Expanding the Depth and Breadth of Research on Xi Jinping’s Cultural Thought

Xi Jinping’s cultural thought is an important component of Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era. It is a major achievement in adhering to the Two Integrations [1]1 The Two Integrations refers to the integration of the basic principles of Marxism with China's specific realities and with the best of traditional Chinese culture. and advancing the theoretical innovation of Marxist culture. It provides a powerful ideological weapon and a scientific guide for action for doing a good job in propaganda, ideology, and cultural work on the new journey of the New Era, for promoting cultural prosperity, and for building a strong cultural country. On the basis of accurately grasping the scientific system of Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era, we must deeply understand the internal logic and core essence

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重要组成部分，是坚持“两个结合”、推进马克思主义文化理论创新的重大成果，为做好新时代新征程宣传思想文化工作、推动文化繁荣、建设文化强国提供了强大思想武器和科学行动指南。我们要在准确把握习近平新时代中国特色社会主义思想的科学体系基础上，深刻理解习近平文化思想的内在逻辑和核心要义，做好习近平文化思想的学习研究宣传。

Accurately Grasping the Goal Orientation of Xi Jinping’s Cultural Thought within the Theoretical Framework of the Party’s Innovative Theory

在党的创新理论的思想框架下准确把握习近平文化思想的目标指向

When presiding over the sixth group study session of the Political Bureau of the 20th Central Committee of the CPC, General Secretary Xi Jinping emphasized: “Promoting the systematization and theorization of theories is an inherent requirement and an important pathway for theoretical innovation.” Compared with the Party Central Committee’s requirement to “promote the systematization and theorization of theories,” there remains a considerable gap in our theoretical research. In advancing the systematization and theorization of theories, Engels’s *Anti-Dühring* serves as an excellent model. Many of the original ideas of Marxism were proposed by Marx; Engels’s greatest contribution was to systematize and theorize Marx’s series of original ideas, making the Marxist worldview and methodology deeply rooted in people’s hearts, and making an important contribution to the widespread dissemination of Marxist theory worldwide. In studying and interpreting Xi Jinping’s Cultural Thought, attention should be paid to rising from the concrete to the abstract, focusing on explaining its overall framework and the internal connections among its various categories, thereby expanding the depth and breadth of research and interpretation.

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：“推进理论的体系化学理化，是理论创新的内在要求和重要途径。”与党中央的“推进理论的体系化学理化”要求相比，我们的理论研究还存在不小的差距。在推进理论的体系化学理化方面，恩格斯的《反杜林论》是一个很好的典范。马克思主义的很多原创性思想都是马克思提出的，恩格斯的最大贡献是把马克思的一系列原创性思想体系化学理化，使马克思主义的世界观和方法论深入人心，为马克思主义理论在世界范围内的广泛传播作出了重要贡献。研究阐释习近平文化思想，要注重从具体上升到抽象，着重说明其总体框架以及各范畴之间的内在联系，拓展研究阐释的深度和广度。

Xi Jinping’s Cultural Thought is the cultural chapter of Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era and the theoretical summation of the Party’s practical experience in leading cultural construction in the New Era. In terms of its goal orientation, Xi Jinping’s Cultural Thought is consistent with the Party’s innovative theory in the New Era. Seeking happiness for the people, rejuvenation for the nation, and common good for the world

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，是新时代党领导文化建设实践经验的理论总结。习近平文化思想在目标指向上与新时代党的创新理论是一脉相承的。为人民谋幸福、为民族谋复兴、为世界谋大

are the golden keys to deeply understanding and comprehensively grasping Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era. We must correctly understand the goal orientation of Xi Jinping’s Cultural Thought on the basis of accurately grasping the core essence and internal logic of the Party’s innovative theory in the New Era.

同，是深刻理解和全面把握习近平新时代中国特色社会主义思想的金钥匙。我们要在准确把握新时代党的创新理论的核心要义和内在逻辑的基础上，正确理解习近平文化思想的目标指向。

First, the starting point of Xi Jinping’s Cultural Thought is to seek happiness for the people, emphasizing enriching the people’s spiritual world and strengthening the people’s spiritual strength. Valuing both the material abundance of the people and their spiritual enrichment is a very important aspect of China’s practice in the New Era. General Secretary Xi Jinping points out, “We must plan and advance reform from the perspective of the people’s overall, fundamental, and long-term interests” and “enable the people to have a greater sense of gain, happiness, and security.”

