家的表现形式是不同的。“十月革命和中国革命，就有许多不同。苏联是由城市到乡村，我们是从乡村到城市”。两种革命路径选择的不同、实现革命基本原则的表现形式的不同，根本原因正在于两国实际不同。每个国家都有属于自身的不同历史文化实际，本国的理论同本国的历史文化实际相结合是必须也是必然的。“相结合”是坚持和发展马克思主义的规律总结，是守正创新的具体途径。在“相结合”的发展中，我们走出了一条农村包围城市的革命道路，夺取了新民主主义革命的胜利，并结合我国具体实际在社会主义革命和建设时期、改革开放和社会主义现代化建设新时期、中国特色社会主义新时代取得了辉煌成就。因为我们坚持“相结合”才能不断坚持真理，不断修正错误。正像习近平总书记强调的，“历史正反两方面的经验表明，‘两个结合’是我们取得成功的最大法宝”。

The progression from the "First Integration" to the "Second Integration" is an inevitable requirement of the development of the times. If the First Integration strengthened the concrete process of Marxism's development in China, the Second Integration places greater emphasis on the cultural foundation and substance of Chinese Marxism. The Second Integration highlights culture as an independent factor, carrying significant symbolic meaning in both theory and practice. From the perspective of the relationship between social existence and social consciousness and the laws governing the integration of different ideas and cultures, the progression from economy to politics to culture is a process of deepening the understanding of the laws of practice. Just as in modern times, the collision and integration of Chinese and Western cultures moved from the level of material objects to the level of institutions and then to the level of culture — initially, after seeing the West's strong ships and powerful guns, we studied and introduced their technology, giving rise to the "Westernization Movement"; then we studied their institutions, which led to the Xinhai Revolution; and then, up to the May Fourth New Culture Movement, we increasingly saw the differences between Chinese and Western cultures and attempted to solve problems from the perspective of ideology and culture. This is precisely the process of breaking ideological shackles and realizing conceptual change, and it is also the law of the changes of the times and social transformation. To understand the process from the First Integration to the Second Integration, one must fully recognize the foundational role of culture. That culture is a reflection of politics and economy is said from the perspective of its origin; that it plays a foundational role is said from the perspective of the manner and degree of its influence and effect. Cultural traditions formed in the historical development of a nation are often more stable and have a broader influence than institutional frameworks such as politics and law. This is because the process of forming a nation's history and culture is also the process of the nation's own formation and development. In a certain sense, it is the formation and development of the nation that creates culture; likewise, it is precisely because such a culture has been formed that such a nation exists. The way culture exerts its influence is through gradual accumulation and subtle,潜移默化 [n] influence; in terms of the depth of its impact, it is deeply accumulated over time, even "deeply ingrained." This is the characteristic of culture, and also its essence.

从“第一个结合”到“第二个结合”，是时代发展的必然要求。如果说第一个结合强化的是马克思主义在中国发展的具体过程，“第二个结合”则更加突出了中国马克思主义的文化基础和实质。“第二个结合”把文化作为独立要素突出出来，在理论和实践上都具有重要的标识性意义。从社会存在与社会意识的关系和不同思想文化融合的规律看，从经济、政治到文化的结合是不断对实践规律深化认识的过程。正像近代以来中西文化碰撞交融从器物层到制度层再到文化层一样，起初我们在看到西方的船坚炮利后，学习引进其技术，有了“洋务运动”，而后学习其制度，进而爆发了辛亥革命，直至“五四”新文化运动，更多看到的是中西文化的差异，并试图从思想文化上解决问题。这正是打破思想禁锢，实现观念变革的过程，也是时代变迁、社会变革的规律所在。认识“第一个结合”到“第二个结合”的过程，要充分认识文化的基础作用。文化作为政治、经济的反映，是从其来源上讲的；讲它的基础作用，是从其产生影响和作用的方式程度上讲的。在一个民族历史发展中形成的文化传统，往往比政治、法律等制度架构更具稳定性，影响更广泛。因为一个民族历史文化的形成过程，也是民族本身形成发展的过程。在一定意义上，是民族形成发展创造了文化，同样也正因为形成了这样的文化才有了这样的民族。文化产生作用的方式是日积月累、潜移默化的；从其影响的程度上说，又是积淀日久，甚至“根深蒂固”的。这是文化的特性，也是实质。

Whether it is the First Integration or the Second Integration, both face and address a common problem: "foreign dogmas." The First Integration targeted the dogmatization of Marxism-Leninism, treating Marxism as a "doctrine" rather than a method. The Second Integration targets the dogmatization of Western ideology and culture, blindly believing in and copying Western ideology and culture, "'revering the West,' 'taking the West as beautiful,' 'obeying the West exclusively,' taking winning awards abroad as the highest pursuit, blindly following others step by step, imitating clumsily, and being keen on the set of practices of 'de-ideologization,' 'de-valorization,' 'de-historicization,' 'de-Sinicization,' and 'de-mainstreamization.'" Some people pose as modern "public intellectuals," using abstract "legal principles" to tailor the history of aggression by Western powers, concluding that the invaded party is "in the wrong." The "three losses" problem — where Marxist theory is "lost" in some disciplines, "missing" in textbooks, and "silent" in forums — reflects an ideological trend that, when superimposed, gives rise to the "outdated theory of Marxism" and the theory of the dilution of ideology. Its essence is to deny the guiding role of Marxism and to discard the confidence and foundation of faith and belief. Mao Zedong once said: "The imperialists have long spread the idea that they are civilized, noble, and hygienic. This still has influence in the world, for example, the existence of a slave mentality. We too have been slaves of imperialism; having been so for a long time, our spirit has been affected." "Some people, having been slaves for too long, feel inferior in everything, cannot straighten their backs in front of foreigners, like Jia Gui in the opera 'Famen Temple' [n] — when asked to sit, he said he was used to standing and did not want to sit." Blindly believing in Western "foreign dogmas" unconsciously changes one's concepts, discards one's own "traditions," loses theoretical consciousness and cultural confidence, and results in a lack of spiritual independence.

无论是“第一个结合”，还是“第二个结合”，都同样面临和针对一个共性的问题，即“洋教条”。“第一个结合”所针对的是把马列主义教条化的问题，把马克思主义作为“教义”而不是方法。“第二个结合”所针对的是把西方思想文化教条化的问题，盲目信从、照搬照抄西方思想文化，“‘以洋为尊’、‘以洋为美’、‘唯洋是从’，把作品在国外获奖作为最高追求，跟在别人后面亦步亦趋、东施效颦，热衷于‘去思想化’、‘去价值化’、‘去历史化’、‘去中国化’、‘去主流化’那一套”。有人以现代“公知”自居，以抽象的“法理”剪裁西方列强侵略的历史，得出被侵略者“理亏”的结论。马克思主义理论在一些学科中“失语”、教材中“失踪”、论坛上“失声”，这一“三失”问题反映的思想动向，叠加产生出马克思主义“过时论”、意识形态淡化论等，其实质是否定马克思主义指导地位，丢掉的是信仰信念的底气底蕴。毛泽东曾说：“帝国主义者长期以来散布他们是文明的、高尚的、卫生的。这一点在世界上还有影响，比如存在一种奴隶思想。我们也当过帝国主义的奴隶，当长久了，精神就受影响。”“有些人做奴隶做久了，感觉事事不如人，在外国人面前伸不直腰，像《法门寺》里的贾桂一样，人家让他坐，他说站惯了，不想坐。”盲信西方“洋教条”，在不知不觉中改变了观念，丢掉了自己的“传统”，失去的是理论上的自觉、文化上的自信，没有了精神上的自立。

