Deeply Understanding the Practical Subjectivity Implications of Xi Jinping’s Cultural Thought

For any culture to stand firm and proceed steadily, it must possess cultural subjectivity. With cultural subjectivity, cultural confidence has a fundamental foundation. Xi Jinping’s cultural thought, with the soul of Marxism and the roots of fine traditional Chinese culture as its internal support, is a theoretical summary of the Party’s practical experience in cultural leadership in the New Era. It enriches and develops Marxist cultural theory, demonstrates great power in the construction of socialist culture in the New Era, and will inevitably continue to be enriched and developed as practice deepens. The practical subjectivity embedded in Xi Jinping’s cultural thought presents the logical thread of “who I am,” “whom I rely on,” and “for whom I act.” It embodies the Chinese Communist Party, the Chinese nation, and the Chinese people undertaking new cultural missions and playing the role of practical subjects, thereby consolidating the cultural subjectivity of the Chinese nation.

任何文化要想立得住、行得稳，就必须要有文化主体性。有了文化主体性，文化自信就有了根本依托。习近平文化思想以马克思主义之魂和中华优秀传统文化之根作为内在支撑，是新时代党领导文化建设实践经验的理论总结，丰富和发展了马克思主义文化理论，在新时代社会主义文化建设中展现出强大伟力，必将随着实践深入不断丰富发展。习近平文化思想蕴含的实践主体性，呈现了“我是谁”“依靠谁”“为了谁”的逻辑理路，体现了中国共产党、中华民族和中国人民承担新的文化使命、发挥实践主体作用，进而巩固了中华民族的文化主体性。

First, the Chinese Communist Party is the epochal leader of the cultural practice of socialism with Chinese characteristics. Upholding the Party’s cultural leadership, viewing China’s cultural development through the lens of Marxist historical materialism, and understanding the role of Chinese culture from a practical standpoint serve to consolidate the cultural subjectivity of the Chinese nation. The rise in the status of Chinese culture is complementary to the history of the Chinese Communist Party leading the Chinese people in revolution, construction, and reform. The new cultural mission undertaken by the Chinese Communist Party in the New Era is mainly manifested in moving from theoretical guidance to value leadership, and from methodological consciousness to practical implementation. The Chinese Communist Party is both an active leader and practitioner of China’s advanced culture and a faithful inheritor and promoter of fine traditional Chinese culture. The Party treats the development of Chinese culture with a scientific attitude, continuously improving itself through a critical spirit and a practical stance. This is concretely reflected in its rational cognition of Chinese culture, its value identification with revolutionary culture, its scientific grasp of advanced socialist culture, and its comprehensive deployment of cultural construction in the New Era. This is both rational self-awareness and a gradual behavioral consciousness and firm conviction.

第一，中国共产党是中国特色社会主义文化实践的时代引领者。坚持党的文化领导权，用马克思主义唯物史观看待中国文化发展，用实践立场认识中国文化的作用，以此巩固中华民族的文化主体性。中国文化地位的上升与中国共产党领导中国人民进行革命、建设和改革的历史相辅相成。中国共产党在新时代担负新的文化使命，主要体现在从理论指导到价值引领，从方法论自觉到实践践行，中国共产党既是中国先进文化的积极引领者和践行者，又是中华优秀传统文化的忠实传承者和弘扬者。中国共产党以科学的态度对待中国文化发展，以批判的精神和实践立场不断自我提高，具体体现在对中华文化的理性认知、对革命文化的价值认同、对社会主义先进文化的科学把握和对新时代文化建设的全面部署，这既是理性的自我认知，也是渐进的行为自觉和坚定的信念坚守。

The Party’s cultural confidence is manifested in upholding the guiding role of Marxism. The Chinese Communist Party is an advanced organization armed with scientific theory. At a time when the Chinese nation was deeply afflicted and the status of its cultural subjectivity was challenged, the Chinese Communist Party raised the ideological banner of Marxism. This feat not only played a theoretical guiding role in the Chinese revolution but also provided worldview and methodology guidance for the inheritance and development of fine traditional Chinese culture. The critical nature of Marxist culture has provided important insights for the inheritance and development of fine traditional Chinese culture, and Marxist dialectics has provided important guidance for the Chinese people to correctly treat Chinese culture.