首先，习近平文化思想的出发点是为人民谋幸福，强调丰富人民精神世界，增强人民精神力量。既重视人民的物质富足，又重视人民的精神富有，这是新时代中国实践中很重要的一个方面。习近平总书记指出，“要从人民的整体利益、根本利益、长远利益出发谋划和推进改革”“让人民群众有更多获得感、幸福感、安全感”。

Second, Xi Jinping’s Cultural Thought is committed to providing spiritual support and spiritual impetus for national rejuvenation. The great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation requires both strong material forces and strong spiritual forces. Xi Jinping’s Cultural Thought proposes firming up cultural confidence, building a solid spiritual foundation for comprehensively building a modern socialist country; proposes the “Second Integration,” enabling us to fully utilize the precious resources of fine traditional Chinese culture in a broader cultural space to explore future-oriented theoretical and institutional innovation; proposes continuously consolidating the cultural subjectivity of the Chinese nation to achieve the spiritual independence and autonomy of the Chinese nation; proposes the new cultural mission for the New Era, outlining the roadmap for cultural construction and development in the New Era, and so on.

其次，习近平文化思想致力于为民族复兴提供精神支撑、精神动力。中华民族实现伟大复兴，既需要强大的物质力量，也需要强大的精神力量。习近平文化思想提出坚定文化自信，构筑起全面建设社会主义现代化国家的坚实精神基础；提出“第二个结合”，让我们能够在更广阔的文化空间中充分运用中华优秀传统文化的宝贵资源，探索面向未来的理论和制度创新；提出不断巩固中华民族的文化主体性，实现中华民族精神意义上的独立自主；提出新时代新的文化使命，描绘了新时代文化建设发展的路线图，等等。

Finally, in terms of its goal orientation, Xi Jinping’s Cultural Thought manifests the ideal pursuit of seeking common good for the world. The construction of the material world for all humanity has already yielded abundant fruits. Today, the greatest challenge facing humanity is the problem that has arisen in people’s own spiritual world. The urgent task is that the construction of the entire world, including all aspects of China’s construction in the New Era, must first focus on the “inner construction” of each individual, that is, the construction of the inner spiritual world. This is the correct path for humanity to move towards a bright future of peace, security, prosperity, and progress. General Secretary Xi Jinping proposes creating the cultural form of Chinese-path modernization and creating a new form of human civilization. Therefore, in terms of its goal orientation, Xi Jinping’s Cultural Thought manifests the ideal pursuit of seeking common good for the world.

最后，习近平文化思想在目标指向上彰显了为世界谋大同的理想追求。整个人类的物质世界建设已经取得丰硕成果，如今人类面临的最大难题，就是人本身的精神世界出现了问题。当务之急，整个世界的建设包括新时代中国各方面的建设，首先必须注重每个个体的“内心建设”，亦即内在精神世界的建设。这是人类走向和平、安全、繁荣、进步的光明前景的正途。习近平总书记提出，要创造中国式现代化的文化形态、创造人类文明新形态，所以习近平文化思想在目标指向上彰显了为世界谋大同的理想追求。

The Core Essence and Internal Logic of Xi Jinping’s Cultural Thought

习近平文化思想的核心要义和内在逻辑

Measuring a country’s comprehensive strength requires looking at two kinds of power: one is hard power, the other is soft power. Realizing the great cause of building a strong country and national rejuvenation cannot be achieved without hard power, nor can it be achieved without cultural soft power. Culture concerns the foundation of the nation; culture concerns prosperity and strength.

衡量一个国家的综合实力要看两种力量：一种是硬实力，一种是软实力。实现强国建设、民族复兴伟业，离不开硬实力，也离不开文化软实力。文化关乎国本，文化关乎富强。

In pre-capitalist societies, humanity’s understanding of the relationship between itself and the external natural world was one of subject-object integration, without clear distinction. In modern capitalist society, the philosophical foundation of the West is the dichotomy of subject and object. The Western world regards itself as the “subject” and the non-Western world as the “object,” emphasizing “the subject’s domination of the object.” This Western civilization, founded on the philosophy of binary opposition, has made historical contributions to human civilization and has also played a role in promoting the historical process of human civilization; this we must fully affirm. However, Western civilization, founded on the subject-object dichotomy, has led to opposition and conflict in the world during the process of modernization, and has also led to the deterioration of the global ecological environment. Currently, changes unseen in a century are accelerating, the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation has entered a critical period, and the New Era calls for humanity to transcend the subject-object dichotomy in philosophical concepts.

