The Internal Logic and Focal Points of Cultural Construction in the New Era

Xi Jinping Thought on Culture profoundly reveals the essential characteristics and developmental laws of socialist culture with Chinese characteristics in the New Era, providing scientific guidance for cultural construction on the new journey. Standing at the height of coordinating the strategic overall plan for the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation and the changes unseen in a century in the world, and based on the overall practice of building socialism with Chinese characteristics, Xi Jinping Thought on Culture systematically answers the major questions of what kind of socialist culture with Chinese characteristics to uphold and develop in the New Era and how to uphold and develop it, responds to the cultural questions of contemporary China and the present era, further clarifies the development path of socialist culture with Chinese characteristics, and deepens the understanding of the laws governing the construction of socialist culture with Chinese characteristics. Earnestly studying and comprehending the methodology contained in this thought, deeply understanding the internal logic of the development of socialist culture with Chinese characteristics in the New Era that it reveals, and grasping the focal points of cultural construction of socialism with Chinese characteristics in the New Era are of great significance for advancing cultural construction.

习近平文化思想深刻揭示了新时代中国特色社会主义文化的本质特征和发展规律，为新征程上的文化建设提供了科学指引。习近平文化思想站在统筹中华民族伟大复兴战略全局和世界百年未有之大变局的高度，立足中国特色社会主义建设的总体实践，系统回答了新时代坚持和发展什么样的中国特色社会主义文化、怎样坚持和发展中国特色社会主义文化的重大课题，回答了当代中国、当今时代的文化之问，进一步阐明了中国特色社会主义文化发展道路，深化了对中国特色社会主义文化建设规律的认识。认真学习领会这一思想中蕴含的方法论，深刻认识其所揭示的新时代中国特色社会主义文化发展内在逻辑，把握新时代中国特色社会主义文化建设的发力点，对于推进文化建设具有重要意义。

The Internal Logic and Its Methodology of Cultural Construction of Socialism with Chinese Characteristics in the New Era

新时代中国特色社会主义文化建设的内在逻辑及其方法论

The cultural construction of socialism with Chinese characteristics in the New Era has its own inherent laws and dialectical characteristics. To develop socialist culture with Chinese characteristics in the New Era, it is necessary to adhere to the guidance of Marxism, strengthen cultural confidence, uphold openness and inclusiveness, and persist in upholding fundamental principles and breaking new ground; to adhere to the Two Integrations, and promote the creative transformation and innovative development of fine traditional Chinese culture.

新时代中国特色社会主义文化建设有其内在规律，具有辩证特性。发展新时代中国特色社会主义文化，必须坚持以马克思主义为指导，坚定文化自信、秉持开放包容、坚持守正创新；坚持“两个结合”，推进中华优秀传统文化创造性转化、创新性发展。

The internal logic of cultural construction of socialism with Chinese characteristics in the New Era is mainly reflected in: there is an inevitable connection between contemporary Chinese cultural construction and the practice of advancing Chinese-path modernization; cultural construction is both an inevitable requirement for advancing Chinese-path modernization and an organic component of Chinese-path modernization construction; contemporary Chinese culture is both the culture of the Chinese nation and an organic component of world culture; cultural construction has its relative independence and its own specific laws, which exist not only in the connections between culture and the economy, politics, etc., but also in the historical connections of cultural construction and the interconnections among the various parts of culture itself. Looking at Xi Jinping Thought on Culture, one can clearly see the methodology that runs through it and embodies the internal logic of cultural construction of socialism with Chinese characteristics in the New Era.

新时代中国特色社会主义文化建设的内在逻辑主要体现在：当代中国文化建设与推进中国式现代化实践之间存在必然联系，文化建设既是推进中国式现代化的必然要求，也是中国式现代化建设的有机组成部分；当代中国文化既是中华民族的文化，也是世界文化的有机组成部分；文化建设有其相对独立性和自身特有的规律，这种规律既存在于文化与经济、政治等方面的联系中，也存在于文化建设的历史联系和文化自身各部分的相互联系中。纵观习近平文化思想，可以清晰地看到贯穿其中的、体现新时代中国特色社会主义文化建设内在逻辑的方法论。

