Earnestly Grasp the Materialist Dialectics of Ecological Civilization Construction

Xi Jinping Thought on Eco-Civilization is an important component of Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era. In the process of practicing Xi Jinping Thought on Eco-Civilization, it is necessary to combine the conditions of the world and the country, earnestly grasp the materialist dialectics contained within it, and vigorously advance the construction of a socialist eco-civilization with Chinese characteristics, so as to build a Beautiful China.

习近平生态文明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。在践行习近平生态文明思想过程中，要结合世情、国情，认真把握其中蕴含的唯物辩证法，大力推进中国特色社会主义生态文明建设，建成美丽中国。

Always Adhere to a Problem-Oriented Approach

始终坚持问题导向

Adhering to a problem-oriented approach is an important manifestation of the Marxist dialectical method of thinking. General Secretary Xi Jinping closely focuses on the ecological and environmental issues of China and the world, concentrating on the major theoretical and practical questions of why to build an eco-civilization, what kind of eco-civilization to build, and how to build an eco-civilization. He has put forward a series of original new concepts, new ideas, and new strategies, promoting historic, transformative, and comprehensive changes in ecological and environmental protection.

坚持问题导向是马克思主义辩证思维方法的重要体现。习近平总书记紧紧围绕中国和世界的生态环境问题，聚焦为什么建设生态文明、建设什么样的生态文明、怎样建设生态文明的重大理论和实践问题，提出了一系列具有原创性的新理念新思想新战略，推动生态环境保护发生历史性、转折性、全局性变化。

General Secretary Xi Jinping pays close attention to global ecological and environmental issues. In *Building a Community of Life on Earth*, he points out that eco-civilization is the historical trend of human civilization development. The international community must strengthen cooperation to build a home on Earth where humans and nature coexist in harmony, a home on Earth where the economy and the environment advance together, and a home on Earth where all countries develop together. It is necessary to uphold the concept of eco-civilization, join hands and move forward together, and embark on a new journey of high-quality development for humanity. From the perspective of the global ecological crisis, the transition from the age of agricultural civilization to the age of industrial civilization represents a tremendous advance for human society, but industrial civilization has also brought serious ecological problems. As Marx once pointed out, when humanity revels in every conquest of nature, nature takes revenge on humanity, and humanity will inevitably swallow the bitter fruit of destroying nature. There is only one Earth, and ecological and environmental problems are global problems. Solving ecological and environmental problems requires the active participation and joint governance of every country.

习近平总书记非常关注全球的生态环境问题，在《共同构建地球生命共同体》中指出，生态文明是人类文明发展的历史趋势。国际社会要加强合作，构建人与自然和谐共生的地球家园，构建经济与环境协同共进的地球家园，构建世界各国共同发展的地球家园。要秉持生态文明理念，携手同行，开启人类高质量发展新征程。从全球性的生态危机角度看，从农业文明过渡到工业文明时代是人类社会一个极大的进步，但是工业文明也同时带来了严重的生态问题。正如马克思曾经指出的，当人类陶醉于对自然的每一次征服的时候，大自然都会对人类进行报复，人类也必将会吞下破坏大自然带来的恶果。地球只有一个，生态环境问题是全球问题。生态环境问题的解决需要每一个国家积极参与，共同治理。

Xi Jinping Thought on Eco-Civilization was formulated to solve China's ecological and environmental problems. In *Advancing Eco-Civilization Construction and Reforming China's Environmental Protection Management System*, General Secretary Xi Jinping emphasizes that to advance eco-civilization construction and solve the problems of tightening resource constraints, severe environmental pollution, and ecosystem degradation, it is necessary to adopt some hard measures. To solve China's ecological and environmental problems, the Party Central Committee with Comrade Xi Jinping at its core has conducted in-depth exploration, put forward the "Two Mountains" theory [1]1 The "Two Mountains" theory refers to the concept that "lucid waters and lush mountains are invaluable assets," emphasizing the unity of ecological protection and economic development. and the green development concept of eco-civilization construction, and proposed that solving ecological problems should be treated as an extremely important livelihood undertaking. It is necessary to effectively meet the urgent needs of the people in material, spiritual, and especially ecological and environmental aspects through institutional construction, talent development, and policy support, and to build a Beautiful China through continuous advancement. It advocates transforming the mode of economic development, moving from traditional development paths and models to innovative development paths and models guided by the new development concepts. It transforms one-sided development into comprehensive development with green development as the goal, achieving coordinated economic, social, and ecological development. It advocates a broad view, a long-term view, and a holistic view of ecological governance. Promoting ecological governance and realizing eco-civilization are the core tenets of Xi Jinping Thought on Eco-Civilization and are key links and important pathways for advancing the Five-Sphere Integrated Plan of socialism with Chinese characteristics.