In recent years, the West has continuously exported “cultural hegemony,” promoting social trends such as liberalism, historical nihilism, and cultural nihilism, and advocating ideas like constitutional democracy and “universal values,” “always attempting to make our Party change its banner, change its name, and change its nature.” This has undoubtedly fueled the belief in “foreign dogmas.” Samuel Huntington believed that in the post-Cold War world, states increasingly define their interests in terms of civilization. In this sense, he divided the world into Western and non-Western parts, meaning that the Western world is unified, Western civilization is a whole, and it is “universal.” This actually reflects a psychology of using Western civilization to dominate the world; the so-called “clash of civilizations” theory is merely the ideological basis and cultural foundation for this. This also fully demonstrates the “hegemony” of Western culture. Joseph Needham argued that Westerners have drawn conclusions about the universality and superiority of their own culture. Moreover, “because of this ‘superiority,’ it is said that the expansion of European culture is a natural development.” “For centuries, the inhabitants on both sides of the Atlantic have harbored a unique psychology of domination. This psychology is directly caused by the great power to conquer nature brought about by the scientific movement after the Renaissance. Today, this psychology of domination has become a threat to the whole world.” “Of course, this psychology developed gradually from small to large; at the same time, it is inseparable from the technology of war.” In Needham’s view, the Western “psychology of domination” mainly stems from the advantages in science and technology since modern times, which has given rise to a universal value system that regards everything as having “superiority.” The Western so-called “universalism” believes that “people all over the world should believe in Western values, systems, and culture, and considers itself to contain the highest, most advanced, freest, most rational, most modern, and most civilized thoughts of humanity.” In this regard, Huntington had to admit that it encounters three problems: it is wrong, it is immoral, and it is dangerous. From this, he concluded that “imperialism is the necessary logical consequence of universalism.” Huntington attempted to distinguish between the universality and particularity of Western civilization, arguing that the United States, as the most powerful Western country, has the responsibility to preserve, maintain, and revive the unique characteristics of Western civilization. However, in reality, within a logic of thought that is full of “superiority” and always presents itself as the “world police” and “arbiter,” how can its particularity and universality be clearly distinguished? Behind the insistence of the United States and the West on their universal values lies precisely the loss of their civilizational self-knowledge, making them hegemonic and bullying actors who violate laws and defy justice. To abandon the “arrogance and prejudice” of Western civilization and understand the breadth and depth of Chinese civilization, we must, on the one hand, trace Chinese civilization within the long river of history, and on the other hand, grasp it within the historical process of China’s revolution, construction, reform, and especially the New Era. If one ignores China’s historical culture and actual national conditions, mechanically transplants Western theories, recites them by rote, treats Western concepts as dogma, and uses their one-sided views to explain China’s development practice, how can one talk about building a strong country and achieving national rejuvenation?

近些年来，西方不断输出“文化霸权”，推销自由主义、历史虚无主义、文化虚无主义等社会思潮，鼓吹宪政民主论、“普世价值论”等，“总是企图让我们党改旗易帜、改名换姓”。这给信奉“洋教条”无疑带来了推波助澜的影响。塞缪尔·亨廷顿认为，在后来冷战的世界中，国家日益根据文明来确定自己的利益。他从这个意义上把世界分为西方与非西方两部分，即是说西方世界是同一的，西方文明是一个整体，而且是“普世”的。这实际上反映的是用西方文明统御世界的心理，所谓“文明冲突论”不过是为此提供的思想根据和文化基础。这也足以见得西方文化的“霸道”。李约瑟认为，西方人对自己的文化作出了普遍性和优越性的结论。而且，“由于这种‘优越性’，所以据说欧洲文化的扩张是自然发展的结果”。“大西洋两岸的居民若干世纪以来一直怀着一种特有的统治心理。这种心理正是文艺复兴以后科学运动带来伟大的征服自然力量所直接造成的。今天，这种统治心理已成为对全世界的威胁。”“当然，这种心理是由小到大，逐渐发展的；同时，和战争的技术是分不开的。”在李约瑟看来，西方的“统治心理”主要源于近代以来科学技术上的优势，由此产生了把所有一切东西都视为具有“优越性”的普遍价值观。西方所谓“普世主义”以为“全世界人民都应当信奉西方的价值观、体制和文化，并自以为它们包含了人类最高级、最进步、最自由、最理性、最现代和最文明的思想”。对此，亨廷顿不得不承认它遇到三个问题：它是错误的，它是不道德的，它是危险的。他由此得出，“帝国主义是普世主义的必然逻辑结果”的结论。亨廷顿试图把西方文明的普遍性与特殊性作区分，认为美国作为最强大的西方国家，有责任承担起保存、维护和复兴西方文明独一无二的特性的任务。然而实际上，在“优越感”十足、总以“世界警察”和“裁判者”示人的思想逻辑中，其特性与普遍性又怎能分得清？美西方坚持其普世价值的背后，失去的正是其文明自知，成为违背规律、悖逆道义的霸道者、霸权者。摒弃西方文明的“傲慢与偏见”，认识中华文明的博大与深厚，一方面要把中华文明放到大的历史长河中寻迹，另一方面也要把其放到中国革命、建设、改革特别是新时代的历史进程中来把握。若罔顾中国历史文化和现实国情，原封不动地移植西方理论，照本宣科，奉西方概念为圭臬，以其片面观点去解释中国的发展实践，又何谈强国建设、民族复兴？

The “Second Integration” is not only the inevitable conclusion of adhering to a problem-oriented approach in answering the questions of China and the times, but also a full manifestation of adhering to integrity and innovation—preserving the integrity of history, the path, the system, and culture, while creating theoretical and temporal innovation. Fine traditional Chinese culture is both the ideological and cultural foundation for “making Marxism speak Chinese” and the deep and persistent foundation and nourishment for our faith and convictions. Adhering to the integration of the basic tenets of Marxism with fine traditional Chinese culture means connecting the ideological essence of Marxism with the essence of fine traditional Chinese culture, integrating it with the common values that the people use daily without conscious awareness, and moving forward with greater historical and cultural confidence, steadily and far-reachingly.

