Three Dimensions of the Methodological Approach in Xi Jinping’s Cultural Thought

Xi Jinping’s cultural thought is the cultural chapter of Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era, a major theoretical interpretation of adapting the Marxist view of culture to the Chinese context and the needs of the times, an important theoretical summation of the Party’s experience in leading cultural development in the New Era, and a firm cultural choice for the path of Chinese-path modernization. It emphasizes the important position and role of socialist culture with Chinese characteristics—including fine traditional Chinese culture, revolutionary culture, and advanced socialist culture—in the overall work of Chinese-path modernization. Whether viewed from the historical, practical, or developmental dimension, it carries significant methodological implications for building a socialist cultural power.

习近平文化思想是习近平新时代中国特色社会主义思想的文化篇，是马克思主义文化观中国化时代化的重大理论阐释，是新时代党领导文化建设经验的重要理论总结，是中国式现代化道路的坚定文化选择，强调了中华优秀传统文化、革命文化、社会主义先进文化等中国特色社会主义文化在中国式现代化建设全局工作中的重要地位和作用，无论是从历史、现实还是发展维度，对建设社会主义文化强国都具有重要的方法论意义。

Historical Dimension: Do Not Forget the Origins, Strengthen Cultural Confidence

历史维度：不忘本来，坚定文化自信

Strengthening cultural confidence is a fundamental issue concerning the rise and fall of national fortunes, cultural security, and the independence of the national spirit; it is the foundation and original aspiration and founding mission of our Party’s governance of the country. General Secretary Xi Jinping emphasizes: “When we speak of strengthening confidence in the path, theory, and system of socialism with Chinese characteristics, what we are ultimately talking about is strengthening cultural confidence. Cultural confidence is a more basic, deeper, and more enduring force.” [1]1 Xi Jinping, speech at a symposium on cultural heritage and cultural exchange, 2023. Not forgetting the origins and strengthening cultural confidence concerns the future and destiny of the Party, the long-term stability of the country, and the cohesion and centripetal force of the nation; it is an extremely important task. The research results of major projects such as the Project to Trace the Origins of Chinese Civilization [2]2 Xi Jinping, speech at the opening ceremony of the Conference on Dialogue of Asian Civilizations, 2019. have empirically verified China’s one-million-year history of humanity, a ten-thousand-year history of culture, and a more-than-five-thousand-year history of civilization, powerfully confirming that the unbroken and continuous Chinese civilization contains ample and sufficient sources, foundations, and answers for cultural confidence.

坚定文化自信，是事关国运兴衰、文化安全和民族精神独立性的根本性问题，是我们党治国理政的底气和初心使命。习近平总书记强调：“我们说要坚定中国特色社会主义道路自信、理论自信、制度自信，说到底是要坚定文化自信。文化自信是更基本、更深沉、更持久的力量。”不忘本来，坚定文化自信事关党的前途命运，事关国家长治久安，事关民族凝聚力和向心力，是一项极端重要的工作。中华文明探源工程等重大工程的研究成果，实证了我国百万年的人类史、一万年的文化史、5000多年的文明史，有力证实了一脉相承、不曾断裂的中华文明蕴含着翔实充分的文化自信的源泉、根基和答案。

Exploring the foundation of cultural confidence from the ten-thousand-year history of culture. The period around ten thousand years ago was the initial stage of the origin of agricultural civilization. Archaeology has discovered numerous cultural sites, such as the Lijiagou site, the Peiligang culture site, the Hemudu culture site, the Yangshao culture site, the Dawenkou culture site, the Hongshan culture site, and the Liangzhu culture site. [3]3 Reference to Marx and Engels’s method of critically absorbing classical German philosophy, British political economy, and French utopian socialism. The pottery, jade artifacts, and other items with distinct cultural characteristics unearthed from these sites fully empirically verify China’s ten-thousand-year history of culture. Around ten thousand years ago, our ancestors entered the Neolithic Age, agricultural civilization began to sprout, and the foundation of Chinese farming civilization was laid. The early Neolithic cultural remains discovered and confirmed to date can be roughly divided into two major regions, north and south, both of which have yielded traces and artifacts of ancient human survival, habitation, and cultivation, empirically verifying that the domestication of crops and the origin of agriculture in China can be traced back at least ten thousand years. In particular, the rudimentary “rice in the south, millet in the north” dual agricultural system, shaped by China’s unique north-south climate, achieved collision and integration in the Central Plains region as early as the Peiligang culture era, thereby promoting the emergence of a composite agricultural culture and a farming economic foundation, laying the cultural foundation for the population, language, and art of the early Huaxia ethnic group, and forming an early Chinese cultural interaction sphere broadly linked by regional cultural traditions as the main body. The ten-thousand-year history of culture is the foundation for our strengthening of cultural confidence.