党的文化自信体现为坚持马克思主义指导地位。中国共产党是科学理论武装起来的先进组织。当中华民族忧患深重，文化主体性地位遭遇挑战之时，中国共产党树立起马克思主义的思想旗帜。这一壮举不仅对中国革命发挥了理论指导作用，还对中华优秀传统文化的继承和发展给予了世界观和方法论指导。马克思主义文化的批判性对中华优秀传统文化的继承和发展产生了重要启示，马克思主义辩证法为中国人民正确对待中华文化提供了重要指导。

Since the 18th National Congress of the CPC, General Secretary Xi Jinping has advanced from proposing “creative transformation and innovative development” to the “Two Integrations,” especially the “Second Integration,” and from strengthening cultural confidence to elevating the cultural subjectivity of the Chinese nation, continuously promoting theoretical and practical innovation. General Secretary Xi Jinping pointed out: “The path of socialism with Chinese characteristics was taken under the guidance of Marxism, and it also emerged from over 5,000 years of Chinese civilization history; the ‘Second Integration’ has given the path of socialism with Chinese characteristics a broader and deeper historical depth, expanding the cultural foundation of the path of socialism with Chinese characteristics.” The Chinese Communist Party, with the attitude of seeking truth from facts, deeply excavates the essence of fine traditional Chinese culture, continues the Chinese cultural lineage through creative transformation and innovative development, forms cultural consciousness, strengthens cultural confidence, and continuously enhances the identification of all ethnic groups with Chinese culture. General Secretary Xi Jinping emphasized the need to clearly explain the historical

党的十八大以来，习近平总书记从提出“创造性转化、创新性发展”到“两个结合”尤其是“第二个结合”，从坚定文化自信到高扬中华民族的文化主体性，不断推进理论创新和实践创新。习近平总书记指出：“中国特色社会主义道路是在马克思主义指导下走出来的，也是从五千多年中华文明史中走出来的；‘第二个结合’让中国特色社会主义道路有了更加宏阔深远的历史纵深，拓展了中国特色社会主义道路的文化根基。”中国共产党以实事求是的态度深入挖掘中华优秀传统文化精华，在创造性转化和创新性发展中赓续中华文脉，形成文化自觉，坚定文化自信，不断增强各族群众的中华文化认同。习近平总书记强调，要讲清楚中华优秀传统文化的历史渊源、发展脉络、基本走向，讲清楚中华文化的独特创造、价值理念、鲜明特色，增强文化自信和价值观自信。由此可见，习近平文化思想与马克思主义文化观在文化主体性上一脉相承，以社会存在决定社会意识的唯物史观为理论根据和思想内核。

The Party’s cultural confidence is manifested in the exertion of the Party’s role as a practical subject. The Communist Party of China continuously deepens its understanding of the laws governing the construction of a socialist culture with Chinese characteristics, clarifies the direction of cultural development in accordance with the new requirements of the times, and proposes a series of policies, guidelines, and important measures for cultural construction. The consolidation of culture’s status and the establishment of cultural discourse power both highlight the practical subjective role of the Communist Party of China. At the same time, to strengthen cultural confidence and cultural construction, the Communist Party of China has pointed out the correct direction for the new cultural mission in the New Era, guiding the cultural construction of socialism with Chinese characteristics in the New Era to proceed steadily and far.

党的文化自信体现为发挥党的实践主体作用。中国共产党不断深化对中国特色社会主义文化建设规律的认识，根据时代发展新要求，明确文化发展方向，提出一系列文化建设的方针政策和重要举措。文化地位的巩固、文化话语权的确立，都彰显了中国共产党的实践主体作用。同时，中国共产党为坚定文化自信、加强文化建设指明了新时代新的文化使命的正确前进方向，引领着新时代中国特色社会主义文化建设行稳致远。

Second, the Chinese nation is the historical creator of the cultural practice of socialism with Chinese characteristics. As the subjective existence of cultural confidence, the Chinese nation is a national community in which you have me and I have you. The Chinese nation is a great nation with a history of more than 5,000 years of civilization. All ethnic groups have jointly opened up the vast territory of the motherland, absorbing each other’s cultures, relying on each other economically, and feeling close to each other emotionally. From the cohesive Huaxia nation to the formation of a pluralistic and integrated Chinese nation, they have jointly created the splendid Chinese culture. The cultures of various ethnic groups learn from and integrate with each other, and in the process of continuous integration, a Chinese culture with strong cohesion and appeal has been formed. The interconnected cultures constitute the cultural genes for the Chinese nation to forge a pluralistic and integrated civilizational pattern. The long-standing Chinese culture is jointly created by all ethnic groups. To create new brilliance in socialist culture, it is necessary to continuously enhance the identification with Chinese culture and continuously promote the mutual learning and integration of various ethnic cultures.

