Consolidating Cultural Subjectivity in the Process of Constructing an Independent Knowledge System

In Xi Jinping Thought on Culture, the two propositions of constructing an independent knowledge system and consolidating cultural subjectivity have a direct logical connection — constructing an independent knowledge system is the core task of consolidating cultural subjectivity. Regarding why and how to consolidate cultural subjectivity in the process of constructing an independent knowledge system, we can draw considerable inspiration from the Marxist theory of human subjectivity, the theory of spiritual production, and the theory of ideology, and thereby provide theoretical support for thoroughly studying and implementing Xi Jinping Thought on Culture.

在习近平文化思想中，构建自主知识体系与巩固文化主体性这两个命题存在直接的逻辑关联——构建自主知识体系是巩固文化主体性的核心工作。关于为什么以及如何在构建自主知识体系中巩固文化主体性，我们可以从马克思主义的人的主体性理论、精神生产理论和意识形态理论中获得诸多启发，并以此为深入学习贯彻习近平文化思想提供理论支撑。

The Historical Materialist Connotation of Consolidating Cultural Subjectivity

巩固文化主体性的唯物史观内涵

The reconstruction of “human subjectivity” is a theme of modern Western philosophy. From Descartes’ “I think, therefore I am” to Kant’s “dare to use your own reason,” these are, in essence, philosophical declarations establishing human subjectivity. Human subjectivity in Western philosophy refers to the Renaissance and the Enlightenment liberating humanity from the shackles of religion, thereby enabling people to attain a mode of existence of self-independence. In contrast, Marx expounded the idea of human subjectivity from the standpoint of historical materialism. In the *Economic and Philosophic Manuscripts of 1844*, when discussing the essential difference between humans and animals, he proposed that animals do not distinguish themselves from their life activity; humans, however, make their life activity itself an object of their will and consciousness. It is precisely because humans are beings with will and consciousness that they can exist as “subjects.” In *The German Ideology*, Marx and Engels further pointed out, “Where a relation exists, it exists for me; the animal does not ‘relate’ itself to anything.” [1]1 This quotation is from *The German Ideology* (1845–1846) by Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels. Thus, “relation” exists only for humans, because only humans can, through “will and consciousness,” take others into account in their own life activity. This also means that only humans possess the status of subjectivity.

重建“人的主体性”是西方近代哲学的主题。从笛卡尔提出“我思故我在”，到康德提出“学会使用自己的理性”，这些在本质上都是确立人的主体性的哲学宣言。西方哲学中人的主体性，是指文艺复兴和启蒙运动把人从宗教的束缚中解放出来，从而使人获得自我独立的生存样态。与此不同，马克思从唯物史观的立场阐释了人的主体性思想。他在《1844年经济学哲学手稿》中谈到人与动物的本质区别时提出，动物不把自己和自己的生命活动区别开来，而人则把自己的生命活动作为自己意志和意识的对象。正因为人是有意志和意识的存在者，因而才能作为“主体”而存在。在《德意志意识形态》中，马克思恩格斯进一步指出，“凡是有某种关系存在的地方，这种关系都是为我而存在的；动物不对什么东西发生‘关系’”。可见，“关系”只是对于人来说才存在，因为只有人才能通过“意志和意识”把他人考虑到自己的生命活动当中，这也意味着只有人才具有主体性地位。

In the sense of historical materialism, “culture” expresses the fundamental values of a country and a nation. Culture, as part of the superstructure, roughly corresponds to what Marx and Engels called “the spiritual production of a people in the language of politics, laws, morality, religion, metaphysics, etc.” [2]2 This quotation is from *The German Ideology*. From the perspective of the state, culture is determined by its economic base, and ideology determines the fundamental nature of culture. Thus, “cultural subjectivity” means that a country can autonomously choose the path of survival and development, theory, and system that conform to its own value standpoint. From the perspective of the nation, culture is the spiritual lifeline of a people; therefore, “cultural subjectivity” characterizes the essential feature of a nation achieving a cultural living entity through the self-generation of its “national spirit.” Specifically, Marx’s idea of cultural subjectivity takes the realization of communism as its theme, which is concentrated in the idea of “changing the world” in the *Theses on Feuerbach*. Unlike all previous materialism, in Marx’s view, humans are not only subjects who “understand the world” but, more importantly, subjects who “change the world.” Humans objectify their essence to the world through “practice,” thereby establishing humanity’s subjective status over the world. Furthermore, “cultural subjectivity” is concretely manifested as: the proletariat, as the “subject,” discovers a new world in the process of criticizing the old world. In short, “cultural subjectivity” is not established in the idealist “self-consciousness” but is established in the objective practice of changing the world. It profoundly indicates that humans are the masters of their own destiny.

