The Enrichment and Development of Historical Materialism in the New Era

Marxism is the fundamental guiding ideology for the establishment of our Party and state, and it is the soul and banner of our Party. Practice requires the guidance of theory, and practice also enriches and develops theory. Since the 18th National Congress of the CPC, the Party Central Committee with Comrade Xi Jinping at its core has led the entire Party and the people of the whole country in upholding the Marxist historical materialism, enriching and developing the connotation and extension of historical materialism through the great practice of socialism with Chinese characteristics in the New Era.

马克思主义是我们立党立国的根本指导思想，是我们党的灵魂和旗帜。实践需要理论的指导，实践也丰富和发展理论。党的十八大以来，以习近平同志为核心的党中央，领导全党全国人民坚持马克思主义的唯物史观，通过新时代中国特色社会主义的伟大实践，丰富和发展了唯物史观的内涵和外延。

“People-centered” deepens the theory of the people’s status as the subject of history

“以人民为中心”深化了人民群众历史主体地位的理论

Marxist historical materialism emphasizes that the people are the creators of history and the true heroes; the people create their own history and are the subjects of historical activity. Since the 18th National Congress of the CPC, the Party Central Committee with Comrade Xi Jinping at its core has clearly put forward the idea of “people-centered,” and the view that “the people are the subject of history” has been enriched and deepened. It can be said that “people-centered” is a new development of “the people’s status as the subject of history” in the New Era and the essential manifestation of historical materialism in contemporary China.

马克思主义唯物史观强调，人民群众是历史的创造者，是真正的英雄；人民群众自己创造自己的历史，是历史活动的主体。党的十八大以来，以习近平同志为核心的党中央鲜明提出“以人民为中心”的思想，“人民群众历史主体地位”这一观点得到了丰富与深化。可以说，“以人民为中心”是“人民群众历史主体地位”在新时代的新发展，是唯物史观在当代中国生成的本质体现。

In the logical system of historical materialism, “people-centered” has three levels of connotation: First, rely on the people to create historical achievements. The people are the true heroes, the fundamental force determining the future and destiny of the Party and the state; we must rely on the people to create historical achievements. The people are the decisive force driving the great historical cause of the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation; creating the historical cause of the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation is the cause of all the people. We must respect the people’s subject position, respect and give play to the people’s creative spirit, and must rely on the people to create. Second, the people’s aspiration for a better life is our Party’s goal of struggle. Born for the people, thriving because of the people, always standing with the people, and striving for the people’s interests are the starting point and落脚点 of all our Party’s work, and are the essential connotation and practical requirement of the “people-centered” concept in the New Era. Third, “people-centered” contains the highest value pursuit of historical materialism — “the free and comprehensive development of the individual.” On the basis of continuously promoting development, we must strive to solve the problems of unbalanced and inadequate development, vigorously improve the quality and efficiency of development, better meet the people’s growing needs in the economic, political, cultural, social, and ecological fields, and better promote the comprehensive development of the individual. “The free and comprehensive development of the individual” is a major law of the evolution and development of human social forms; the “people” in “people-centered” also carries the meaning of all “humanity.” The proposal of “a community with a shared future for mankind” is precisely an accurate grasp of the trend of world history and a creative development of the world history thought in historical materialism.

在唯物史观的逻辑体系中，“以人民为中心”有三个层面的内涵：第一，依靠人民创造历史伟业。人民是真正的英雄，人民是决定党和国家前途命运的根本力量，要依靠人民创造历史伟业。人民群众是推动中华民族伟大复兴历史伟业的决定性力量，创造中华民族伟大复兴的历史伟业是全体人民的事业，必须尊重人民群众的主体地位，尊重和发挥人民群众的创造精神，必须依靠人民创造。第二，人民对美好生活的向往，就是我们党的奋斗目标。为人民而生，因人民而兴，始终同人民站在一起，为人民利益而奋斗，是我们党全部工作的出发点和落脚点，是新时代“以人民为中心”理念的本质内涵和实践要求。第三，“以人民为中心”内含了唯物史观的最高价值追求——“人的自由全面发展”。我们要在持续推动发展的基础上，着力解决好发展不平衡不充分问题，大力提升发展质量和效益，更好满足人民在经济、政治、文化、社会、生态等方面日益增长的需要，更好推动人的全面发展。“人的自由全面发展”是人类社会形态演进和发展的重大规律，“以人民为中心”中的“人民”亦有全体“人类”之义。“人类命运共同体”的提出，正是对世界历史趋势的精准把握，对唯物史观中世界历史思想的创造性发展。

“Comprehensively deepening reform” enriches the theory of the movement of the basic contradictions of society