从一万年的文化史中探索文化自信的根基。距今一万年前后是农业文明起源的初始阶段。考古发现了诸多文化遗址，如李家沟遗址、裴李岗文化遗址、河姆渡文化遗址、仰韶文化遗址、大汶口文化遗址、红山文化遗址、良渚文化遗址等。上述诸多文化遗址出土的陶制、玉器等具有明显文化特征的文物，充分实证了我国一万年的文化史。距今约一万年前，我们的祖先进入新石器时代，农业文明开始萌芽，奠定了中华农耕文明的基础。目前已发现确认的新石器时代早期文化遗存，大致可分为南北两大区域，均发现有古人类生存生活、居住耕种的遗迹遗物，实证了我国农作物驯化和农业起源至少可追溯到一万年前，特别是基于我国南北独特的气候所形成的“南稻北粟”两大农业体系雏形，在裴李岗文化时代就实现了在中原地区的碰撞与融合，进而促成了复合农业文化和农耕经济基础的出现，奠定了早期华夏族群的人口、语言、艺术等文化基础，形成以区域性文化传统为主体的广泛联系的早期中国文化相互作用圈。一万年的文化史是我们坚定文化自信的根基。

Finding the answer to cultural confidence from the more-than-five-thousand-year history of civilization. Over the more-than-five-thousand-year history of civilization, profound and extensive fine traditional Chinese culture has accumulated; its creative transformation and innovative development are our mission and responsibility in building the modern civilization of the Chinese nation. In his report to the 20th National Congress of the CPC, General Secretary Xi Jinping pointed out: “Fine traditional Chinese culture is extensive and profound; it is the crystallization of the wisdom of Chinese civilization. The concepts it embodies—such as common good for all under heaven, the people as the foundation of the state, governing with virtue, discarding the old and introducing the new, appointing people on their merits, harmony between humanity and nature, unremitting self-improvement, great virtue carrying all things, keeping good faith and promoting harmony, and being amicable and neighborly—are important manifestations of the worldview, view of the world, view of society, and view of morality accumulated by the Chinese people in their long-term production and life. They are highly compatible with the value propositions of scientific socialism.” [4]4 Xi Jinping, speech at the opening ceremony of the Conference on Dialogue of Asian Civilizations, 2019. These expositions are an important component of Xi Jinping’s cultural thought and are the fundamental guidance for our strengthening of cultural confidence.

从5000多年的文明史中找到文化自信的答案。在5000多年的文明史中积淀博大精深的中华优秀传统文化，对其进行创造性转化和创新性发展是我们建设中华民族现代文明的使命和担当。习近平总书记在党的二十大报告中指出：“中华优秀传统文化源远流长、博大精深，是中华文明的智慧结晶，其中蕴含的天下为公、民为邦本、为政以德、革故鼎新、任人唯贤、天人合一、自强不息、厚德载物、讲信修睦、亲仁善邻等，是中国人民在长期生产生活中积累的宇宙观、天下观、社会观、道德观的重要体现，同科学社会主义价值观主张具有高度契合性。”这些论述是习近平文化思想的重要构成，更是我们坚定文化自信的根本遵循。

Developmental Dimension: Rooted in Reality, Upholding Fundamental Principles and Breaking New Ground

发展维度：立足现实，坚持守正创新

Facing the future, upholding fundamental principles and breaking new ground is both the methodology that General Secretary Xi Jinping emphasized in his report to the 20th National Congress of the CPC that our Party must grasp in advancing theoretical innovation in the New Era, and his requirement for cultural workers on the new journey to take on a new cultural mission. In building Chinese culture in the New Era, we must neither lose our direction and commit subversive errors nor fail to grasp the times and lead the times. Upholding fundamental principles and breaking new ground complement each other, embodying the dialectical unity of “change” and “constancy,” inheritance and development, and principle and creativity.