习近平生态文明思想是为了解决我国的生态环境问题而提出的。习近平总书记在《推进生态文明建设，改革我国环保管理体制》中强调，推进生态文明建设，解决资源约束趋紧、环境污染严重、生态系统退化的问题，必须采取一些硬措施。为了解决中国的生态环境问题，以习近平同志为核心的党中央深入探索，提出“两山”理论、生态文明建设的绿色发展理念，提出要把解决生态问题作为一项极端重要的民生事业对待，要从制度建设、人才建设、政策支持等方面，切实满足人民群众的物质、精神特别是生态环境方面的迫切需求，并在持续推进中建设美丽中国。主张要转变经济发展方式，从传统的发展道路和模式走向以新发展理念为牵引的创新发展道路和模式。将片面的发展转变为以绿色发展为目标的全面发展，实现经济社会生态的协调发展；主张生态治理的大局观、长远观与整体观。促进生态治理，实现生态文明，是习近平生态文明思想的核心要旨，是推进中国特色社会主义“五位一体”总体布局的关键环节与重要路径。

Always Adhere to the Thinking Concepts of

始终坚持联系、发展和系统的

Connection, Development, and System

思维观念

Dialectical materialism holds that all things are universally connected. Connection refers to the relationships of mutual influence, mutual restraint, and mutual interaction among the elements within objective things and between things. Connection has objectivity, universality, diversity, and conditionality. The concept of system is inseparable from the concept of connection. General Secretary Xi Jinping points out that the concept of system is a foundational thought and working method. Adhering to the concept of system means grasping things within a system of universal connections, and revealing the essence and laws of things on the basis of affirming their universal connections and changes. Only by adhering to the concepts of connection and system can we accurately understand things, analyze problems, and solve them.

唯物辩证法认为，万事万物都是普遍联系的，联系是客观事物内部各要素之间和事物之间相互影响、相互制约、相互作用的关系。联系具有客观性、普遍性、多样性和条件性。系统的观念与联系的观念是不可分的，习近平总书记指出，系统观念是具有基础性的思想和工作方法。坚持系统观念就是要将事物放在普遍联系的系统中把握，就是要在肯定事物普遍联系和变化的基础上揭示事物的本质和规律。只有坚持联系和系统的观念才能准确理解事物，分析和解决问题。

General Secretary Xi Jinping attaches great importance to the viewpoints of connection and system. The first volume of *Selected Works of Xi Jinping on Eco-Civilization* fully embodies the concepts of connection and system, which is manifested in three aspects. First, the relationship between economic and social development and ecological environmental protection is one of dialectical unity. Ecological environmental protection and economic development are not a relationship of contradiction and opposition, but one of dialectical unity, holding that lucid waters and lush mountains are invaluable assets. [2]2 "Lucid waters and lush mountains are invaluable assets" is a core slogan of Xi Jinping's ecological thought, meaning that a good ecological environment is itself a form of wealth and economic value. Xi Jinping Thought on Eco-Civilization points out that the relationship between the ecological environment and economic and social development is one of dialectical unity. One cannot blindly pursue the speed of development while neglecting the quality and efficiency of development; the speed, quality, and efficiency of development must be organically unified. It is necessary to adhere to the requirement of harmonious coexistence between humans and nature, establish an ecological concept, respect nature, conform to nature, and protect nature, achieving a win-win situation for economic development and environmental protection.

