The Historical Initiative Spirit: Generative Logic, Identity Function, and Deepening Pathways

Today, the development of human civilization in the world is encountering major setbacks, and world history has entered a new period of turbulence and transformation. Under these historical circumstances, how can the Chinese nation maintain its historical resolve? How can it strengthen its historical confidence? The Party Central Committee with Comrade Xi Jinping at its core has always held the historical initiative. On the basis of correctly understanding the laws of development of our society’s history, it has clearly pointed out the need to “strengthen historical confidence and enhance the historical initiative,” and to “evoke an even stronger historical consciousness and initiative spirit.” The historical initiative spirit contains the correct methods for people to understand and create history. It helps to fully unleash the conscious initiative of the subject, scientifically plan the grand historical blueprint, and also enhance the people’s high degree of identification with creating the Chinese-path modernization, enabling people to confidently write the future landscape.

当今世界人类文明发展正在遭遇重大挫折，世界历史进入了新的动荡变革期。在这种历史境况下中华民族何以保持历史定力？如何坚定历史自信？以习近平同志为核心的党中央始终掌握历史主动权，在正确认识我国社会历史发展规律的基础上，明确指出要“坚定历史自信，增强历史主动”，“焕发出更为强烈的历史自觉和主动精神”。历史主动精神蕴含着人们认识历史、创造历史的正确方法，有助于充分发挥主体的自觉能动性，科学谋划历史宏图，也能增进民众对创造中国式现代化道路的高度认同，使人们充满自信地书写未来图景。

I. The Generative Logic of the Historical Initiative Spirit in the New Era

一、新时代历史主动精神的生成逻辑

The historical initiative spirit, as a cultural form with positive functions, is spontaneously generated by people in the process of creating history. Based on a semantic understanding, “historical initiative spirit” is a composite concept. Among them, “historical” refers to the methodology that people should follow when understanding the real world, which can guide people to foresee the nature and direction of their own historical activities; “initiative” refers to the spiritual function that people, as beings of the “species,” should possess, requiring them to fully exert their subjective consciousness when creating history; the word “spirit” refers to the sum total of ways of thinking, value orientations, and spiritual temperaments generated in historical activities and recognized by the majority of members. As a product of the subjective consciousness of the masses engaged in historical practice, the historical initiative spirit has a profound generative mechanism and developmental logic.

历史主动精神作为一种具有正向功能的文化样态，是人们在创造历史过程中自觉生成的。基于词义学方面的理解，“历史主动精神”是一个复合性概念。其中，“历史”指人们在认识现实世界时应遵从的方法论，能够引导人们预见自身历史活动的性质和走向；“主动”指的是人作为“类”的存在物应具备的精神机能，要求人们在创造历史时充分发挥其主体自觉性；“精神”一词，则指生成于历史活动并为大多数成员所认同的思维方式、价值取向和精神气质的总和。作为人民群众从事历史实践的主观意识产物，历史主动精神有着深刻的生成机理和发展逻辑。

(A) Theoretical Logic: Historical Materialism Is the Theoretical Foundation for the Gestation and Generation of the Historical Initiative Spirit

（一）理论逻辑：唯物史观是历史主动精神孕育生成的理论基础

Historical materialism is a sharp ideological weapon for people to transform the world, capable of guiding people to scientifically foresee the nature and results of historical activities. Historical materialism is internally generated from the subject’s historical labor practice, takes the objectivity of the real world as its cognitive basis, and requires people to perceive the laws of historical development based on the practical process. “The economic production and the social structure necessarily arising from it in each historical epoch constitute the foundation for the political and intellectual history of that epoch.” [1]1 Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels, *Selected Works of Marx and Engels*, Vol. 1 (Beijing: People’s Publishing House, 2012), p. 380. Historically, historical materialism was formed and developed within “historical concreteness,” and is closely related to the inability of traditional Western philosophy to eliminate human “alienation.” In the view of Marx and Engels, although traditional Western philosophy strictly adhered to the discourse paradigm and explanatory logic of metaphysics, it could not understand human activity as “objective activity”; on the contrary, it deliberately ignored or obscured the state of human existential alienation. Philosophy should not only focus on abstract concepts, but should also be concerned with “real, empirically observable people developing under definite conditions.” [2]2 Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels, *Selected Works of Marx and Engels*, Vol. 1 (Beijing: People’s Publishing House, 2012), p. 153. Therefore, this clarifies and standardizes the basic narrative mode and thinking logic of historical materialism, that is, to explore the logic and mechanism of historical development from the standpoint of labor practice.

唯物史观是人们改造世界的锐利思想武器，能够指导人们科学地预见历史活动的性质与结果。唯物史观内生于主体的历史性劳动实践，以现实世界的客观性作为认知依据，并且要求人们基于实践过程洞见历史发展规律。“每一历史时代的经济生产以及必然由此产生的社会结构，是该时代政治的和精神的历史的基础”。历史地看，唯物史观在“历史具体”中形成和发展起来，同西方传统哲学无法消除人的“异化”密切相关。在马克思恩格斯看来，西方传统哲学虽然严格遵从形而上学的话语范式和阐述逻辑，但并不能将人的活动理解为“对象性的活动”，反而刻意无视或遮蔽人的生存异化状态。哲学不应只关注抽象的概念，还应该关心“处在现实的、可以通过经验观察到的、在一定条件下进行的发展过程中的人”。因此，这就明确和规范了唯物史观的基本叙事方式和思维逻辑，亦即从劳动实践的角度探索历史发展的逻辑和机理。