“全面深化改革”丰富了社会基本矛盾运动的理论

Historical materialism holds that the contradictions between productive forces and relations of production, and between the economic base and the superstructure, are the basic contradictions of society. On the one hand, productive forces determine relations of production, and the economic base determines the superstructure; on the other hand, relations of production have a counteractive effect on productive forces, and the superstructure has a counteractive effect on the economic base. Relations of production must adapt to the state of productive forces, and the superstructure must adapt to the state of the economic base; their combined action constitutes the contradictory movement of the entire society. Only by integrating them as a whole can we clearly understand the problems of social development and accurately grasp the direction of social development. The fundamental reason for the remarkable achievements of China’s reform and opening up over more than 40 years lies precisely in our continuous adjustment of relations of production to stimulate the vitality of social productive forces, and our continuous adjustment and improvement of the superstructure to meet the development requirements of the economic base. Reforms of the economic system, political system, cultural system, social system, ecological civilization system, and the Party building system are all for this purpose. Comprehensively deepening reform means adapting to changes in the movement of our society’s basic contradictions to promote social development, requiring us to uphold and improve the system of socialism with Chinese characteristics and continuously advance the modernization of the national governance system and governance capacity. Comprehensively deepening reform is a new development of the Marxist historical materialist theory that “relations of production adapt to productive forces, and the superstructure adapts to the economic base.”

唯物史观认为，生产力和生产关系、经济基础和上层建筑的矛盾是社会基本矛盾，一方面，生产力决定生产关系、经济基础决定上层建筑；另一方面生产关系对生产力、上层建筑对经济基础具有反作用。生产关系一定要适应生产力状况，上层建筑一定要适应经济基础状况，它们的共同作用构成整个社会的矛盾运动。只有将它们整体结合起来，才能认清社会发展问题，精准把握社会发展方向。我国改革开放40多年来取得举世瞩目的成就，其最根本的原因就在于我们不断地通过调整生产关系去激发社会生产力发展活力，不断调整并完善上层建筑以适应经济基础的发展要求。经济体制、政治体制、文化体制、社会体制、生态文明体制和党的建设制度改革，皆是出于此目的。全面深化改革，就是要适应我国社会基本矛盾运动的变化来推动社会发展，要求必须坚持和完善中国特色社会主义制度，不断推进国家治理体系和治理能力现代化。全面深化改革，是马克思主义唯物史观“生产关系与生产力、上层建筑与经济基础相适应”理论的新发展。

“Carrying forward the spirit of struggle” puts into practice the theory of the dialectical relationship between social being and social consciousness

“发扬斗争精神”实践了社会存在和社会意识辩证关系的理论

The dialectical relationship between social being and social consciousness in historical materialism first emphasizes that social being determines social consciousness, and also points out that social consciousness depends on social being but has its relative independence. This relative independence is prominently manifested in the active counteractive effect of social consciousness on social being. This requires us to properly handle the relationship between respecting objective laws and giving play to subjective initiative. Advanced social consciousness can foresee the development trend of social being and plays a key role in guiding social change. In the new development of the New Era, on the one hand, we must adhere to proceeding from reality in everything, act according to objective laws, carry out a blueprint to the end, and do a good job of laying the foundation and making long-term efforts. We must not make decisions based on whims, give blind commands, or make arbitrary decisions, and we must eliminate short-term behavior and pulling up seedlings to help them grow. On the other hand, we must encourage local areas, grassroots units, and the masses to explore boldly, pilot and test first, summarize experience in a timely manner, and bravely promote theoretical and practical innovation, continuously deepening our understanding of the laws of reform. The vast number of Party members and cadres must strengthen the Four Consciousnesses, firm up the Four Confidences, and achieve the Two Upholds, temper their political character of loyalty, integrity, and responsibility, firm up their will to struggle, carry forward the spirit of struggle, and enhance their ability to struggle. When severe situations and struggle tasks are placed before them, they must be tough in character, dare to strike out, dare to fight and be able to win, and bravely carry out the great struggle with many new historical features. Carrying forward the spirit of struggle and promoting the innovative development of ideological and political work in the New Era means fully mobilizing and giving play to the subjective initiative of the broad masses of the people, Party members, and cadres. This is a contemporary development of the Marxist historical materialist theory of the “dialectical relationship between social being and social consciousness.”

唯物史观关于社会存在和社会意识的辩证关系，首先强调社会存在决定社会意识，亦指出社会意识依赖于社会存在，但又有其相对独立性。这种相对的独立性突出表现为社会意识对社会存在的能动反作用。这就要求我们处理好尊重客观规律和发挥主观能动性的关系。先进的社会意识能够预见社会存在的发展趋势，起着指导社会变革的关键性作用。新时代新发展，一方面，要坚持一切从实际出发，按照客观规律办事，一张蓝图抓到底，抓好打基础利长远的工作，不能拍脑袋、瞎指挥、乱决策，杜绝短期行为、揠苗助长。另一方面，要鼓励地方、基层、群众大胆探索、先行先试，及时总结经验，勇于推进理论和实践创新，不断深化对改革规律的认识；广大党员、干部必须增强“四个意识”，坚定“四个自信”，做到“两个维护”，锤炼忠诚干净担当的政治品格，坚定斗争意志、发扬斗争精神、增强斗争本领，当严峻形势和斗争任务摆在面前时，骨头要硬，敢于出击，敢战能胜，勇于进行具有许多新的历史特点的伟大斗争。发扬斗争精神，推进新时代思想政治工作守正创新发展，就是要充分调动和发挥广大人民群众、党员、干部的主观能动性。这是马克思主义唯物史观“社会存在与社会意识辩证关系”理论的时代性发展。