“第二个结合”既是坚持问题导向回答中国之问、时代之问的必然结论，也是坚持守正创新守历史之正、道路之正、制度之正、文化之正，创理论之新、时代之新的充分体现。中华优秀传统文化既是让“马克思说中国话”的思想文化基础，也是我们信仰信念深沉而执着的底蕴和滋养。坚持马克思主义基本原理同中华优秀传统文化相结合，就是要让马克思主义思想精髓同中华优秀传统文化精华贯通起来、同人民群众日用而不觉的共同价值观念融通起来，以更加坚定的历史自信、文化自信面向未来，行稳致远。

II. The “Second Integration” Is the Integration of the “Soul Vein” and the “Root Vein”

二、“第二个结合”是“魂脉”与“根脉”的结合

General Secretary Xi Jinping emphasized during the sixth collective study session of the Political Bureau of the 20th Central Committee: “The major proposition of adapting Marxism to the Chinese context and the needs of the times itself determines that we must never abandon Marxism, the soul vein, nor must we abandon fine traditional Chinese culture, the root vein. Upholding this soul and root is the foundation and prerequisite for theoretical innovation.” [3]3 The “20th Central Committee” refers to the 20th National Congress of the Communist Party of China, held in October 2022. The “sixth collective study session” is a routine meeting of the Political Bureau for theoretical study. Regarding Marxism as the “soul vein” and fine traditional Chinese culture as the “root vein” is not merely a general theoretical explanation; it also reveals the essential relationship between the two and their importance for the sustainable development of the Chinese nation. A “root” without a “soul” loses its vitality; a “soul” without a “root” cannot be grounded on the earth. The “Second Integration” emerges not only from the process of adapting Marxism to the Chinese context and the needs of the times but also from the depths of China’s historical culture. It takes the mutual compatibility of Marxism and fine traditional Chinese culture as its premise and mutual achievement as its direction, continuing the “root vein” of the Chinese nation and promoting a new leap in adapting Marxism to the Chinese context and the needs of the times. As General Secretary Xi Jinping emphasized: “Why is our socialism different? Why can it be vibrant and full of vitality? The key lies in Chinese characteristics. The key to Chinese characteristics lies in the ‘Two Integrations.’” [4]4 The “Two Integrations” refers to the integration of the basic tenets of Marxism with China’s specific realities and with fine traditional Chinese culture. The proposal of the “Two Integrations,” especially the “Second Integration,” fundamentally strengthens the cultural foundation of our faith and conviction in adhering to Marxism. Some people always believe that Marxism was born in the West and has no roots in China. On the eve of the founding of New China, U.S. Secretary of State Dean Acheson publicly stated that it was necessary to “encourage” China’s democratic individualists to shake off the so-called “foreign yoke.” That is to say, to overthrow Marxism-Leninism and the system of people’s democratic dictatorship led by the Communist Party of China. This doctrine and this system are “foreign,” have no roots in China, and were imposed on the Chinese people by Germany’s Marx and Russia’s Lenin and Stalin. What the “Second Integration” addresses is precisely the issue of the ideological and cultural foundation of our faith. Because Marxism and fine traditional Chinese culture share ideological consistency and cultural connectivity, their fundamental compatibility lies in their worldview and values; to a certain extent, the two are connected by “bloodline.”

习近平总书记在主持二十届中央政治局第六次集体学习时强调：“马克思主义中国化时代化这个重大命题本身就决定，我们决不能抛弃马克思主义这个魂脉，决不能抛弃中华优秀传统文化这个根脉。坚守好这个魂和根，是理论创新的基础和前提”。把马克思主义视为“魂脉”、中华优秀传统文化视为“根脉”，不仅仅是一般意义上的理论阐释，更体现对二者本质关系及其对中华民族永续发展重要性的揭示。“根”没有“魂”，就失去了生命活力；而“魂”没有“根”，就不会依托于大地上。“第二个结合”既是从马克思主义中国化时代化的进程中走来，也是从中国的历史文化深处走来，它以马克思主义同中华优秀传统文化彼此契合为前提，以互相成就为指向，赓续了中华民族的“根脉”，推动了马克思主义中国化时代化新的飞跃。正像习近平总书记强调：“我们的社会主义为什么不一样？为什么能够生机勃勃、充满活力？关键就在于中国特色。中国特色的关键就在于‘两个结合’。”“两个结合”尤其是“第二个结合”的提出，是从根本上强化我们坚持马克思主义的信仰信念的文化基础。有的人总认为马克思主义诞生于西方，在中国是没有根的。新中国建立前夕，美国国务卿艾奇逊就公开说，要“鼓励”中国的民主个人主义者摆脱所谓“外国的羁绊”。这就是说，要推翻马克思列宁主义，推翻中国共产党领导的人民民主专政的制度。这个主义和这个制度是“外国的”，在中国没有根的，是德国的马克思、俄国的列宁和斯大林强加于中国人的。而“第二个结合”解决的正是我们信仰的思想文化基础问题。因为马克思主义与中华优秀传统文化是具有思想一致性和文化相通性的，其根本的契合在于世界观价值观，从一定程度上讲，二者之间“血脉”相连。

Persist in activating the “root vein” with the “soul vein”. Culture concerns the foundation of the state and the fortunes of the nation. The cultural lineage and the national pulse are interdependent and closely linked. “The strength of a country or a nation is always supported by cultural prosperity, and the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation requires the development and flourishing of Chinese culture.” [5]5 V. I. Lenin, "Our Programme" (1899). The American scholar James C. Hsiung once commented: “The problem Xi Jinping faces is

坚持以“魂脉”激活“根脉”。文化关乎国本、国运。文脉国脉唇齿相依，紧紧相连。“一个国家、一个民族的强盛，总是以文化兴盛为支撑的，中华民族伟大复兴需要以中华文化发展繁荣为条件。”美国学者熊玠曾作出评价：“习近平面临的难题是，不能使中国成为文化的流浪儿、精神的乞食者，因此必须唤醒中国文化中的传统文化基因，同时又赋予其现代化的灵魂。”从这个意义上讲，“第二个结合”正在于以“魂脉”激活了“根脉”，以马克思主义真理之“矢”去射中华优秀传统文化之“的”，激活其“心”，进而巩固中华民族的文化主体性。毛泽东在《唯心历史观的破产》一文中提到艾奇逊曾说：“中国自己的高度文化和文明，有了三千多年的发展，大体上不曾沾染外来的影响。……到了十九世纪中叶，西方突破了中国孤立的墙壁，那在以前是不可逾越的。这些外来者带来了进取性，带来了发展得盖世无双的西方技术，带来了为以往的侵入者所从来不曾带入中国的高度文化。一部分由于这些品质，一部分由于清朝统治的衰落，西方人不但没有被中国融化，而且介绍了许多新思想进来，这些新思想发生了重要作用，激起了骚动和不安。”艾奇逊认为，马克思主义在中国没有根，是不会持久的。对此，毛泽东在驳斥艾奇逊所谓“因果论”毛泽东把艾奇逊称为因果论者，是因为艾奇逊热衷于寻求中国事变的因果关系，认为中国之所以发生革命，一因人口太多，二因西方思想的刺激。]时认为，从鸦片战争到1919年五四运动七十多年，中国人没有什么思想武器可以抵御帝国主义。也曾从西方资产阶级思想库中学来了东西，但软弱得很，都败下阵来。俄国革命唤醒了中国人，中国人学得了一样新的东西，这就是马克思列宁主义。因此，“马克思列宁主义来到中国之所以发生这样大的作用，是因为中国的社会条件有了这种需要，是因为同中国人民革命的实践发生了联系，是因为被中国人民所掌握了”。“自从中国人学会了马克思列宁主义以后，中国人在精神上就由被动转入主动。从这时起，近代世界历史上那种看不起中国人，看不起中国文化的时代应当完结了。伟大的胜利的中国人民解放战争和人民大革命，已经复兴了并正在复兴着伟大的中国人民的文化。这种中国人民的文化，就其精神方面来说，已经超过了整个资本主义的世界。比方美国的国务卿艾奇逊之流，他们对于现代中国和现代世界的认识水平，就在中国人民解放军的一个普通战士的水平之下。”中国人的精神由被动转入主动，中华民族文化不断走向复兴，正是因为马克思主义把先进的思想文化理论带到中国，并在中国大地深深扎根，引领中国走进现代世界，推动中华文明的生命更新和现代转型。毛泽东曾指出：“学习我们的历史遗产，用马克思主义的方法给以批判的总结，是我们学习的另一任务。”历经五千多年文明发展孕育的中华优秀传统文化这一“根脉”始终就在那里，既不能弃而不用，“抛弃传统、丢掉根本，就等于割断了自己的精神命脉”；也不能置之不理，要坚持用马克思主义激活中华优秀传统文化中富有生命力的优秀因子并赋予新的时代内涵，从而使中华优秀传统文化更具生命力、感召力、感染力。