面向未来，坚持守正创新，既是习近平总书记在党的二十大报告中强调的新时代我们党推进理论创新必须把握的方法论，也是他对新征程上文化工作者必须担负起新的文化使命的要求。建设新时代中华文化，既不能迷失方向、犯颠覆性错误，又要把握时代、引领时代。守正与创新两者相辅相成，体现了“变”与“不变”、继承与发展、原则性与创造性的辩证统一。

Adhere to the correct stance. Upholding and strengthening the Party’s overall leadership over cultural work is the fundamental political guarantee that must be adhered to in promoting cultural prosperity and building a cultural power in the New Era. We must uphold and strengthen the people-centered humanistic cultural thought. Being people-centered is the fundamental principle, basic requirement, and ultimate goal of the construction of socialist culture with Chinese characteristics in the New Era. The Communist Party of China has always attached great importance to the people-centered humanistic cultural thought. Culture originates from the masses of the people; the masses of the people are the subjects of cultural generation and development. The people need culture, and culture even more needs the people. Using the material and spiritual wealth created and accumulated by the people in the course of making history and promoting social development and progress to nurture the people—this is the fundamental path for the flourishing development of the socialist cultural cause with Chinese characteristics. Xi Jinping’s cultural thought is the choice of the people, the choice of history, and also the inevitable choice for building a cultural power. Xi Jinping’s cultural thought always safeguards the interests of the masses of the people and adheres to being people-centered. In guiding the prosperous development of the cultural cause in the New Era and building a socialist cultural power, it serves the people, realizes, safeguards, and develops the people’s cultural interests, meets the people’s cultural needs, educates the people through culture, and realizes the free and comprehensive development of each individual. It will surely be recognized by the people and internalized as conscious action.

坚持正确立场。坚持和加强党对文化工作的全面领导，是新时代推动文化繁荣、建设文化强国必须坚持的根本政治保证。要坚持和加强以人民为中心的人本文化思想。以人民为中心是新时代中国特色社会主义文化建设的根本原则、基本要求和最终目标。中国共产党历来高度重视以人民为中心的人本文化思想。文化来源于人民群众，人民群众是文化生成和发展的主体，人民需要文化，文化更需要人民，用人民在创造历史、推动社会发展进步历程中所创造和积淀的物质和精神财富来哺育人民，这是中国特色社会主义文化事业兴旺发达的根本道路。习近平文化思想是人民的选择、历史的选择,也是建设文化强国的必然选择。习近平文化思想始终维护人民大众的利益，并坚持以人民为中心，在指导新时代文化事业繁荣发展，建设社会主义文化强国进程中，服务于人民，实现好、维护好、发展好人民的文化利益，满足人民的文化需求，以文化人、教育人民，实现每个人自由而全面的发展，必将为人民所认可并内化为行动自觉。

Do a good job of the work of integration. The Second Integration emphasizes that we must adhere to combining the basic tenets of Marxism with fine traditional Chinese culture. In building socialist culture with Chinese characteristics, we must combine fine traditional Chinese culture, revolutionary culture, and advanced socialist culture. We must combine the worldview of common good for all under heaven, the civilized view of society, the peaceful view of international relations, the people-oriented view of the people, and the moral view of keeping good faith and promoting harmony, all nurtured in fine traditional Chinese culture. We must combine the firm Marxist faith in revolutionary culture, the ideal pursuit of national independence, people’s liberation, and the realization of national prosperity and people’s wealth, the revolutionary character of fearing no difficulties and working hard, the people-centered collectivist sentiment, and the value concept of science and democracy. We must combine the methods and techniques from advanced socialist culture for using Marxism to solve practical problems in China’s revolution, construction, and reform, and elevate theoretical achievements from the practical and historical experience of China’s revolution, construction, and reform. Doing a good job of the work of integration is a powerful force for ideological guidance, value guidance, cultural cohesion, and spiritual impetus in writing and creating the Chinese spirit, Chinese culture, Chinese wisdom, and Chinese values, building a socialist cultural power, and realizing the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation.