习近平总书记非常重视联系和系统的观点，《习近平生态文明文选》第一卷充分体现了联系和系统的观念，这表现在三个方面。第一，经济社会发展与生态环境保护之间是辩证统一的关系。生态环境保护和经济发展不是矛盾对立的关系，而是辩证统一的关系，认为绿水青山就是金山银山。习近平生态文明思想指出了生态环境与经济社会发展之间是辩证统一的关系，不能一味追求发展的速度，而忽视发展的质量和效益，要将发展的速度、质量、效益有机统一起来。要坚持人与自然和谐共生发展的要求，树立生态理念，尊重自然、顺应自然、保护自然，实现经济发展和环境保护的双赢。

Second, ecological governance is a systematic project. In the article *Adhere to the Systematic Thinking that Mountains, Rivers, Forests, Farmlands, Lakes, and Grasslands are a Life Community*, General Secretary Xi Jinping points out that ecology is a unified natural system, a natural chain where various natural elements depend on each other to achieve circulation. On the one hand, attention must be paid to comprehensively considering the relationships within the ecosystem, avoiding fragmented construction, and developing, utilizing, protecting, and coordinating from an overall perspective. On the other hand, attention must be paid to the relationship between eco-civilization construction and construction in economic, political, and other aspects, integrating eco-civilization construction into the Five-Sphere Integrated Plan of socialism with Chinese characteristics. It is necessary to construct ecological space, production space, and living space from the perspective of humanity's sustainable development, providing a good ecological environment and development space for future generations.

第二，生态治理是一项系统性工程。习近平总书记在《坚持山水林田湖是一个生命共同体的系统思想》一文中指出，生态是统一的自然系统，是各种自然要素相互依存而实现循环的自然链条。一方面要注意统筹考虑生态系统内部的关系，不能碎片化建设，要从整体上开发利用，保护协调。另一方面要注意到生态文明建设同经济、政治等方面建设的关系，要将生态文明建设融入中国特色社会主义“五位一体”总体布局中。要从人类永续发展的高度进行生态空间、生产空间和生活空间的建设，为后代子孙的发展提供良好的生态环境和发展空间。

Third, ecological environmental protection cannot be separated from the joint efforts of China and the world; it has a global character. General Secretary Xi Jinping believes that ecological environmental protection is not only closely linked to China's development but is also a common responsibility of all countries in the world. In *Jointly Pursue Global Eco-Civilization Construction and Strive to Build a Clean and Beautiful World*, General Secretary Xi Jinping points out that humanity has only one Earth, and protecting the ecological environment and promoting sustainable development are the common responsibilities of all countries. In the process of promoting global ecological environmental protection and ecological governance, China has transitioned from a participant in global ecological governance to a leader, increasingly significantly influencing the ecological governance theories and practices of other countries, gradually forming a Chinese-characteristic model of eco-civilization construction globally.

第三，生态环境保护离不开中国和世界的共同努力，具有全球性。习近平总书记认为生态环境保护不仅与中国发展紧密联系，也是世界各国共同的责任。习近平总书记在《共谋全球生态文明建设之路，努力建设清洁美丽的世界》中指出，人类只有一个地球，保护生态环境、推动可持续发展是各国的共同责任。在推进全球生态环境保护和生态治理过程中，中国从全球生态治理的参与者到现在的引领者，越来越显著地影响着世界其他国家的生态治理理论和实践，在全球逐渐形成了中国特色的生态文明建设模式。

Fourth, eco-civilization construction is a long-term and arduous project. In *Eco-Civilization Construction Depends on Both Material and Spiritual Forces*, General Secretary Xi Jinping points out that any work requires patience and endurance for lasting and long-term benefits. It is necessary to firmly establish the concept that lucid waters and lush mountains are invaluable assets, deeply understand and implement the concept of eco-civilization, promote the fighting spirit of not bowing one's head in the face of difficulties and daring to turn deserts into oases, inspire people to devote themselves to eco-civilization construction, make sustained efforts, and strive persistently for the construction of a Beautiful China. Socialism with Chinese characteristics has entered a New Era. The principal contradiction facing Chinese society has evolved into the contradiction between the people's ever-growing needs for a better life and unbalanced and inadequate development. The imbalances in regional and urban-rural development, as well as in economic, technological, and educational development, are relatively prominent, directly affecting the effectiveness of eco-civilization construction. Therefore, only by unswervingly targeting the goals of ecological governance and making unremitting efforts can we truly achieve the goal of building a Beautiful China with bluer skies, greener mountains, cleaner water, and a more beautiful environment.