在前资本主义社会，人类对自身和外在自然界相互关系的认识是主体客体浑然一体，没有明确区分。到了近代资本主义社会，西方的哲学根基是主客二分，西方世界把自身看作“主体”，把非西方世界看作“客体”，强调“主体统治客体”。这种以二元对立哲学为根基的西方文明对人类文明有历史贡献，对人类文明的历史进程也有推动作用，这一点我们要予以充分肯定。但是，以主客二分为根基的西方文明，在现代化的过程中导致了世界的对立和冲突，也导致了全球生态环境的恶化。当前，世界百年未有之大变局加速演进，中华民族伟大复兴进入关键时期，新时代呼唤人类在哲学理念上必须超越主客二分。

Xi Jinping’s Cultural Thought adheres to the Marxist philosophical idea of equal development among subjects, deconstructs the “Western-centric theory,” and proposes that all countries in the world are subjects, equal in terms of rules, rights, and opportunities. General Secretary Xi Jinping points out that we should jointly create a development pattern of inclusive balance, coordination and tolerance, win-win cooperation, and common prosperity. Xi Jinping’s Cultural Thought comprehensively elaborates on the status and role, goals and tasks, principles and guidelines, strategic pathways, and practical requirements of cultural construction in the New Era, providing an ideological weapon and action guide for advancing Chinese-path modernization and realizing the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation. The Chinese characteristics and philosophical foundation of Chinese-path modernization both emphasize equality and inclusiveness, advocating equal exchange and mutual learning among different civilizations. The cultural form of Chinese-path modernization is closely related to the aforementioned transformation of the philosophical foundation.

习近平文化思想坚持马克思主义哲学主体之间平等发展的思想，解构了“西方中心论”，提出世界各国都是主体，在规则、权益和机会上都是平等的。习近平总书记指出，要共创普惠平衡、协调包容、合作共赢、共同繁荣的发展格局。习近平文化思想全面阐述了新时代文化建设的地位作用、目标任务、方针原则、战略路径、实践要求，为推进中国式现代化、实现中华民族伟大复兴提供了思想武器和行动指南。中国式现代化的中国特色、哲学根基都强调平等、普惠，提倡不同文明平等交流、互学互鉴，中国式现代化的文化形态与上述的哲学根基变革紧密相关

The new cultural mission of our Party in the New Era is to continue promoting cultural prosperity and building a strong cultural country at the new historical starting point. To build a strong cultural country, the Party must master cultural leadership. An in-depth study of Xi Jinping’s Cultural Thought can reveal the “law of construction from the outside to the inside.” This law manifests itself as follows: Generally speaking, the various constructions that people focus on mostly proceed in the order of “first the external, then the internal” or “from the outside to the inside.” Historically, China’s response to Western modernization has followed the historical logic of “artifacts—institutions—culture” and “external imitation—internal subjectivity.” Artifacts belong to the category of constructing the external world outside of people and are highly imitable. Culture reflects a nation’s more internal and profound psychological needs, as well as its more enduring and solid historical accumulation. Therefore, cultural change requires a longer time. The “good” within culture belongs to civilization, which enters the construction of the subjectivity of people’s spiritual world. General Secretary Xi Jinping points out that “the essence of modernization is the modernization of people,” essentially meaning that while Chinese-path modernization focuses on material modernization, institutional modernization, and the modernization of national governance, it must also pay more attention to the modernization of people’s spirit, psychology, and personality. From a practical perspective, as socialism with Chinese characteristics has entered the New Era, China has placed greater emphasis on building a strong cultural country, and modernization construction has begun to move into the depths of people’s spiritual world, focusing on consolidating and elevating the cultural subjectivity of the Chinese nation. Philosophically speaking, one of the goal orientations of Xi Jinping’s Cultural Thought is to dedicate itself to the construction of each person’s spiritual world and its subjectivity, that is, to enrich the people’s spiritual world, strengthen the people’s spiritual strength, and achieve common prosperity in the spiritual life of all the people.

我们党在新时代新的文化使命是，在新的历史起点上继续推动文化繁荣、建设文化强国。建设文化强国，党必须掌握文化领导权。深入学习领会习近平文化思想，可以揭示出“由外向内的建设规律”。这一规律是这样呈现的：一般而言，人们所注重的各种建设，大都是沿着“先外后内”或“由外而内”的次序进行的。从历史看，中国对西方现代化的回应，是沿着“器物—制度—文化”“外在模仿—内在主体”的历史逻辑进行的。器物属于人之外的外部世界建设范畴，可模仿性强。文化反映了一个民族更为内在和深刻的心理需求，也反映了更为久远和坚固的历史积淀。因此，文化的改变需要更长的时间。文化之中的“善”属于文明，这就进入了人的精神世界的主体性建设。习近平总书记指出“现代化的本质是人的现代化”，实质上就是说中国式现代化在注重物质现代化、制度现代化、国家治理现代化的同时，还要更加注重人的精神、心理和人格的现代化。从现实看，中国特色社会主义进入新时代，我国更加注重文化强国建设，现代化建设开始走向人的精神世界深处，且注重巩固、高扬中华民族的文化主体性。从哲学上讲，习近平文化思想的目标指向之一，就是致力于每个人的精神世界及其主体性建设，即丰富人民精神世界、增强人民精神力量，实现全体人民精神生活共同富裕。