Adhere to enriching the "soul vein" with the "root vein." Every theory emerges under specific economic and political conditions, and is also rooted in its own historical and cultural soil. Lenin once said: "It is especially necessary to study Marx's theory independently, for it provides only general guiding principles, and the application of these principles will differ in detail, in England from France, in France from Germany, and in Germany from Russia." [5]5 V. I. Lenin, "Our Programme" (1899). Hence Engels repeatedly emphasized that the Marxist worldview is not a "dogma" but a method. The starting point of his research was to strengthen the focus on actual reality, and on the basis of historical traditions and cultural accumulation, to continuously develop his theory. This is also an effective pathway for Marxism to be continuously enriched and developed in practice. General Secretary Xi Jinping emphasizes, "Persist in developing Marxism by taking root in the historical and cultural soil of one's own country and nation, and never stop," [6]6 Xi Jinping, speech at the symposium on cultural heritage, quoted in official media. and "inject the great spirit and rich wisdom of the Chinese nation more deeply into Marxism." [7]7 Xi Jinping, speech at the symposium on cultural heritage, quoted in official media. Only by taking root in the fertile soil of Chinese history and culture can the tree of Marxist truth grow deep roots and lush leaves. On the one hand, practice has already proven that "after Marxism was introduced into China, the propositions of scientific socialism were warmly welcomed by the Chinese people and ultimately took root, blossomed, and bore fruit in Chinese soil. This was by no means accidental, but rather because it resonated with China's excellent historical culture, which has been passed down for thousands of years, and the values that the broad masses of the people use daily without conscious awareness." [8]8 Xi Jinping, speech at the conference commemorating the 120th anniversary of Mao Zedong's birth (2013). On the other hand, "Marxism does not reject any truth; no matter when or where it comes from, as long as it is a truthful understanding, it can serve as nourishment to enrich and develop itself." [9]9 Xi Jinping, speech at the conference commemorating the 200th anniversary of Marx's birth (2018). To continue advancing the adaptation of Marxism to the Chinese context and the needs of the times, it is necessary to continuously draw nourishment from all outstanding achievements of human civilization, including China's excellent traditional culture, thereby forming a grand theoretical landscape and atmosphere that is inclusive and draws on the strengths of all. Adhere to the interconnection of the "soul vein" and the "root vein" to forge a new cultural life entity. General Secretary Xi Jinping emphasizes: "'Integration' is not a 'patchwork,' not a simple 'physical reaction,' but a profound 'chemical reaction,' creating an organically unified new cultural life entity." [10]10 Xi Jinping, speech at the symposium on cultural heritage (2023). In this sense, realizing the "Second Integration" does not mean simply twisting Marxism and China's excellent traditional culture together while each still follows its own "vein," but rather connecting the two "veins," effectively linking the essence of Marxist thought with the essence of China's excellent traditional culture, coalescing them into a new theoretical advantage. The "Second Integration" is a theoretical fusion, and even more so a convergence of thought and spirit. Joseph Needham once said: "Since China adopted communism, Chinese social system and philosophical thought have for the first time entered a new and different 'historical stage,' transcending the boundaries of two great historical civilizations, and transferring from one vast social organism to another." [11]11 Joseph Needham, quoted in Chinese scholarly literature; exact source not specified in the original text. The new cultural life entity forged through the interconnection of Marxism and China's excellent traditional culture will inevitably propel Chinese civilization into a new "historical stage." Just as the "First Integration" was an intellectual emancipation, the "Second Integration" is an intellectual emancipation at a deeper ideological level, a profound integration of thought and soul. Facing the needs of the situation and practical problems, we must deeply diagnose the questions of China, the questions of the world, the questions of the people, and the questions of the era, connecting history and reality, theory and practice, thought and culture, to provide answers that are our own.

坚持以“根脉”丰富“魂脉”。任何一种理论的产生都有其经济、政治条件，又有其历史、文化土壤。列宁曾说：“尤其需要独立地探讨马克思的理论，因为它所提供的只是总的指导原则，而这些原理的运用具体地说，在英国不同于法国，在法国不同于德国，在德国又不同于俄国。”所以恩格斯一再强调，马克思主义的世界观不是“教义”，而是方法。他研究的出发点，强化的是现实实际，并以历史传统、文化积淀为基础，不断发展其理论。这也是马克思主义在实践中不断丰富发展的有效途径。习近平总书记强调，“坚持植根本国、本民族历史文化沃土发展马克思主义不停步”，“将中华民族的伟大精神和丰富智慧更深层次地注入马克思主义”。马克思主义真理之树只有植根中国历史文化沃土，才能根深叶茂。一方面，实践已经证明，“马克思主义传入中国后，科学社会主义的主张受到中国人民热烈欢迎，并最终扎根中国大地、开花结果，决不是偶然的，而是同我国传承了几千年的优秀历史文化和广大人民日用而不觉的价值观念融通的”。另一方面，“马克思主义不排斥一切真理，不管它来自何时、来自哪里，只要是真理性认识，都可以作为丰富和发展自己的养分”。继续推进马克思主义中国化时代化，需要不断从包括中华优秀传统文化在内的人类社会一切优秀文明成果中汲取养分，形成兼容并蓄、博采众长的理论大格局大气象。坚持以“魂脉”“根脉”相贯通造就新的文化生命体。习近平总书记强调：“‘结合’不是‘拼盘’，不是简单的‘物理反应’，而是深刻的‘化学反应’，造就了一个有机统一的新的文化生命体。”从这个意义上讲，实现“第二个结合”，不是简单地将马克思主义和中华优秀传统文化扭在一起，仍是各行其“脉”，而是两“脉”贯通，有效地把马克思主义思想精髓同中华优秀传统文化精华贯通起来，聚变为新的理论优势。“第二个结合”是理论的聚变，更是思想和精神的聚合。李约瑟曾说：“自从中国采取了共产主义之后，中国的社会制度和哲学思想第一次进入了一个新的不同的‘历史阶段’，超越了两种伟大的历史文明的界限，而从一个广大的社会机体转移到另一个广大的社会机体。”以马克思主义和中华优秀传统文化相贯通造就的新的文化生命体，必将推动中华文明进入新的“历史阶段”。犹如“第一个结合”是一次思想解放，“第二个结合”是一次在更深思想层面的思想解放，是思想与灵魂的深度结合。面对形势需要和现实问题，我们必须深入把脉中国之问、世界之问、人民之问、时代之问，贯通历史与现实、理论与实践、思想与文化，作出属于我们自己的解答。