Understanding the substance and grasping its application, and the integration of substance and application are the distinctive features of Xi Jinping Thought on Culture. Xi Jinping Thought on Culture profoundly reveals the internal unity between the "substance" and "application" of socialist culture with Chinese characteristics in the New Era; it elucidates both the essence of socialist culture with Chinese characteristics in the New Era and the role or function of culture determined by this essence. Socialist culture with Chinese characteristics in the New Era is essentially a reflection of the economy and politics of socialism with Chinese characteristics in the New Era, and this essence is also deeply embodied in the laws and paths of cultural construction in the New Era. Xi Jinping Thought on Culture combines the questions of "how to view" and "how to act" in cultural construction in the present era, integrates the way of cultural construction with the methods of cultural construction, and closely combines the explanation of the essence and laws of culture with the interpretation of the practice of cultural construction, thereby pointing the direction for the development of socialist culture with Chinese characteristics in the New Era.

明体达用、体用贯通是习近平文化思想的鲜明特点。习近平文化思想深刻揭示了新时代中国特色社会主义文化“体”和“用”之间的内在统一；既阐明了新时代中国特色社会主义文化的本质，又阐明了这一本质所决定的文化的作用或功能。新时代中国特色社会主义文化本质上是对新时代中国特色社会主义经济和政治的反映，这一本质也深刻体现在新时代文化建设的规律和道路之中。习近平文化思想把对当今时代文化建设“怎么看”与“怎么办”的问题结合起来，把文化建设之道与文化建设之术结合起来，把对文化本质和规律的解释同对文化建设实践的阐释紧密结合起来，从而为发展新时代中国特色社会主义文化指明了方向。

Xi Jinping Thought on Culture understands culture as social consciousness determined by social existence, and grasps the essence, role, and developmental laws of culture from the height of the new journey of comprehensively building a modern socialist country. For example, it proposes that Chinese-path modernization is a modernization in which material civilization and cultural-ethical progress are coordinated; it points out that the essence of modernization is the modernization of people, and the ultimate goal of modernization is to realize the free and comprehensive development of people; it points out that Chinese-path modernization is a modernization that continues ancient civilization, not a modernization of civilizational rupture. In particular, starting from the internal unity between Chinese practice and cultural construction, Xi Jinping Thought on Culture puts forward the major proposition of the Two Integrations. Combining the basic principles of Marxism with China's specific realities and with the best of fine traditional Chinese culture is the necessary path for contemporary Chinese cultural construction and the greatest magic weapon for the success of the cause of socialism with Chinese characteristics, including cultural construction.

习近平文化思想把文化归于被社会存在所决定的社会意识来认识，在全面建设社会主义现代化国家新征程的高度认识和把握文化的本质、作用和发展规律。例如，提出中国式现代化是物质文明和精神文明相协调的现代化；指出现代化的本质是人的现代化，现代化的最终目标是实现人自由而全面的发展；指出中国式现代化是赓续古老文明的现代化，而非文明断裂的现代化。特别是，习近平文化思想从中国实践与文化建设之间的内在统一关系出发，提出了“两个结合”的重大命题。把马克思主义基本原理同中国具体实际相结合、同中华优秀传统文化相结合，是当代中国文化建设的必由之路，是包括文化建设在内的中国特色社会主义事业取得成功的最大法宝。

Xi Jinping Thought on Culture emphasizes understanding and grasping the laws and roles of cultural construction within the correlation of various internal elements of culture or the structural system of culture. From the perspective of the historical development process of culture, Xi Jinping Thought on Culture emphasizes organically combining the development of advanced socialist culture, the promotion of revolutionary culture, and the inheritance of fine traditional Chinese culture. From the perspective of cultural structure or system, Xi Jinping Thought on Culture emphasizes the guiding position of Marxism in cultural construction and attaches importance to the leading role of values in cultural construction. In the layout of cultural development, Xi Jinping Thought on Culture insists on promoting the main theme of propaganda, ideology, and culture, proposes accelerating the construction of philosophy and social sciences with Chinese characteristics, and prospering and developing cultural undertakings and cultural industries, insisting on the coordinated development of the two.