第四，生态文明建设是一项长期艰巨的工程。习近平总书记在《抓生态文明建设既要靠物质也要靠精神》中指出，抓任何工作，都要有久久为功、利在长远的耐心和耐力。要牢固树立绿水青山就是金山银山的理念，深刻理解和落实生态文明理念，弘扬困难面前不低头、敢把沙漠变绿洲的奋斗精神，激励人们投身生态文明建设，持续用力，久久为功，为建设美丽中国而奋斗。中国特色社会主义已经进入新时代，我国社会主要矛盾已经转化为人民日益增长的美好生活需要和不平衡不充分的发展之间的矛盾，地区、城乡发展的不平衡，经济、科技和教育等发展的不平衡较为显著，直接影响着生态文明建设的成效。因此，只有瞄准生态治理目标不放松，常抓不懈，才能真正实现天更蓝、山更绿、水更清、环境更优美的美丽中国建设目标。

Always Adhere to the Thinking Concept of Unifying

始终坚持全面推进和

Comprehensive Advancement and Key Grasp

重点把握相统一的思维观念

Adhering to the concepts of comprehensiveness and development is an important methodological principle of dialectical materialism. It emphasizes that in human cognition and social practice activities, it is necessary to deeply understand that things are organic systems composed of interconnected elements. A comprehensive viewpoint must be adopted, seeing both the universality of contradictions and their particularity; seeing both the whole of things and their parts; seeing both the current state of things and their development trends; seeing both the internal causes of things and their external conditions. It opposes the isolated and static understanding of things and contradictions, emphasizing that while transforming the objective world, it is also necessary to continuously transform the subjective world, grasping the laws in the course of historical development.

坚持全面和发展的观念是唯物辩证法的重要方法论原则，强调了在人类认识和社会实践活动中，要深刻认识事物是由相互联系的要素构成的有机系统，必须坚持全面的观点，既要看到矛盾的普遍性，也要看到矛盾的特殊性；既要看到事物的整体，也要看到事物的各个部分；既要看到事物的现状，也要看到事物的发展趋势；既要看到事物的内部原因，也要看到事物的外部条件。反对孤立静止认识事物和矛盾，强调了在改造客观世界的同时，也要不断地改造主观世界，在历史发展进程中把握规律。

The first volume of *Selected Works of Xi Jinping on Ecological Civilization* fully embodies the concept of comprehensiveness and development. First, the six principles of ecological civilization construction reflect the comprehensiveness of Xi Jinping Thought on Ecological Civilization. In “Promoting China’s Ecological Civilization Construction to a New Level,” General Secretary Xi Jinping points out that in advancing ecological civilization construction in the New Era, the following principles must be upheld: first, maintaining harmony between humanity and nature; second, that lucid waters and lush mountains are invaluable assets; third, that a sound ecological environment is the most inclusive form of public wellbeing; fourth, that mountains, waters, forests, farmlands, lakes, and grasslands constitute a community of life; fifth, protecting the ecological environment with the strictest institutions and the most rigorous rule of law; and sixth, jointly pursuing global ecological civilization construction. These six principles fully embody the view of nature and the concept of a community of life, the green development concept, the basic concept of people’s livelihood, the holistic systems view, the strict rule-of-law view, and the global win-win view within Xi Jinping Thought on Ecological Civilization, thereby forming the overall content of Xi Jinping Thought on Ecological Civilization.

《习近平生态文明文选》第一卷充分体现了全面和发展的观念。第一，生态文明建设的六大原则体现了习近平生态文明思想的全面性。习近平总书记在《推动我国生态文明建设迈上新台阶》中指出，新时代推进生态文明建设，必须坚持好以下原则：一是坚持人与自然和谐共生，二是绿水青山就是金山银山，三是良好生态环境是最普惠的民生福祉，四是山水林田湖草是生命共同体，五是用最严格制度最严密法治保护生态环境，六是共谋全球生态文明建设。这六大原则充分体现了习近平生态文明思想中的自然观和生命共同体理念、绿色发展观、基本民生观、整体系统观、严密法治观和全球共赢观，从而形成了习近平生态文明思想的总体内容。