III. The "Second Integration" Consolidates Cultural Subjectivity

三、“第二个结合”巩固了文化主体性

Subjectivity is consciousness and initiative, but even more so it is confidence and self-assurance. For any culture to stand firm and go far, to have leading power, cohesive power, shaping power, and radiating power, it must possess its own subjectivity. Only with cultural subjectivity can there be a firm self in the cultural sense, can there be the firmness and consciousness to shoulder new cultural missions, and can there be spiritual independence and autonomy. We must deeply recognize: “China’s taking of this path is inseparable from Chinese culture. The internal genetic code of the socialist path with Chinese characteristics that we follow lies precisely here, in the gene of fine traditional Chinese culture.” Lenin once said that Marxism “is by no means a doctrine that is self-contained and ossified, born outside the high road of world civilization.” [1]1 潜移默化 (qián yí mò huà): A four-character idiom meaning "a silent and subtle influence" or "imperceptibly influencing." Vast China has a long history and a broad civilization. To know the great Way, one must first understand history. [2]2 "Famen Temple" (《法门寺》): A traditional Chinese opera. Jia Gui is a eunuch character known for his servile and sycophantic demeanor, used here as a metaphor for a slave mentality. Adhering to the integration of the basic tenets of Marxism with fine traditional Chinese culture is the inevitable path, the correct path, and also the path of civilization, the path of brightness. For a great nation like China, whose five-thousand-year civilization has never been interrupted and shines brilliantly, we must not only strengthen the “roots” of civilization and culture, but also strengthen the “trunk” of civilization and culture, constantly consolidate cultural subjectivity, and provide powerful spiritual support for the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation.

主体性是自觉性、能动性，更是自信和底气。任何文化要立得住、行得远，要有引领力、凝聚力、塑造力、辐射力，就必须有自己的主体性。只有具有文化主体性，才会有文化意义上的坚定自我，才会有担负新的文化使命的坚定与自觉，也才有精神上的独立自主。我们要深刻认识到：“中国走上这条道路，跟中国文化密不可分。我们走的中国特色社会主义道路，它内在的基因密码就在这里，有中华优秀传统文化这个基因”。列宁曾说，马克思主义“绝不是离开世界文明发展大道而产生的一种故步自封、僵化不变的学说”。泱泱中华，历史悠久，文明博大。欲知大道，必先为史。坚持马克思主义基本原理同中华优秀传统文化相结合，是必然之道、正确之道，也是文明之道、光明之道。对于中国这样五千多年文明从未中断且熠熠生辉的大国而言，我们不仅要强文明、文化之“根”，更要强文明、文化之“干”，不断巩固文化的主体性，为实现中华民族伟大复兴提供强大精神支撑。

Cultural subjectivity was established on Chinese soil by the Communist Party of China uniting and leading the people. To continue consolidating this subjectivity, we must uphold the Party’s overall leadership and unswervingly follow the path of socialist cultural development with Chinese characteristics. Chinese Communists are faithful inheritors of fine traditional Chinese culture. Clarifying the “Second Integration” is not only a practical need for us to consolidate cultural subjectivity, but even more so it embodies the historical responsibility and mission of contemporary Chinese Communists. Consolidating cultural subjectivity is a process of taking “ourselves” as the main body while incorporating things of value from others. [3]3 The “20th Central Committee” refers to the 20th National Congress of the Communist Party of China, held in October 2022. The “sixth collective study session” is a routine meeting of the Political Bureau for theoretical study. This is both confidence and independence. Chinese Communists, upholding the great Way of human development, carrying forward the great cause of the Chinese national spirit, and adhering to cultural subjectivity, are making a conscious choice. Only by adhering to cultural subjectivity can Marxism take root in practice, can fine traditional Chinese culture be activated, and can Marxism be endowed with Chinese characteristics in its development. This is also a fundamental issue of upholding cultural leadership. The reason the Communist Party of China is an advanced political party that adheres to and develops Marxism also lies in its standing on Chinese soil and absorbing the essence of fine traditional Chinese culture. Chinese Communists are loyal “warriors” for adhering to and developing Marxism, and they are also the backbone force for promoting and inheriting fine traditional Chinese culture and consolidating cultural subjectivity.

文化主体性是中国共产党团结带领人民在中国大地上建立起来的。继续巩固这一主体性必须坚持党的全面领导，坚定不移走中国特色社会主义文化发展道路。中国共产党人是中华优秀传统文化的忠实传承者。明确“第二个结合”，不仅是我们巩固文化主体性的现实需要，更加体现的是当代中国共产党人的历史责任和使命担当。巩固文化主体性是以“我”为主兼收并蓄的过程。这是自信也是自立。中国共产党人秉承人类发展之大道，承继中华民族精神之伟业，坚持文化主体性，是主动选择的自觉。只有坚持文化主体性，才能使马克思主义在实践中生根，才能激活中华优秀传统文化，进而赋予马克思主义发展的中国特色。这也是坚持文化领导权的根本问题。中国共产党之所以是坚持和发展马克思主义的先进政党，也在于立足中国大地吸吮着中华优秀传统文化精华。中国共产党人是坚持和发展马克思主义的忠诚“战士”，也是弘扬传承中华优秀传统文化、巩固文化主体性的中坚力量。

General Secretary Xi Jinping profoundly pointed out: “China’s biggest national condition is the leadership of the Communist Party of China. What are Chinese characteristics? This is Chinese characteristics. The system of leadership by the Communist Party of China is our own; it was not cloned from anywhere, nor is it a slavish imitation of others. No matter what beneficial things we absorb, in the end they must be localized.” [4]4 The “Two Integrations” refers to the integration of the basic tenets of Marxism with China’s specific realities and with fine traditional Chinese culture. This is confidence in the path, confidence in the theory, confidence in the system, and confidence in the culture, and it is also an inevitable requirement for us to adhere to the path of independence. In a certain sense, the process of consolidating cultural subjectivity is also a process of promoting the modernization and localization of fine traditional Chinese culture and even all excellent human thought and culture. Feng Youlan once said that Chinese Marxism has two philosophical sources: one is Marxism transmitted from the West, and the other is China’s classical philosophy. [5]5 V. I. Lenin, "Our Programme" (1899). Precisely because it has the source of China’s classical philosophy, its Chinese characteristics have a solid foundation.

习近平总书记深刻指出：“中国最大的国情就是中国共产党的领导。什么是中国特色？这就是中国特色。中国共产党领导的制度是我们自己的，不是从哪里克隆来的，也不是亦步亦趋效仿别人的。无论我们吸收了什么有益的东西，最后都要本土化。”这是道路自信、理论自信、制度自信和文化自信，也是我们坚持独立自主道路的必然要求。从一定意义上讲，巩固文化主体性的过程也是推进中华优秀传统文化乃至人类一切优秀思想文化时代化、本土化的过程。冯友兰曾讲过，中国的马克思主义，有两个哲学来源，一个是从西方传来的马克思主义，一个是中国的古典哲学。正因为它有中国古典哲学的来源，它的中国特色才有着落。

An indispensable significance of consolidating cultural subjectivity also lies in giving “Chinese characteristics” a more solid foundation. General Secretary Xi Jinping emphasized: “Cultural confidence comes from our cultural subjectivity.” [6]6 Xi Jinping, speech at the symposium on cultural heritage, quoted in official media. With cultural subjectivity, there is a firm self in the cultural sense, and cultural confidence has a fundamental support. Huntington, in *The Clash of Civilizations*, argued that in the post-Cold War world, the most important distinction between people is cultural. “People and nations are attempting to answer the most basic question humans can face: Who are we? They answer it in the traditional way humans have used to answer this question, by referring to the things that are most meaningful to them. People define themselves in terms of ancestry, religion, language, history, values, customs, and institutions.” [7]7 Xi Jinping, speech at the symposium on cultural heritage, quoted in official media. Defining oneself by cultural distinctions and civilizational identity shows, on the one hand, the foundational role and influence of culture and civilization; on the other hand, it shows that human subjectivity is more often expressed as cultural subjectivity, used to define the basic questions of “who we are, where we come from, and where we are going.”