做好结合文章。“第二个结合”强调，要坚持把马克思主义基本原理同中华优秀传统文化相结合。建设中国特色社会主义文化要把中华优秀传统文化、革命文化、社会主义先进文化结合起来。要结合中华优秀传统文化中孕育的天下为公的宇宙观、文明的社会观、和平的国际观、以民为本的人民观、讲信修睦的道德观。要结合革命文化中坚定的马克思主义信仰，民族独立、人民解放和实现国家富强、人民富裕的理想追求，不怕困难、艰苦奋斗的革命品格，以人民为中心集体主义情怀，科学民主的价值理念。要结合社会主义先进文化中运用马克思主义解决中国革命、建设和改革中实际问题的方法和技巧，从中国革命、建设和改革的实践经验和历史经验中提升理论成果。做好结合文章，是书写和创造中国精神、中国文化、中国智慧、中国价值，建设社会主义文化强国，实现中华民族伟大复兴的强大思想引领力、价值引导力、文化凝聚力和精神推动力。

Highlight the characteristics of the times. The music continues without ceasing, the torch is passed down from generation to generation. [5] In the New Era, to tell China’s stories well, especially the stories of the inheritance and development of fine traditional Chinese culture, to spread China’s voice well, and to display the charm of fine traditional Chinese culture amidst the integration and collision of diverse global civilizations, we must supplement, expand, and perfect the connotations of fine traditional Chinese culture according to the characteristics and requirements of the times, enhance its influence and appeal, and thereby carry out the creative transformation and innovative development of fine traditional Chinese culture. Strive to highlight the new characteristics of the times in Chinese culture, making it a lever for shaping the image of the Chinese nation in the contemporary era and a focal point for constructing China’s international discourse power.

彰显时代特色。弦歌不辍，薪火相传，在新时代，讲好中国故事，尤其是讲好中华优秀传统文化传承发展故事，传播好中国声音，在全球多元文明融合碰撞中展现中华优秀传统文化魅力，要按照时代特点和要求，对中华优秀传统文化的内涵加以补充、拓展、完善，增强其影响力和感召力，从而对中华优秀传统文化进行创造性转化、创新性发展。努力彰显中华文化新的时代特色，使其成为塑造中华民族时代形象的抓手和构建我国国际话语权的发力点。

Open Dimension: Absorb from External Sources, Uphold Openness and Inclusiveness

开放维度：吸收外来，秉持开放包容

General Secretary Xi Jinping emphasizes: “Openness and inclusiveness have always been a source of vitality for the development of civilizations and a notable hallmark of cultural confidence. The broad and grand ethos of Chinese civilization benefits precisely from the open posture and inclusive mind of Chinese culture since ancient times. Upholding openness and inclusiveness means more actively learning from and drawing on all the outstanding achievements of human civilization created by others.” [1]1 Xi Jinping, speech at a symposium on cultural heritage and cultural exchange, 2023. This makes clear that we must follow the scientific method of Marxism, inherit and carry forward the fine traditional Chinese culture, learn from and draw on advanced foreign cultures based on actual national conditions, uphold an attitude of respect for diversity, adhere to the principle of critical absorption, and build a socialist cultural power.

习近平总书记强调：“开放包容始终是文明发展的活力来源，也是文化自信的显著标志。中华文明的博大气象，就得益于中华文化自古以来开放的姿态、包容的胸怀。秉持开放包容，就是要更加积极主动地学习借鉴人类创造的一切优秀文明成果。”这昭示着我们要遵循马克思主义科学方法，传承和弘扬中华优秀传统文化，立足实际国情学习借鉴外来先进文化，秉持尊重多元态度，坚持批判吸收原则，建设社会主义文化强国。

Upholding an attitude of respect for diversity. At present, there are more than 230 countries and regions in the world, forming a diverse world culture with distinct forms and characteristics. Diverse world cultures have no hierarchy of superiority or inferiority; they have become the common wealth of all humanity and together constitute a colorful, vibrant, and dynamic world. General Secretary Xi Jinping emphasizes: “Chinese civilization has a prominent quality of inclusiveness. Chinese civilization has never replaced diverse cultures with a single culture; rather, it has gathered diverse cultures into a common culture, resolving conflicts and building consensus. Chinese cultural identity transcends regional localities, blood lineages, religious beliefs, etc., integrating a vast territory and a great population with enormous internal differences into a pluralistic and unified Chinese nation. The more inclusive it is, the more it is recognized and safeguarded, and the more it will endure continuously. The inclusiveness of Chinese civilization fundamentally determines the historical orientation of exchange, interaction, and integration among the Chinese nation, determines the harmonious pattern of coexistence of multiple religious beliefs in China, and determines the open-mindedness of Chinese culture to absorb all that is valuable from world civilizations.” [2]2 Xi Jinping, speech at the opening ceremony of the Conference on Dialogue of Asian Civilizations, 2019. It can be seen that upholding an attitude of respect for diversity is the necessary path to promote the flourishing and development of Chinese cultural undertakings in the New Era.