习近平文化思想注重在文化内部各要素关联或文化系统结构中认识和把握文化建设的规律和作用。从文化历史发展进程看，习近平文化思想注重把发展社会主义先进文化，弘扬革命文化，传承中华优秀传统文化有机结合起来。从文化结构或系统看，习近平文化思想强调马克思主义在文化建设中的指导地位，重视价值观在文化建设中的引领作用。在文化发展的布局上，习近平文化思想坚持弘扬宣传思想文化主旋律，提出加快构建中国特色哲学社会科学，繁荣发展文化事业和文化产业，坚持两者协调发展。

Xi Jinping Thought on Culture summarizes the regular understanding of upholding fundamental principles and breaking new ground from the historical experience of the Communist Party of China in leading cultural construction. Upholding fundamental principles means adhering to the scientific truth of Marxism, adhering to the people-centered value stance, safeguarding the essence of fine traditional Chinese culture and revolutionary culture, and strengthening cultural confidence in socialism with Chinese characteristics. Breaking new ground means, on the basis of following the laws of practical development and cultural construction, keeping pace with the times, having the courage to explore, and combining the requirements of the times to promote the creative transformation and innovative development of fine traditional Chinese culture. In cultural construction, upholding fundamental principles and breaking new ground are dialectically unified and inseparable.

习近平文化思想从中国共产党领导文化建设的历史经验中总结出守正创新这一规律性认识。守正，就是坚守马克思主义的科学真理，坚持以人民为中心的价值立场，守护中华优秀传统文化、革命文化中的精华，坚定中国特色社会主义文化自信。创新，就是要在遵循实践发展和文化建设规律基础上，与时俱进，勇于开拓，结合时代要求推动中华优秀传统文化创造性转化、创新性发展。在文化建设中，守正和创新是辩证统一、不可分割的。

Xi Jinping Thought on Culture advocates grasping the development trend of culture in the connection between the national and the global. The exchange and mutual learning of civilizations worldwide is an inevitable trend in the process of human history shifting from national history to world history. Chinese civilization and world civilization are internally unified and inseparable. Chinese civilization has both national and global characteristics. Actively disseminating Chinese civilization to the world, absorbing and drawing on all achievements of world civilization, and vigorously promoting the common values of all mankind are important contents of the cultural construction of socialism with Chinese characteristics in the New Era.

习近平文化思想主张在民族与世界的联系中把握文化的发展趋势。世界范围内的文明交流互鉴，是人类历史由民族历史转向世界历史进程中的必然趋势。中华文明与世界文明是内在统一、不可分割的。中华文明具有民族性，也具有世界性。积极向世界传播中华文明，吸收和借鉴一切世界文明成果，大力弘扬全人类共同价值，是新时代中国特色社会主义文化建设的重要内容。

Focusing on the "Four Strengths" to Develop Socialist Culture with Chinese Characteristics in the New Era

聚焦“四力”发展新时代中国特色社会主义文化

On October 28, 2024, General Secretary Xi Jinping emphasized during the 17th collective study session of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee: "We must anchor the strategic goal of building a strong cultural country, adhere to Marxism as the fundamental guiding ideology, take root in the profound and extensive Chinese civilization, follow the trend of information technology development, continuously develop socialist culture with Chinese characteristics in the New Era that possesses strong ideological guiding power, spiritual cohesion, value appeal, and international influence, continuously strengthen the spiritual strength of the people, and consolidate the cultural foundation for building a strong country and the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation." Focusing on enhancing the ideological guiding power, spiritual cohesion, value appeal, and international influence of socialist culture with Chinese characteristics in the New Era objectively requires us to strengthen cultural construction from the following aspects.