巩固文化主体性，其中必不可少的一项意义也在于，使“中国特色”更有着落。习近平总书记强调：“文化自信就来自我们的文化主体性。”有了文化主体性，就有了文化意义上坚定的自我，文化自信就有了根本依托。亨廷顿在《文明的冲突》中认为，在冷战后世界中，人们之间最重要的区别是文化上的区别。“人民和民族正试图回答人类可能面对的最基本的问题：我们是谁？他们用人类曾经用来回答这个问题的传统方式来回答它，即提到对于他们来说最有意义的事物。人们用祖先、宗教、语言、历史、价值观、习俗和体制来界定自己。”用文化的区别、文明的身份来界定自己，一方面说明文化和文明的基础作用和影响力；另一方面说明人的主体性更多地表现为文化的主体性，以此来界定“我们是谁，从哪里来，到哪里去”的基本问题。

“The spirit is the soul on which a nation relies for long-term survival. Only when the spirit reaches a certain height can a nation stand firm and forge ahead in the torrent of history.” [8]8 Xi Jinping, speech at the conference commemorating the 120th anniversary of Mao Zedong's birth (2013). Fighting poverty, building a moderately prosperous society, promoting reform, treating pollution, defusing risks, and stabilizing the overall situation—the 1.4 billion Chinese people, sharing weal and woe and helping each other in times of need, all manifest the contemporary value of the Chinese cultural spirit. At this new historical starting point, we should further strengthen the confidence and conviction of cultural confidence, shoulder new cultural missions, strive to build a socialist ideology with strong cohesion and leading power, strive to continue the Chinese cultural lineage, promote the creative transformation and innovative development of fine traditional Chinese culture, and fully stimulate the spiritual strength of the entire Party and the whole nation to unite and strive, and to overcome difficulties.

“精神是一个民族赖以长久生存的灵魂，唯有精神上达到一定的高度，这个民族才能在历史的洪流中屹立不倒、奋勇向前。”反贫困、建小康、促改革、治污染、化风险、稳大局，14亿多中国人民风雨同舟、守望相助，无不彰显了中华文化精神的当代价值。在新的历史起点上，我们应进一步加强坚定文化自信的底气和信念，担负起新的文化使命，着力建设具有强大凝聚力和引领力的社会主义意识形态，着力赓续中华文脉、推动中华优秀传统文化创造性转化和创新性发展，充分激发全党全社会团结奋进、攻坚克难的精神力量。

IV. Adhere to the Guidance of Xi Jinping Thought on Culture, and Create a New Form of Human Civilization in the “Second Integration”

四、坚持以习近平文化思想为指导，在“第二个结合”中创造人类文明新形态

Xi Jinping Thought on Culture “illuminates the substance and applies it, integrating substance and application,” [9]9 Xi Jinping, speech at the conference commemorating the 200th anniversary of Marx's birth (2018). emphasizing not only the dialectical unity of theory and practice, but also profoundly indicating that this important thought embodies the fundamental requirement of integrating the basic tenets of Marxism with fine traditional Chinese culture. In this regard, we must deeply recognize that, on the one hand

习近平文化思想“明体达用、体用贯通”，强调的不仅是理论与实践的辩证统一，也深刻表明这一重要思想体现了马克思主义基本原理同中华优秀传统文化相结合的根本要求。对此，我们要深刻认识到，一方面，习近平文化思想是在新时代中国特色社会主义文化建设伟大实践中形成并不断丰富发展的，深刻回答了新时代我国文化建设举什么旗、走什么路、坚持什么原则、实现什么目标等根本问题，丰富和发展了马克思主义文化理论，为做好新时代宣传思想文化工作、担负起新的文化使命、创造人类文明新形态提供了科学行动指南；另一方面，习近平文化思想是一个不断展开的、开放式的思想体系，必将随着实践深入不断丰富发展。这要求我们不仅要学习领会蕴含其中的重大创新观点和关于文化建设的战略部署，更要努力学好用好其科学的方法论，牢牢把握“第二个结合”，在以中国式现代化全面推进中华民族伟大复兴的历史进程中，创造人类文明新形态。毛泽东在中国人民政治协商会议第一届全体会议上的开幕词中曾预言：“随着经济建设的高潮的到来，不可避免地将要出现一个文化建设的高潮。中国人被人认为不文明的时代已经过去了，我们将以一个具有高度文化的民族出现于世界。”今天，我们在以中国式现代化全面推进民族复兴的大潮中，也必将迎来创造人类文明新形态的光明前景。

The prominent characteristics of Chinese civilization constitute the value foundation for creating a new form of human civilization. General Secretary Xi Jinping has emphasized that Chinese civilization is characterized by outstanding continuity, innovativeness, unity, inclusiveness, and peacefulness. The report of the 20th National Congress of the CPC lists ten aspects of the high degree of alignment between fine traditional Chinese culture and the value propositions of scientific socialism; this alignment is one of shared thought, cultural affinity, and consistency in worldview and values. It is precisely because of this kind of alignment that mutual embedding, mutual interaction, and mutual stimulation can be achieved. As General Secretary Xi Jinping stressed: “The path of socialism with Chinese characteristics is first and foremost socialist, which comes from Marxism; at the same time, the simple socialist elements in Chinese culture also provided the cultural foundation for China’s acceptance of Marxism.” Continuity is the result of our civilization’s unbroken endurance and also a manifestation of the Chinese nation’s spirit of independence. The crucial reason our nation has endured many hardships without interruption lies in its unbroken lineage and persistent spiritual pursuits, spiritual traits, and spiritual threads. If continuity is the result, then innovation is the cause. The Chinese nation has created its civilization with the spirit of “if you can improve yourself in a day, do so each day, and continue day after day.”[12]12 A classical allusion from the *Book of Rites* (《礼记》), specifically the “Great Learning” (大学) chapter, attributed to the Shang dynasty founder Tang. It expresses the ideal of continuous self-improvement and renewal. In this sense, unity has also become the spiritual driving force behind the continuous development of Chinese civilization over more than five thousand years. Toynbee once said: “As far as the Chinese are concerned, for thousands of years, more successfully than any other nation in the world, they have united hundreds of millions of people politically and culturally. They have demonstrated this ability to unify politically and culturally, with unparalleled successful experience.” The value of unity has a deep cultural foundation; this is both the reason for our cultural confidence and the result of it. Chinese civilization has never replaced diverse cultures with a single culture; rather, it has gathered diverse cultures into a common culture. The more inclusive it is, the more it gains recognition and protection, thus forming a unity that is diverse yet integrated, cohesive and centralized. It is precisely for this reason that the pursuit of peace has become a gene in our culture. Chinese culture has had a tradition of loving peace since ancient times. In his essay “The Character of the Chinese,” Bertrand Russell lamented: “Those ethical qualities that make the Chinese superior are precisely the qualities most urgently needed in the world today, and they will not perish. Among these qualities, the one I most admire is their love of peace. They settle disputes based on principles of justice, rather than resorting to violence.” The Chinese nation’s standing in the world has never relied on militarism or external expansion, but on the powerful appeal and attractiveness of Chinese culture. This is also the spiritual lifeline of Chinese civilization. The five prominent characteristics of Chinese civilization highlight the roots of Chinese civilization, are the genes of fine traditional Chinese culture, and constitute the foundation and conditions for realizing the “Second Integration.”[13]13 The “Second Integration” (第二个结合) refers to the combination of the basic tenets of Marxism with China’s fine traditional culture, as distinct from the first integration of Marxism with China’s concrete realities. This also fundamentally explains the law-governed question of “why to integrate and how to integrate.”