在唯物史观意义上，“文化”表达着一个国家和民族的根本价值观。文化作为上层建筑，大致相当于马克思恩格斯所说的“某一民族的政治、法律、道德、宗教、形而上学等的语言中的精神生产”。从国家角度看，文化由其经济基础所决定，而意识形态决定了文化的根本性质。因而“文化主体性”意味着一个国家能够自主选择符合自己价值立场的生存发展道路、理论和制度。从民族角度看，文化是一个民族的精神血脉，因而“文化主体性”表征的是一个民族通过其“民族精神”的自我生成而成就文化生命体的本质特征。具体来说，马克思的文化主体性思想是以实现共产主义为主题的，这集中体现在《关于费尔巴哈的提纲》中“改变世界”的思想。与从前的一切唯物主义不同，在马克思看来，人不仅是“认识世界”的主体，更是“改变世界”的主体，人把自己的本质通过“实践”对象化给世界，从而确立起人对于世界的主体性地位。进言之，“文化主体性”具体表现为：无产阶级作为“主体”，在批判旧世界中发现新世界。总之，“文化主体性”不是在唯心论的“自我意识”中确立起来的，而是在改变世界的客观实践中确立起来的，其深刻表明人是自己命运的主宰者。

Constructing an Independent Knowledge System Is the Core Task of Consolidating Cultural Subjectivity

构建自主知识体系是巩固文化主体性的核心工作

If it is said that genuine objective knowledge belongs to all humanity, then why is it necessary to construct an independent knowledge system? Wouldn’t it be both more convenient and more effective to wait for other countries and nations to create a knowledge system and directly “borrow” it for use? The answer is no. Although some knowledge, such as natural science knowledge, is objective and does not differ due to differences among nations — for example, we cannot distinguish “calculus” into “Chinese calculus” and “Western calculus” — mathematical logic is a knowledge system shared by all humanity. However, philosophy and social sciences differ from the natural sciences; they always construct knowledge systems and ideological systems under some kind of values. As Marx and Engels pointed out, “The ideas of the ruling class are in every epoch the ruling ideas.” [3]3 This quotation is from *The German Ideology*. For philosophy and social sciences, there is no so-called “value-neutral” stance. Because different nationalities have different historical and cultural traditions, their respective philosophies and social sciences will inevitably exhibit differences in values. Thus, values determine the fundamental nature of a nation’s philosophy and social sciences. These philosophies and social sciences simultaneously constitute the national ideology. Therefore, philosophy and social sciences are always knowledge systems with an ideological attribute. In this sense, consolidating cultural subjectivity is the process of “spiritual production” carried out through philosophy and social sciences regarding one’s own nation’s unique historical and cultural traditions, values, and ideology.

如果说真正的客观知识是属于全人类的，那么为什么还要构建自主的知识体系？等着别的国家和民族创造出知识体系，直接“拿来”使用不是既省事又管用吗？答案是否定的。尽管有些知识如自然科学知识是客观知识，不会因为民族不同而不同，例如我们不能把“微积分”区分为“中国微积分”和“西方微积分”——数学逻辑是人类共有的知识体系。但哲学社会科学与自然科学有所不同，它总是要在某种价值观之下建构知识体系和思想体系。正如马克思恩格斯所指出的，“统治阶级的思想在每一个时代都是占统治地位的思想”。对哲学社会科学来说，不存在所谓的“价值中立”立场。由于不同民族国家具有不同历史文化传统，因而其各自的哲学社会科学必然会呈现价值观上的不同。由此，价值观决定了一个民族国家哲学社会科学的根本性质。这些哲学社会科学，同时构成了国家意识形态。因此，哲学社会科学总是具有意识形态属性的知识体系。在此意义上，巩固文化主体性就是通过哲学社会科学对自己民族独特的历史文化传统、价值观念和意识形态进行的“精神生产”过程。