第二，中华民族是中国特色社会主义文化实践的历史创造者。中华民族作为文化自信的主体性存在，是你中有我、我中有你的民族共同体。中华民族是有着五千多年文明史的伟大民族，各民族共同开拓了祖国的辽阔疆域，各民族文化上兼收并蓄、经济上相互依存、情感上相互亲近，从具有凝聚力的华夏民族到多元一体中华民族的形成，共同创造了灿烂的中华文化。各民族文化互鉴融通，在不断融合进程中形成了具有强大凝聚力和吸引力的中华文化，相通的文化构成了中华民族铸就多元一体文明格局的文化基因。源远流长的中华文化是各民族共同创造的，铸就社会主义文化新辉煌要不断增强对中华文化的认同，不断增进各民族文化互鉴融通。

Cultural subjectivity encompasses two aspects: individual subjectivity and group subjectivity. Individual subjectivity emphasizes the relationship between cultural development and individual development, while group subjectivity emphasizes the relationship between cultural development and social development as well as the future and destiny of the nation. General Secretary Xi Jinping pointed out that the Chinese nation possesses a powerful cultural creativity. At every major historical juncture, culture can sense the changes in the nation’s fortunes, stand at the forefront of the times, and voice the aspirations of the times, cheering for the hundreds of millions of people and the great motherland. Chinese civilization possesses the cultural subjectivity and vigorous vitality for self-development, responding to challenges, and opening up new situations. Therefore, the Chinese nation can thrive endlessly and stand proudly among the nations of the world. The Chinese nation has created the only splendid civilization in human history that has continued uninterrupted for more than 5,000 years. Excellent traditional Chinese culture has become the gene of the Chinese nation, subtly influencing the thinking and behavior of the Chinese people. We must make good use of the rich ideological and moral resources contained in excellent traditional Chinese culture. The ideas of prioritizing overall interests, dedication, unremitting self-improvement, respecting virtue and doing good, and harmony contained in excellent traditional Chinese culture are conducive to guiding people to establish and adhere to a correct view of history, view of the nation, view of the country, and view of culture; they are conducive to guiding people to speak of morality, respect morality, and abide by morality, to be positive and good, and to build a harmonious social order. We must dialectically inherit and promote excellent traditional Chinese culture, carry out creative transformation and innovative development of traditional culture, absorb everything of value, supplement, expand, and perfect the connotation of excellent traditional Chinese culture in accordance with the new progress and new developments of the times, enhance its influence and appeal, enrich and develop Chinese culture in the continuous absorption of nutrients from various civilizations, enhance the cohesion of the Chinese nation and the influence of Chinese culture, and make new and greater contributions to comprehensively building a modern socialist country and realizing the Chinese Dream of the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation.

文化主体性涵盖个体主体性和群体主体性两个方面。个体主体性强调文化发展与个人发展之间的关系，群体主体性强调文化发展与社会发展及民族前途命运之间的关系。习近平总书记指出，中华民族有着强大的文化创造力。每到重大历史关头，文化都能感国运之变化、立时代之潮头、发时代之先声，为亿万人民、为伟大祖国鼓与呼。中华文明具有自我发展、回应挑战、开创新局的文化主体性与旺盛生命力，因此，中华民族得以生生不息，屹立于世界民族之林。中华民族创造了人类历史上唯一一个绵延5000多年至今未曾中断的灿烂文明，中华优秀传统文化已成为中华民族的基因，潜移默化影响着中国人的思想方式和行为方式，我们要利用好中华优秀传统文化蕴含的丰富思想道德资源。中华优秀传统文化蕴含的整体利益至上、奉献、自强不息、崇德向善以及和谐等思想，有利于引导人们树立和坚持正确的历史观、民族观、国家观和文化观；有利于引导人们讲道德、尊道德、守道德，积极向上、向善，建设和谐的社会秩序。我们要辩证地继承和弘扬中华优秀传统文化，对传统文化进行创造性转化、创新性发展，兼收并蓄，按照时代的新进步新进展，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，在不断汲取各种文明养分中丰富和发展中华文化，增强中华民族凝聚力和中华文化影响力，为全面建设社会主义现代化国家、实现中华民族伟大复兴的中国梦作出新的更大贡献。

Third, the Chinese people are the promoters of the cultural practice of socialism with Chinese characteristics. Cultural subjectivity includes the human-made nature and the human-serving nature of culture, which together determine that the Chinese people are the practical subjects of firm cultural confidence. The human-made nature of culture emphasizes that the Chinese people understand and transform the world with the thinking mode and value stance of their own culture, thereby forming unique ethical appeals and value adherence. Chinese culture originates from the daily interactions and production practices of the people, and is inherited and transformed by the people. The human-serving nature of culture is manifested in the stance of individual subjectivity, emphasizing the role of cultural development for individuals, and is expressed as culture’s functions of uniting people’s hearts, guiding the spirit, and guiding values.