中华文明的突出特性是创造人类文明新形态的价值底蕴。习近平总书记强调，中华文明具有突出的连续性、创新性、统一性、包容性、和平性。党的二十大报告列举关于中华优秀传统文化同科学社会主义价值观主张十个方面的高度契合性，是思想的相通性、文化的相近性、世界观价值观的一致性。也正在于只有在这样意义上的契合，才能实现相互嵌入、相互作用、相互激发。正像习近平总书记强调：“中国特色社会主义道路首先是社会主义，这是从马克思主义那里来的；同时，中国文化中朴素的社会主义元素也提供了中国接受马克思主义的文化基础。”连续性是我们文明绵延不断的结果，也是中华民族独立自主精神的体现。我们民族之所以历经磨难而不中断，重要的在于一脉相承而又孜孜以求的精神追求、精神特质和精神脉络。如果说连续是结果，那么创新就是原因。中华民族以“苟日新、日日新、又日新”的精神创造着自己的文明。在此意义上，统一性也成为五千多年中华文明连续发展的精神动因。汤因比曾说：“就中国人来说，几千年来，比世界任何民族都成功地把几亿民众，从政治文化上团结起来。他们显示出这种在政治、文化上统一的本领，具有无与伦比的成功经验。”统一的价值观有着我们深厚的文化基础，这是我们文化自信的缘由，也是我们文化自信的结果。中华文明从来不用单一文化代替多元文化，而是由多元文化汇聚成共同文化。越包容才能越是得到认同和维护，这样就形成多元一体、团结集中的统一性。正是如此，追求和平成为我们文化的基因。中华文化自古就有爱好和平的传统。罗素在《中国人的性格》一文中感慨道：“那些使中国人高出一筹的伦理品质正是当今世界最急需的素质,它们是不会毁灭的。在这些品质中我最推崇的是热爱和平的性格。它在调解纠纷时根据的是公正的原则,而不是诉诸暴力。”中华民族在世界上有地位，从不是靠穷兵黩武和对外扩张，靠的是中华文化强大的感召力和吸引力。这也是中华文明的精神血脉。中华文明的五个突出特性彰显了中华文明的根脉，是中华优秀传统文化的基因所在，也是实现“第二个结合”的基础和条件。这也从根本上阐述了“为什么要结合、怎样结合”的规律性问题。

The new form of human civilization is a creation through the integration of different forms of civilization. National rejuvenation, in a certain sense, is cultural rejuvenation. “No country or nation can stand tall without cherishing its own thought and culture, or if it discards the soul of its thought and culture.” Cultural rejuvenation is not “restoring antiquity,” but creation—the creation of a form of civilization. For a form of civilization or ideological system to be formed through integration, the prerequisites and conditions for “integration” must exist. General Secretary Xi Jinping pointed out: “The systems of people’s congresses and political consultation created by our Party are deeply connected with the people-centered thought of Chinese civilization, the concept of ‘all under Heaven’ being governed together, the governing traditions of ‘republicanism’ and ‘consultation,’ and the political wisdom of ‘inclusiveness and seeking common ground while reserving differences.’ We did not adopt a federal or confederal system; we established a unitary state form and implemented a system of regional ethnic autonomy. This is to follow the development trend of the Chinese nation, which is inwardly cohesive and diverse yet integrated, and to inherit the great unification tradition of Chinese culture, where ‘all nine provinces are interconnected, all six directions share the same customs, and the four seas are one family.’”[14]14 A classical Chinese expression from the *Book of Han* (《汉书》) and other historical texts, describing the ideal of a unified realm under a single cultural and political order. The American scholar Dou Zongyi believed that, generally speaking, when a system of thought and institutions is transplanted into another system of thought and institutions, the closer the two are, the easier it is for them to flourish. At the same time, he cited Joseph Needham’s observation in his study of the development of science and technology in China that dialectical materialism can, to a certain extent, be said to be something created by the Chinese themselves. As Liu Wenying wrote in his preface to Dou Zongyi’s *Confucianism and Marxism*: “Ancient China also had its own tradition of materialism and dialectics. Therefore, it is only natural that traditional Chinese philosophy, including Confucianism, has similarities and commonalities with dialectical materialism.” It is for this reason that Marxism and fine traditional Chinese culture exhibit even more consistency and alignment. Guo Moruo believed that the communist social ideal of “from each according to his ability, to each according to his needs” proposed by Marx coincided “without prior consultation” with Confucius’s world of great harmony under “all under Heaven as a commonwealth.” Marx once wrote in the *Neue Rheinische Zeitung* that “Chinese socialism has as much in common with European socialism as Chinese philosophy has with Hegelian philosophy.” In this sense, Marx foresaw the emergence of a “Republic of China.” Ultimately, the fundamental prerequisite for the conditions of “integration” lies in the consistency and compatibility of values, which alone can achieve the integration of thought and soul. Both Marxism and fine traditional Chinese culture establish their arguments from the “Way” (道), prioritize “virtue” (德), occupy the moral high ground, uphold the great trend of social development characterized by seeking liberation for humanity, seeking great harmony for the world, and pursuing self-reliant and independent development, as well as the ideal and spiritual value pursuit of “when the Great Way prevails, the world is for all.”[15]15 A classical phrase from the *Book of Rites* (《礼记》), specifically the “Evolution of Rites” (礼运) chapter, describing the Confucian ideal of a society governed by public spirit and shared resources.

人类文明新形态是不同文明形态的结合创造。民族复兴，在一定意义上是文化的复兴。“无论哪一个国家、哪一个民族，如果不珍惜自己的思想文化，丢掉了思想文化这个灵魂，这个国家、这个民族是立不起来的。”文化的复兴不是“复古”，而是创造，是文明形态的创造。能够结合成一种文明形态或思想体系，必须要具备“结合”的前提和条件。习近平总书记指出：“我们党开创的人民代表大会制度、政治协商制度，与中华文明的民本思想，天下共治理念，‘共和’、‘商量’的施政传统，‘兼容并包、求同存异’的政治智慧都有深刻关联。我们没有搞联邦制、邦联制，确立了单一制国家形式，实行民族区域自治制度，就是顺应向内凝聚、多元一体的中华民族发展大趋势，承继九州共贯、六合同风、四海一家的中国文化大一统传统。”美国学者窦宗仪认为，大凡一种思想体系和制度要移植到另一种思想体系和制度之内，两者如果越接近就越容易开花结果。同时，他引述李约瑟在考察中国科学技术的发展时注意到，辩证唯物主义在一定程度上可以说是中国人自己创造的东西。正像刘文英在为窦宗仪的《儒学与马克思主义》所作的序言中所说：“中国古代同样具有自己的唯物主义和辩证法的传统。因而中国传统哲学，包括儒学在内，和辩证唯物主义有相似、相通之处，也是理所当然的事情。”正因如此，马克思主义和中华优秀传统文化才表现出更多的一致和契合。郭沫若就认为，马克思提出的各尽所能、按需分配的共产主义社会理想，与孔子天下为公的大同世界“不谋而合”。马克思在《新莱茵报》曾谈到，“中国的社会主义跟欧洲的社会主义像中国哲学跟黑格尔哲学一样具有共同之点”。在这样的意义上，马克思预见了“中华共和国”的出现。说到底，具备“结合”前提条件的根本，还在于价值观念的一致和融通，这样才能实现思想灵魂的结合。马克思主义和中华优秀传统文化都从“道”立论，以“德”为先，占据道义的制高点，秉承为人类求解放、为世界求大同、自强不息自主发展的社会发展大趋势和“大道之行，天下为公”的理想和精神价值追求。