Xi Jinping’s cultural thought emphasizes that the cultural subjectivity of the Chinese nation must be continuously consolidated. The modernization movement and trend initiated by the West have exerted a broad and lasting influence on the entire world, first giving rise to “Eurocentrism,” which later evolved into “Western-centrism.” In the *Communist Manifesto*, Marx and Engels summarized the “four subordinations” resulting from the rise of capitalism, the most important of which is “the subordination of the East to the West.” [1]1 The Two Integrations refers to the integration of the basic principles of Marxism with China's specific realities and with the best of traditional Chinese culture. China’s exploration of the path to modernization is committed to breaking out of the framework of “the subordination of the East to the West.” After the birth of the Communist Party of China (CPC), it has always taken Marxism as its guiding ideology, thereby enabling the Chinese nation to achieve a transformation in spirit from passivity to initiative, and China’s path to modernization has also shifted from imitating the West to being endogenous. On the basis of long-term exploration and practice since the founding of New China, especially since reform and opening up, and through theoretical and practical innovation and breakthroughs since the 18th National Congress of the CPC, Chinese-path modernization has stepped out of the framework of “the subordination of the East to the West.” Xi

习近平文化思想强调，要不断巩固中华民族的文化主体性。西方开启的现代化运动和潮流，对整个世界产生广泛而持久的影响力，首先是产生了“欧洲中心主义”，后来演变为“西方中心论”。马克思、恩格斯在《共产党宣言》中概括了资本主义兴起导致的“四个从属”，其中最主要的是“使东方从属于西方”。中国探索现代化道路，致力于走出“东方从属于西方”的框架。中国共产党诞生之后，始终把马克思主义作为指导思想，由此中华民族在精神上实现了从被动到主动的转变，中国的现代化道路也从模仿西方转变为内生。在新中国成立特别是改革开放以来长期探索和实践的基础上，经过党的十八大以来理论和实践上的创新突破，中国式现代化走出了“东方从属于西方”的框架。习近平文化思想强调“两个结合”，造就了一个有机统一的新的文化生命体，让马克思主义成为中国的，中华优秀传统文化成为现代的，让经由“结合”而形成的新文化成为中国式现代化的文化形态。

We must take Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era as our guide and construct an independent knowledge system for China. Adhering to the guidance of Marxism is the fundamental hallmark that distinguishes contemporary Chinese philosophy and social sciences from other philosophy and social sciences. Upholding the guiding position of Marxism in the field of philosophy and social sciences in China requires, at its core, resolving the question of for whom it is intended, and ultimately, it must be implemented in how it is applied. The key to constructing philosophy and social sciences with Chinese characteristics lies in whether they possess subjectivity and originality. To this end, we must adhere to the Two Integrations[1]1 The Two Integrations refers to the integration of the basic principles of Marxism with China's specific realities and with the best of traditional Chinese culture., applying the worldview and methodology of Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era to each discipline within philosophy and social sciences, continuously advancing knowledge innovation, theoretical innovation, and methodological innovation. Only in this way can we consolidate the cultural subjectivity of the Chinese nation and construct an independent knowledge system for China.

我们要以习近平文化思想为指导，建构中国自主的知识体系。坚持以马克思主义为指导，是当代中国哲学社会科学区别于其他哲学社会科学的根本标志。坚持马克思主义在我国哲学社会科学领域中的指导地位，核心要解决好为什么人的问题，最终要落实到怎么用上来。构建中国特色哲学社会科学，关键看是不是有主体性、原创性。为此，必须坚持“两个结合”，将习近平新时代中国特色社会主义思想的世界观和方法论运用到哲学社会科学各学科之中，不断推进知识创新、理论创新、方法创新。唯有如此，才能巩固中华民族的文化主体性，构建中国自主的知识体系。

(The author is a former member of the Party Committee and a first-level professor at the Party School of the Central Committee of the CPC (National Academy of Governance), and the leading expert of the Expert Studio of the Party School of the Central Committee of the CPC (National Academy of Governance).)

（作者系中共中央党校（国家行政学院）原校委委员、一级教授，中共中央党校（国家行政学院）专家工作室领衔专家）