“Innovation is the primary driving force for development” expands the theory of the driving forces of social and historical development

“创新是引领发展的第一动力”拓展了社会历史发展动力的理论

Historical materialism holds that the movement of the basic contradictions of society is the fundamental driving force of social development, and that class struggle, social revolution, social reform, and science and technology play important roles in social development. Social production is the foundation of all human history and all activities; productive forces are the fundamental driving force promoting the development of human society and historical evolution. In the New Era, our Party, on the one hand, adheres to comprehensively deepening reform, actively adjusting relations of production to adapt to productive forces, and the superstructure to adapt to the economic base; on the other hand, it firmly grasps the important content of historical materialism that economic operation plays a decisive role in historical development, producing rich ideas on innovation-driven development and scientific and technological innovation, thereby expanding the theory of the driving forces of social and historical development.

历史唯物主义认为，社会基本矛盾运动是社会发展的根本动力，阶级斗争和社会革命、社会改革、科学技术在社会发展中具有重要作用。社会生产是人类全部历史和全部活动的基础，生产力是推动人类社会发展与历史演进的根本动力。新时代，我们党一方面坚持全面深化改革，积极调整生产关系与生产力、上层建筑与经济基础相适应；另一方面牢牢抓住经济运行对历史发展起决定性作用这一唯物史观的重要内容，产生了丰富的创新驱动、科技创新思想，拓展了社会历史发展动力的理论。

The report of the 19th National Congress of the CPC put forward the scientific thesis that “innovation is the primary driving force for development,” which has three aspects of logical innovation. First, it places greater emphasis on laborers with scientific foundational capabilities, that is, it places greater emphasis on the “talent cornerstone.” Innovation-driven development is essentially talent-driven; competition in comprehensive national strength is, in the final analysis, competition in innovation and competition in talent. We must thoroughly implement the new development philosophy, thoroughly implement the strategy of invigorating China through science and education and the strategy of strengthening the nation through human resource development, thoroughly implement the innovation-driven development strategy, make overall plans, strengthen organization, and optimize the overall layout of China’s scientific and technological development. Second, implementing innovation-driven development fundamentally lies in enhancing the capacity for independent innovation. Only by mastering core technologies in our own hands can we truly grasp the initiative in competition and development, and fundamentally ensure national economic security, national defense security, and other securities. The most important thing in enhancing the capacity for independent innovation is to unswervingly follow the path of independent innovation with Chinese characteristics, but this by no means means closing the door to innovation; rather, it means making full use of global innovation resources to promote independent innovation from a higher starting point. Third, promoting scientific and technological innovation requires breaking down institutional and mechanistic obstacles and leading the reform of the science and technology system. We must strive to explore a collaborative innovation system, properly solve the three basic problems of “who will innovate,” “where does the impetus come from,” and “how are the results used,” accelerate the establishment of a mechanism where the market primarily evaluates technological innovation results, break the bottleneck hindering the transformation of technological achievements, and accelerate the transformation of innovation results into actual productive forces.

党的十九大报告提出“创新是引领发展的第一动力”的科学论断，有三个方面的逻辑创新。第一，更加注重拥有科学基础能力的劳动者，即更加注重“人才基石”。创新驱动本质上就是人才驱动，综合国力的竞争说到底是创新的竞争，是人才的竞争。我们要深入贯彻新发展理念，深入实施科教兴国战略和人才强国战略，深入实施创新驱动发展战略，统筹谋划，加强组织，优化我国科技事业发展总体布局。第二，实施创新驱动发展，根本在于增强自主创新的能力。只有把核心技术掌握在自己手中，才能真正掌握竞争和发展的主动权，才能从根本上保障国家经济安全、国防安全和其他安全。增强自主创新能力，最重要的就是要坚定不移走中国特色自主创新道路，但绝不是要关起门来搞创新，而是充分利用全球创新资源，在更高起点上推进自主创新。第三，推动科技创新，必须破除体制机制障碍，引领科技体制改革。努力探索协同创新体系，解决好“由谁来创新”“动力哪里来”“成果如何用”三个基本问题，要加快建立主要由市场评价技术创新成果的机制，打破阻碍技术成果转化的瓶颈，使创新成果加快转化为现实生产力。

Based on the great practice of socialism with Chinese characteristics in the New Era, Marxist historical materialism has completed a series of new developments in contemporary China and achieved creative new advances. The new developments of historical materialism in the New Era are the crystallization and precious wealth of the theoretical innovation of the Chinese Communists, and they are the guiding ideology that we must always adhere to in the new stage of development, on the new journey of comprehensively building a modern socialist country.

基于新时代中国特色社会主义的伟大实践，马克思主义的唯物史观完成了一系列的当代中国新发展，得到了创造性的新发展。新时代唯物史观的新发展，是中国共产党人理论创新的结晶和宝贵财富，是我们在新发展阶段，全面建设社会主义现代化国家新征程中，必须始终坚持的指导思想。

Online editor: Paul

网络编辑：保罗