秉持尊重多元态度。目前全世界有230多个国家和地区，形成了形态各异、特色鲜明的多元世界文化。多元的世界文化没有高下优劣之分，已成为全人类共同的财富，共同构成了丰富多彩、充满生机和活力的精彩世界。习近平总书记强调：“中华文明具有突出的包容性。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，化解冲突，凝聚共识。中华文化认同超越地域乡土、血缘世系、宗教信仰等，把内部差异极大的广土巨族整合成多元一体的中华民族。越包容，就越是得到认同和维护，就越会绵延不断。中华文明的包容性，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。”可见，秉持尊重多元态度，是推动新时代中华文化事业繁荣发展的必由进路。

Adopting the method of exchange and mutual learning. In the process of establishing their own theoretical system, Marx and Engels extensively absorbed and drew on the achievements created by their predecessors. [3]3 Reference to Marx and Engels’s method of critically absorbing classical German philosophy, British political economy, and French utopian socialism. Today, no country or region in the world can exist in isolation; any culture is more or less influenced by foreign cultures. An era of great collision and integration, where various cultures and civilizations interact, exchange, and contend, has arrived. We must make exchanges and mutual learning among civilizations a bridge to enhance friendship among peoples of all countries and a driving force for the progress of human society.

采取交流互鉴的方法。马克思恩格斯在建立自己理论体系的过程中就大量吸收借鉴了前人创造的成果。当今世界任何国家和地区不可能孤立存在，任何文化或多或少都受到外来文化的影响，各种文化、文明相互交流、交融、交锋的大碰撞、大融合时代已经到来。要让文明交流互鉴成为增进各国人民友谊的桥梁，成为人类社会进步的动力。

Adhering to the principle of critical absorption. To critically absorb foreign cultures, we should apply Marxism for scientific critique, discard the dross, extract the essence, and use advanced foreign cultures as nourishment to promote the development of Chinese culture in the New Era. General Secretary Xi Jinping emphasizes: “The history of world civilizations reveals a law: any civilization must advance with the times and constantly absorb the essence of the era. We should use innovation to add momentum to the development of civilizations, activate the source of progress for civilizations, and continuously create achievements of civilization that transcend time and space and possess enduring charm.” [4]4 Xi Jinping, speech at the opening ceremony of the Conference on Dialogue of Asian Civilizations, 2019. We must adhere to the principle of critical absorption, using advanced foreign cultures as nourishment to promote the development of Chinese culture in the New Era. We must “use culture as a medium” to promote the building of a community with a shared future for mankind. Through exchange and mutual learning, we should promote various cultures and civilizations to coexist harmoniously and cooperate for win-win outcomes, jointly uphold and promote the common values of all humanity, enhance the forces for world peace, and work together to solve the various problems and challenges facing humanity.

坚持批判吸收原则。要批判吸收外来文化，应该运用马克思主义进行科学批判，摒弃糟粕，汲取精华，以先进的外来文化为养分来促进新时代中华文化发展。习近平总书记强调：“世界文明历史揭示了一个规律：任何一种文明都要与时偕行，不断吸纳时代精华。我们应该用创新增添文明发展动力、激活文明进步的源头活水，不断创造出跨越时空、富有永恒魅力的文明成果。”要坚持批判吸收原则，以先进的外来文化为养分来促进新时代中华文化发展。要“以文为媒”，推动构建人类命运共同体，通过交流互鉴，促进各种文化、文明既和谐共处又合作共赢，共同坚守和弘扬全人类共同价值，增进世界和平力量，携手解决人类共同面临的各种难题和挑战。

(The author is Vice President of Hanjiang Normal University and Executive Dean of the Key Research Base of Humanities and Social Sciences of Hubei Provincial Universities, the “Yunxian Man Site” Research Institute.)

（作者系汉江师范学院副校长、湖北省高校人文社科重点研究基地“郧县人遗址”研究院执行院长）

Online editor: Huihui

网络编辑：慧慧