2024年10月28日，习近平总书记在中共中央政治局第十七次集体学习时强调：“要锚定建成文化强国战略目标，坚持马克思主义这一根本指导思想，植根博大精深的中华文明，顺应信息技术发展潮流，不断发展具有强大思想引领力、精神凝聚力、价值感召力、国际影响力的新时代中国特色社会主义文化，不断增强人民精神力量，筑牢强国建设、民族复兴的文化根基。”聚焦提升新时代中国特色社会主义文化的思想引领力、精神凝聚力、价值感召力、国际影响力，在客观上要求我们必须从以下方面加强文化建设。

First, do a good job in ideological work, construct an independent knowledge system with Chinese characteristics, and enhance the ideological guiding power of socialist culture with Chinese characteristics in the New Era. The essence and construction laws of socialist culture with Chinese characteristics in the New Era determine that China must adhere to the development path of socialist culture with Chinese characteristics. To follow the development path of socialist culture with Chinese characteristics, it is necessary to adhere to the overall leadership of the Communist Party of China over culture, adhere to the fundamental system of Marxism's guiding position in the ideological domain, study and implement Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era, especially Xi Jinping Thought on Culture, and develop a national, scientific, and popular socialist culture oriented toward modernization, the world, and the future. Advance the Two Integrations, and continuously strengthen the study, research, and interpretation of Xi Jinping Thought on Culture. Adhere to the people-centered approach, and make stimulating innovation and creativity the central link in deepening the reform of the cultural system and mechanism. Take our own path, adhere to spiritual independence and self-reliance, and accelerate the construction of philosophy and social sciences with Chinese characteristics.

一是抓好意识形态工作，建构中国自主的知识体系，增强新时代中国特色社会主义文化的思想引领力。新时代中国特色社会主义文化的本质和建设规律，决定了我国必须坚持走中国特色社会主义文化发展道路。走中国特色社会主义文化发展道路，必须坚持中国共产党对文化的全面领导，坚持马克思主义在意识形态领域指导地位的根本制度，学习贯彻习近平新时代中国特色社会主义思想特别是习近平文化思想，发展面向现代化、面向世界、面向未来的，民族的科学的大众的社会主义文化。推进“两个结合”，持续加强对习近平文化思想的学习研究阐释。坚持以人民为中心，把激发创新创造活力作为深化文化体制机制改革的中心环节。走自己的路，坚持精神上的独立自主，加快构建中国特色哲学社会科学。

Second, importance is attached to giving play to the role of culture in nourishing the will and cultivating sentiment, to improving the capacity to supply cultural services and cultural products, and to strengthening the spiritual cohesion of socialist culture with Chinese characteristics for the New Era. Cultural construction is consistently oriented toward and grounded in people, focused on meeting the diverse, multi-tiered, and multi-faceted spiritual and cultural needs of the masses, and on enhancing the people’s sense of cultural gain and happiness. The laws governing talent development are respected, mechanisms for talent selection, cultivation, use, and incentives that conform to the characteristics of the cultural field are improved, a favorable policy environment for recognizing, valuing, and cherishing talent is created, and a large-scale, rationally structured, and highly innovative contingent of high-level cultural talent is built. Research on the scientific connotation and great significance of forging a strong sense of community for the Chinese nation [2]2 “Community for the Chinese nation” (中华民族共同体) refers to the political, economic, cultural, and social unity of all ethnic groups in China, a concept central to the CPC’s current ethnic policy framework. is strengthened, and a scientific and complete theoretical system for the community of the Chinese nation is constructed.

二是重视发挥文化养心志、育情操的作用，提升文化服务和文化产品供给能力，增强新时代中国特色社会主义文化的精神凝聚力。始终坚持文化建设着眼于人、落脚于人，着眼满足人民群众多样化、多层次、多方面的精神文化需求，增强人民群众文化获得感、幸福感。尊重人才成长规律，完善符合文化领域特点的人才选拔、培养、使用、激励机制，营造识才、重才、爱才的良好政策环境，建设一支规模宏大、结构合理、锐意创新的高水平文化人才队伍。加强对铸牢中华民族共同体意识的科学内涵、重大意义的研究，构建科学完备的中华民族共同体理论体系。