A nation’s cultural subjectivity can be consolidated through various forms of perceptual experience, such as creating its own artistic works, constructing a unique way of life, inheriting unique historical customs and habits, and choosing a unique path of development. However, constructing an independent knowledge system is the core marker of a nation’s cultural subjectivity. This is because constructing an independent knowledge system is the only cultural form that can, from among many forms of perceptual experience, elevate one’s nation’s values to “rational understanding” in the form of thought and theory. Looking at all humanity, constructing an independent knowledge system is an important way for a nation to contribute to human civilization. Only those nations capable of constructing an independent knowledge system can stand firmly among the nations of the world and promote the development and progress of human civilization. Philosophy and social sciences, as activities of “spiritual production,” are the theoretical expression of one’s own national spirit. What a nation cares about and hopes for, what a nation grieves over and dreams of — only that nation itself knows. Philosophy and social sciences, as a knowledge system existing in the form of value judgments, must express the cares and hopes of one’s own nation, and express the grief and dreams of one’s own nation. The era is the mother of thought; practice is the source of theory. Elevating China’s own practice into China’s own theory, and elevating China’s own experience into China’s own thought, is the fundamental way to construct an independent knowledge system.

一个民族的文化主体性，可以通过多种感性经验的形式得到巩固，比如，通过创造自己的艺术作品、建构独特的生活方式、传承独特的历史风俗习惯、选择独特的发展道路等，但构建自主知识体系则是一个民族文化主体性的核心标识。因为构建自主知识体系是唯一能够从诸多感性经验形式中，以思想理论的形式把自己民族的价值观升华到“理性认识”的文化形式。放眼全人类，构建自主知识体系是一个民族为人类文明作出贡献的重要方式，只有那些能够构建自主知识体系的民族，才能屹然立足于世界民族之林，并推动人类文明的发展进步。哲学社会科学作为“精神生产”活动，是对自己民族精神的理论表达。什么是一个民族的关切和希望，什么是一个民族的忧伤和梦想，只有这个民族自己才知道。哲学社会科学作为一种以价值判断形式而存在的知识体系，就是要表达自己民族的关切和希望、表达自己民族的忧伤和梦想。时代是思想之母，实践是理论之源。把中国自己的实践上升为中国自己的理论，把中国自己的经验上升为中国自己的思想，是构建自主知识体系的根本出路。

One of the important prerequisites for building a strong country and achieving the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation is consolidating cultural subjectivity, and the core of consolidating cultural subjectivity lies in constructing contemporary China’s independent knowledge system based on the Two Integrations. [4]4 The Two Integrations refer to the integration of the basic tenets of Marxism with China’s specific realities and with the best of traditional Chinese culture. General Secretary Xi Jinping pointed out, “‘Integration’ has opened up space for innovation, enabling us to master the initiative in thought and culture, and to exert a powerful effect on the path, theory, and system. More importantly, the Second Integration is another ideological emancipation, allowing us to fully utilize the precious resources of fine traditional Chinese culture in a broader cultural space, and to explore theoretical and institutional innovations oriented toward the future.” [5]5 This quotation is from a speech by Xi Jinping, likely at a forum on cultural heritage or theoretical work; the exact source is not specified in the original text. Xi Jinping Thought on Culture manifests the “self-consciousness” of contemporary Chinese national culture, deepens the “self-creation” of contemporary Chinese national culture, promotes the “self-development” of contemporary Chinese national culture, and enhances the “self-certainty” of contemporary Chinese national culture, thereby providing the fundamental guidance for us to consolidate cultural subjectivity in the process of constructing an independent knowledge system.

强国建设和民族复兴的重要前提之一就是巩固文化主体性，而巩固文化主体性的核心在于基于“两个结合”构建当代中国的自主知识体系。习近平总书记指出，“‘结合’打开了创新空间，让我们掌握了思想和文化主动，并有力地作用于道路、理论和制度。更重要的是，‘第二个结合’是又一次的思想解放，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”。习近平文化思想彰显了当代中华民族文化的“自我意识”，深化了当代中华民族文化的“自我创造”，推动了当代中华民族文化的“自我发展”，增强了当代中华民族文化的“自我确信”，从而为我们在构建自主知识体系中巩固文化主体性提供了根本遵循。

(Author: Wu Hongzheng, Dean and Professor of the School of Marxism, Jilin University)

（作者：吴宏政，系吉林大学马克思主义学院院长、教授）

Online Editor: Tongxin

网络编辑：同心