Second, Chinese-path modernization is the modernization of harmony between humanity and nature, and it must follow a civilized development path of comprehensive coordination among production, living, and ecology. In “Chinese-path Modernization Is the Modernization of Harmony between Humanity and Nature,” General Secretary Xi Jinping points out that respecting, adapting to, and protecting nature, and promoting harmony between humanity and nature, are the distinctive features of Chinese-path modernization. Chinese-path modernization adheres to sustainable development, upholds the principle of prioritizing conservation, protection, and natural restoration, and unswervingly follows a civilized development path of increased production, affluent living, and sound ecology, opening up broad prospects for the sustainable development of the Chinese nation. The construction of socialist ecological civilization with Chinese characteristics is not isolated or one-sided, but comprehensive and developmental. The development of production inevitably brings about the improvement of people’s living standards, as well as an increase in their sense of happiness and fulfillment. It also promotes the advancement of science and technology and the enhancement of people’s environmental awareness, thereby contributing to the development of ecological and environmental protection.

第二，中国式现代化是人与自然和谐共生的现代化，要走生产、生活、生态全面协调发展的文明发展道路。习近平总书记在《中国式现代化是人与自然和谐共生的现代化》中指出，尊重自然、顺应自然、保护自然，促进人与自然和谐共生，是中国式现代化的鲜明特点。中国式现代化坚持可持续发展，坚持节约优先、保护优先、自然恢复为主的方针，坚定不移走生产发展、生活富裕、生态良好的文明发展道路，为实现中华民族永续发展开辟了广阔前景。中国特色社会主义生态文明建设不是孤立和片面的，而是全面和发展的，生产的发展必然带来的是人民生活水平的提高，以及幸福感和获得感的提升，也能促进科技的发展和人民的环保意识的提高，从而有助于推进生态环境保护事业的发展。

Third, ecological civilization construction should achieve the unity of overall advancement and breakthrough at key points. In advancing China’s ecological environmental protection and ecological governance, it is necessary to both promote comprehensive and coordinated progress and to grasp the key points and priorities, ensuring targeted action and “playing the piano with ten fingers.” [3]3 “Playing the piano with ten fingers” is a metaphor used by Mao Zedong to describe the need for balanced and coordinated work methods, emphasizing that all aspects of a task must be attended to simultaneously, just as a pianist uses all ten fingers to produce a harmonious melody. General Secretary Xi Jinping points out that China’s economy has shifted from a stage of high-speed growth to a stage of high-quality development. Under the new circumstances, the key to promoting the development of the Yangtze River Economic Belt is to correctly grasp the relationships between overall advancement and breakthrough at key points, between ecological environmental protection and economic development, between overall planning and sustained efforts, between eliminating old drivers of growth and cultivating new ones, and between self-development and coordinated development; to strengthen reform and innovation, strategic coordination, and planning guidance, so that the Yangtze River Economic Belt becomes a leading force in driving China’s high-quality economic development. These all embody the method of unifying the “two-point theory” and the “key-point theory” of Marxist materialist dialectics, enabling us to recognize that in promoting ecological environmental protection, attention must be paid to the unity of overall advancement and breakthrough at key points.

第三，生态文明建设应该是总体推进和重点突破相统一的。在推进中国生态环境保护和生态治理过程中，既要全面协调推进，也要做到抓重点和关键，做到有的放矢，“十个手指弹钢琴”。习近平总书记指出，我国经济已由高速增长阶段转向高质量发展阶段。新形势下，推动长江经济带发展，关键是要正确把握整体推进和重点突破、生态环境保护和经济发展、总体谋划和久久为功、破除旧动能和培育新动能、自身发展和协同发展等关系，加强改革创新、战略统筹、规划引导，使长江经济带成为引领我国经济高质量发展的生力军。这些无不体现了马克思主义唯物辩证法的“两点论”和“重点论”相统一的方法，使我们认识到在推进生态环境保护中，要注意总体推进与重点突破相统一。

(The author is a professor at the School of Marxism, Zhongnan University of Economics and Law, and a researcher at the Institute of CPC History and Party Building, Zhongnan University of Economics and Law.)

（作者系中南财经政法大学马克思主义学院教授、中南财经政法大学中共党史党建研究院研究员）

Online editor: Tongxin

网络编辑：同心