The “Second Integration” not only makes Marxism “Chinese,” but also makes fine traditional Chinese culture “modern.” The new form of human civilization is a sublimation and creation achieved in our practice of the path of socialism with Chinese characteristics and Chinese-path modernization, and in our understanding of the laws governing Communist Party governance, socialist construction, human societal development, and cultural-ethical progress in the New Era. This is both the process and the result of combining the basic tenets of Marxism with China’s fine traditional culture. The foundational role of culture is becoming increasingly evident. In *The Clash of Civilizations*, Huntington argues that, due to the role of civilization and culture, modernization does not mean Westernization. He is compelled to admit: “Non-Western societies can and have achieved modernization without abandoning their own cultures and fully adopting Western values, institutions, and practices.” Similarly, our adherence to the “Second Integration” by no means rejects the outstanding achievements of world civilizations. “Every civilization is a crystallization of beauty, all manifesting the beauty of creation. All beautiful things are interconnected.” In a certain sense, the new form of human civilization we create is also an organic synthesis of the ancient and the modern, the Chinese and the foreign. Not only does Chinese civilization radiate new vitality today, but it also maintains a mutually reinforcing relationship with other world civilizations through exchange and mutual learning. Just as Feng Qi stated, since modern times, the question of “where is China going” has been intertwined with the “debate between the ancient and the modern, the Chinese and the foreign.” [16]16 The “debate between the ancient and the modern, the Chinese and the foreign” (古今中西之争) refers to a persistent intellectual controversy in modern China over how to reconcile traditional Chinese culture (the ancient and Chinese) with modern Western influences (the modern and foreign) in the pursuit of national rejuvenation. In his article “Modern New Confucianism and China’s Modernization,” Fang Keli argues that if we define modern thought by the hallmark of emerging from the Middle Ages and achieving modernization, then in China’s intellectual history since the May Fourth Movement, [17]17 The May Fourth Movement (1919) was a pivotal anti-imperialist, anti-feudal cultural and political movement in modern China, often seen as marking the beginning of the New Democratic Revolution and a watershed in Chinese intellectual history. three schools fall within this category, and they reflect the currents of world development and the balance of domestic class forces, engaging in complex ideological struggles among themselves. Chinese Marxism, along with the cultural conservatism represented by “New Confucianism” and the liberal Westernization faction, has been entangled around the question of “where is China going,” with the “debate between the ancient and the modern, the Chinese and the foreign” running through it. The fundamental focus is the relationship between Marxism, traditional culture, and Western culture. The “Second Integration” is a profound answer to resolving the “debate between the ancient and the modern, the Chinese and the foreign.” As an intellectual emancipation, our understanding of the “Second Integration” should recognize that it emphasizes not only the “breadth” of integration but also its “depth”—a deepening of the understanding of laws. The “Second Integration” and the “First Integration” interact and are integrated as one, which will inevitably endow the path of socialism with Chinese characteristics with a broader historical depth and inevitably bring a brighter future to the creation of a new form of human civilization.

“第二个结合”不仅让马克思主义成为“中国的”，而且让中华优秀传统文化成为“现代的”。人类文明新形态，是我们在对中国特色社会主义道路和中国式现代化的实践中，在对共产党执政规律、社会主义建设规律、人类社会发展规律和新时代文化建设规律的认识中的升华创造。这既是马克思主义基本原理同中华优秀传统文化相结合的过程，也是结果。文化在其中发挥的基础作用愈发显现。亨廷顿在《文明的冲突》中认为，由于文明文化的作用，现代化并不意味着西方化。他不得不承认：“非西方社会在没有放弃它们自己的文化和全盘采用西方价值观、体制和实践的前提下，能够实现并已经实现了现代化。”同样，我们坚持“第二个结合”，也绝非排斥世界优秀文明成果。“每一种文明都是美的结晶，都彰显着创造之美。一切美好的事物都是相通的。”从一定意义上讲，我们创造的人类文明新形态也是古今中西的有机结合。中华文明不仅在今天焕发出新的活力，同时也与世界其他文明在交流互鉴中保持着相互促进的关系。正像冯契所说，中国近代以来围绕“中国向何处去”的问题，“古今中西”之争始终贯穿其中。方克立在《现代新儒学与中国现代化》一文中认为，如果以走出中世纪、实现现代化为标志来界定近现代思想，那么在“五四”以来的中国思想史上，有三个派别均属于这一范畴，而且它们反映着当今世界发展潮流和国内阶级力量的对比，相互之间展开了错综复杂的思想斗争。中国马克思主义与以“新儒家”为代表的文化保守主义和自由主义西化派之间，围绕着“中国向何处去”问题，其中一直交织的是“古今中西之争”，根本的焦点是，马克思主义与传统文化、西方文化的关系。“第二个结合”是破解“古今中西之争”的深刻回答。作为一次思想解放，对“第二个结合”的理解，我们应认识到，其强调的不仅是结合的“宽度”，更是结合的“深度”，是对规律认识的深化。“第二个结合”与“第一个结合”相互作用、互为一体，必将使中国特色社会主义道路具有更加宏阔的历史纵深，必将使创造人类文明新形态具有更加美好的未来。

The best inheritance of history is to create new history, and the greatest respect for human civilization is to create a new form of human civilization. General Secretary Xi Jinping pointed out: “The China of the future will surely embrace the world with a more open attitude and contribute to the world with more vibrant civilizational achievements.” We firmly believe that the new form of human civilization contributed by the Chinese nation to the world will inevitably radiate even more vigorous vitality in keeping with the development of the times, and together with the rich and diverse civilizations created by the peoples of the world, will provide humanity with correct spiritual guidance and powerful spiritual motivation.

对历史最好的继承就是创造新的历史，对人类文明最大的礼敬就是创造人类文明新形态。习近平总书记指出：“未来之中国，必将以更加开放的姿态拥抱世界、以更有活力的文明成就贡献世界。”我们坚信，中华民族为世界贡献的人类文明新形态，必将顺应时代发展焕发出更加蓬勃的生命力，与世界各国人民创造的丰富多彩的文明一道，为人类提供正确的精神指引和强大的精神动力。

Source: *Philosophical Research*, October 25, 2024

文章来源：《哲学研究》2024年10月25日

Online Editor: Jing Mu

网络编辑：静穆