Third, the core socialist values are cultivated and practiced, the common values of all humanity are vigorously promoted, and the value appeal of socialist culture with Chinese characteristics for the New Era is enhanced. The spiritual connotations of fine traditional Chinese culture are deeply excavated and elucidated, the excellent factors in traditional Chinese culture are activated using Marxism and endowed with new contemporary connotations, socialist culture with Chinese characteristics for the New Era is developed, and the country’s cultural soft power and the influence of Chinese culture are continuously elevated. The cultural subjectivity of the Chinese nation is raised high, the treasures of Chinese civilization that have weathered many vicissitudes are cherished, promoted, and developed, and the Chinese cultural lineage is continued through creative transformation and innovative development. The core of culture is values, and this is increasingly becoming a consensus. Cultivating and practicing the core socialist values must be taken as a foundational project for consolidating souls, gathering energy, strengthening foundations, and consolidating roots; education in the core socialist values is widely carried out, and the institutional mechanisms for cultivating and practicing the core socialist values are improved. Adhering to the guidance of the core socialist values, the Chinese spirit, Chinese values, and Chinese strength are continuously constructed, and mainstream values, mainstream public opinion, and mainstream culture are developed and strengthened. At the same time, the common values of all humanity—peace, development, fairness, justice, democracy, and freedom—are vigorously promoted, jointly providing correct conceptual guidance for building a better world.

三是培育和践行社会主义核心价值观，大力弘扬全人类共同价值，增强新时代中国特色社会主义文化的价值感召力。深入挖掘和阐发中华优秀传统文化的精神内涵，用马克思主义激活中华传统文化中的优秀因子并赋予其新的时代内涵，发展新时代中国特色社会主义文化，不断提升国家文化软实力和中华文化影响力。高扬中华民族的文化主体性，呵护好、弘扬好、发展好历经沧桑的中华文明瑰宝，在创造性转化和创新性发展中赓续中华文脉。文化的核心是价值观，这越来越成为共识。要把培育和践行社会主义核心价值观作为凝魂聚气、强基固本的基础工程，广泛开展社会主义核心价值观教育，完善培育和践行社会主义核心价值观制度机制。坚持以社会主义核心价值观为引领，不断构筑中国精神、中国价值、中国力量，发展壮大主流价值、主流舆论、主流文化。同时，大力弘扬和平、发展、公平、正义、民主、自由的全人类共同价值，共同为建设一个更加美好的世界提供正确理念指引。

Fourth, Chinese discourse and Chinese narrative systems are constructed, the country’s cultural soft power is continuously elevated, and the international influence of socialist culture with Chinese characteristics for the New Era is enhanced. The restructuring of the international communication landscape is advanced, online external propaganda is innovatively carried out, the reform and innovation of mainstream media’s international communication mechanisms are deepened, and a multi-channel, three-dimensional external communication pattern is accelerated. Diverse forms of international people-to-people and cultural exchanges and cooperation are widely carried out, and all outstanding achievements of human civilization are more actively learned from and drawn upon. The story of cultural China is well told, the image of Chinese culture is established, and the influence of Chinese culture is enhanced.

四是建构中国话语和中国叙事体系，不断提升国家文化软实力，增强新时代中国特色社会主义文化的国际影响力。推进国际传播格局重构，创新开展网络外宣，深化主流媒体国际传播机制改革创新，加快构建多渠道、立体式对外传播格局。广泛开展形式多样的国际人文交流合作，更加积极主动地学习借鉴人类一切优秀文明成果。讲好文化中国的故事，树立中国文化形象，增强中华文化影响力。

Building a culturally strong country is a common task for the entire Party and the whole society. The centralized and unified leadership of the Party Central Committee over propaganda, ideology, and cultural work must be strengthened, the leadership and management systems and mechanisms for cultural construction must be improved, the initiative, enthusiasm, and creativity of all sides must be mobilized, and a powerful joint force for building a culturally strong country must be gathered.

建设文化强国是全党全社会的共同任务。要加强党中央对宣传思想文化工作的集中统一领导，完善文化建设领导管理体制机制，调动各方面积极性主动性创造性，汇聚起文化强国建设的强大合力。

(The author is a professor at the School of Marxism Studies, Renmin University of China, President of the Chinese Society for the History of Marxist Philosophy, chief expert for the Central Marxist Theory Research and Construction Project textbook series, and Chair of the Beijing Municipal Research Association for Ideological and Political Theory Courses for Graduate Students.)

（作者系中国人民大学马克思主义学院教授，中国马克思主义哲学史学会会长，中央马克思主义理论研究和建设工程教材首席专家，北京市高校研究生思政课研究会理事长）