第三，中国人民是中国特色社会主义文化实践的推动者。文化主体性包括文化的人为性和为人性，二者共同决定了中国人民是坚定文化自信的实践主体。文化的人为性强调中国人民以自身文化的思维方式和价值立场认识世界、改造世界，从中形成独特的伦理诉求和价值遵循。中华文化来源于人民日常交往和生产实践，由人民传承和转化。文化的为人性表现在个人主体性立场上，强调文化发展对于个人的作用，表现为文化的凝聚人心、精神引领、价值引领功能。

The people-centered subjectivity manifested in Chinese culture takes historical materialism as its theoretical logic. Marx believed that humanity is in the stage of “personal independence based on dependence on things,” emphasizing the exertion of one’s own active role. This subjectivity is neither individualism nor selfhood, but a mode of existence that seeks common ground while reserving differences. In the practice of social production, this mode of existence requires that individuals do not treat others and things with the aim of possession, but rather take the actual needs of the people as the starting point—that is, practice aimed at productivity rather than possession, in other words, a culture of productive subjectivity.

中华文化呈现的人民主体性以唯物史观为理论逻辑。马克思认为，人处在“以物的依赖性为基础的人的独立性”阶段，强调自身能动作用的发挥。这种主体性不是个体主义，也不是自我性，而是求同存异的存在形态。这种存在形态在社会生产实践中要求个体不以占有为目的对待他人和物，而是以人民实际需要为出发点，即以生产性为目的，而非以占有性为目的的实践，也就是生产主体性文化。

Productive subjectivity requires that the logical starting point and the ultimate goal of the activities of production practice are the actual needs of real people in real life. The correct attitude toward labor is not to regard it merely as a means of making a living, but as the fundamental requirement for the self-worth of the subject’s own existence. The existence of things is to satisfy people’s needs for survival and development, not to serve as tools for enslaving people. Between people and things, people are the subject and things are the object. The process of human objectification is the process of realizing self-worth, and human subjectivity is embodied in the awakening of self-consciousness and the realization of one’s own existential value.

生产主体性要求生产实践活动的逻辑起点和落脚点都是现实生活中人的实际需要。对待劳动的正确态度是不单单把劳动看作谋生手段，而应是主体自我存在价值的根本要求。物的存在是为了满足人的生存和发展需要，而不是作为奴役人的工具。人与物之间，人是主体，物是客体。人的对象化过程即自我价值实现的过程，人的主体性体现为自我意识觉醒和自我存在价值的实现。

The subjective role of the Chinese people with regard to Chinese culture is manifested in the Chinese people’s excavation and elucidation of fine traditional Chinese culture. Through the inheritance and promotion by the Chinese people, the essence of fine traditional Chinese culture has been carried forward, and the people have also received cultural nourishment from it. When Chinese culture faced a crisis, the Chinese people, under the leadership of the Communist Party of China, used the Marxist worldview and methodology to save Chinese culture. In the New Era, our Party adheres to the Two Integrations [n1], carrying out the creative transformation and innovative development of fine traditional Chinese culture, and earnestly doing a good job of its own cultural construction. In cultural practice, the people, as the main body of cultural inheritance and development, give full play to their creative role. General Secretary Xi Jinping has enriched and developed the Marxist view of the masses, emphasizing that “the country is the people, and the people are the country” [n2], proposing whole-process people’s democracy, and developing the theory of the people as the main body; he has emphasized that “the people are the Party’s greatest confidence in governing, and also the deepest foundation of the Party’s governance,” that “we must rely on the people to create new historical achievements,” and that “the era is the one who sets the exam, we are the ones who take the exam, and the people are the ones who grade the exam” [n3], thereby developing the view that the people are the creators of history. Some scholars have proposed that General Secretary Xi Jinping’s important discourses on adhering to the people-centered approach fully demonstrate that the masses of the people in the New Era are not only the creators of history in the general sense, but also occupy a supreme position in all aspects, representing genuine rule by the people.

中国人民对于中华文化的主体性作用，表现为中国人民对中华优秀传统文化的挖掘和阐发。经过中国人民的传承与发扬，中华优秀传统文化精华得到弘扬，人民也从中得到文化滋养。在中华文化面临危机时，中国人民在中国共产党的带领下，运用马克思主义的世界观和方法论，拯救了中华文化。新时代，我们党坚持“两个结合”，对中华优秀传统文化进行创造性转化、创新性发展，切实搞好自身文化建设。在文化实践中，人民作为文化传承和发展的主体，充分发挥着创造性作用。习近平总书记丰富和发展了马克思主义群众观点，强调“江山就是人民，人民就是江山”，提出全过程人民民主，发展了人民主体论；强调“人民是党执政的最大底气，也是党执政最深厚的根基”，“要依靠人民创造新的历史伟业”，“时代是出卷人，我们是答卷人，人民是阅卷人”，发展了人民是历史创造者的观点。有学者提出，习近平总书记关于坚持人民至上的重要论述充分表明，人民群众在新时代不仅是一般意义上的历史创造者，而且在各个方面都具有至高无上的地位，是真正的人民当家作主。

(The author is the Dean of the School of Marxism at Northeast Petroleum University)

（作者系东北石油大学马克思主义学院院长）

Online editor: Huihui

网络编辑：慧慧