Historical materialism emphasizes grasping human history from the standpoint of labor practice. Once it emerged, it marked the beginning of the formation of the historical initiative spirit. On the one hand, historical materialism is an epistemology that insists on practice, requiring a thorough critique of idealism. Idealism cannot understand the mode of human existence and denies that the essence of human life is practice, the root cause being that it “understands things from the perspective of the object or intuition.” [3]3 Karl Marx, *Theses on Feuerbach*, in *Selected Works of Marx and Engels*, Vol. 1 (Beijing: People’s Publishing House, 2012), p. 133. Marx and Engels devoted themselves to studying “practically critical” philosophy, recognizing that “whether human thinking has objective truth is not a theoretical question, but a practical question.” [4]4 Karl Marx, *Theses on Feuerbach*, in *Selected Works of Marx and Engels*, Vol. 1 (Beijing: People’s Publishing House, 2012), p. 134. Labor practice is a revolutionary type of practice, capable of promoting “the coincidence of the changing of circumstances and of human activity or self-change.” [5]5 Karl Marx, *Theses on Feuerbach*, in *Selected Works of Marx and Engels*, Vol. 1 (Beijing: People’s Publishing House, 2012), p. 134. In the narrative logic of historical materialism, people not only produce means of subsistence and material life itself, but also create the spiritual world, including the historical initiative spirit. On the other hand, historical materialism is an epistemology that insists on dialectics, containing a negative understanding while affirming existing things. In fact, Marx proposed dialectical materialism very early on, believing that “dialectics does not worship anything; in its essence, it is critical and revolutionary.” [6]6 Karl Marx, *Capital*, Vol. 1, in *Selected Works of Marx and Engels*, Vol. 2 (Beijing: People’s Publishing House, 2012), p. 94. Materialist dialectics is a revolutionary dialectics, consistently adhering to the basic principles of practical materialism, conducive to promoting the unity of materialism with human subjectivity, and thereby guiding people towards the path of “liberation.” As Lenin pointed out, the entire spirit and whole system of Marxism require proceeding from a historical perspective, examining each principle in connection with specific historical experience. [7]7 V. I. Lenin, *Complete Works of Lenin*, Vol. 47 (Beijing: People’s Publishing House, 1990), p. 700. In short, the essential meaning of historical materialism is embedded in the subject’s labor practice, and can endow the subject with a historical consciousness on the basis of clarifying the essence of history.

唯物史观强调从劳动实践的立场把握人类历史，一经出场就标志着历史主动精神开始形成。一方面，唯物史观是坚持实践的认识论，要求对唯心主义进行彻底批判。唯心主义不能理解人的存在方式，否认人的生活本质乃是实践，根源就在于它“从客体的或者直观的形式去理解”。马克思恩格斯致力于研究“实践批判的”哲学，认识到“人的思维是否具有客观的真理性，这不是一个理论的问题，而是一个实践的问题”。劳动实践乃是一种革命性质的实践，能够促进“环境的改变和人的活动或自我改变的一致”。在唯物史观的叙事逻辑中，人们不只是生产生活资料和物质生活本身，还创造了包括历史主动精神在内的精神世界。另一方面，唯物史观是坚持辩证法的认识论，在肯定现存事物的同时包含着否定的理解。其实，马克思在很早之前就提出了辩证唯物主义，认为“辩证法不崇拜任何东西，按其本质来说，它是批判的和革命的”。唯物主义辩证法是一种革命的辩证法，始终坚持实践唯物主义的基本原则，有利于促进唯物主义同人的主体性相统一，进而指引人们通往“解放”之路。如列宁所指出的，马克思主义的全部精神和整个体系都要求从历史角度出发，将每个原理都同具体的历史经验联系起来加以考察。总之，唯物史观的精神要义内置于主体的劳动实践，能够在明确历史本质的基础上赋予主体一种历史自觉性。

Historical materialism is also an epistemology that insists on historical materialism, asserting that all historical activities, including human spiritual phenomena, are products of the subject’s engagement in material production practice. Marx and Engels pointed out: “In order to ‘make history,’ people must be able to live. But in order to live, they first need food, drink, shelter, clothing, and some other things.” [8]8 Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels, *The German Ideology*, in *Selected Works of Marx and Engels*, Vol. 1 (Beijing: People’s Publishing House, 2012), p. 158. This shows that although human history is “nothing but the activity of people pursuing their own ends,” [9]9 Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels, *The Holy Family*, in *Complete Works of Marx and Engels*, Vol. 2 (Beijing: People’s Publishing House, 1957), p. 118. it must take certain material means as its basic “premise,” and this premise can only be realized in the material interaction between the subject and the objective world. It is in this sense that the historical initiative spirit acquires a practical orientation, that is, it requires recognizing the subject status of the masses in historical activities, recognizing that people can grasp the general trend of history, discern the direction of history, and promote historical revolutions in the field of material production. In essence, the historical initiative spirit, or the subject’s historical initiative, manifests as people consciously using historical materialism to understand the life world and its real processes, and to see through the surface of life to “the deep reality beneath the surface of history.” [10]10 The phrase “historical initiative spirit” is a composite term in Chinese political discourse, combining “history,” “initiative,” and “spirit” to denote a proactive, conscious attitude toward historical development.

唯物史观还是一种坚持历史唯物主义的认识论，主张一切历史活动包括人类精神现象，都是主体从事物质生产实践的产物。马克思恩格斯指出：“人们为了能够‘创造历史’，必须能够生活。但是为了生活，首先就需要吃喝住穿以及其他一些东西。”这就说明，人类历史虽然“不过是追求着自己目的的人的活动而已”，但它必须以一定的物质资料作为基本“前提”条件，而且这个条件只能在主体与客观世界的物质交往中实现。正是在这个意义上，历史主动精神有了现实指向性，亦即要求承认群众在历史活动中的主体地位，承认人们能够把握历史大势、洞悉历史走向，推动物质生产领域发生历史性革命。质言之，历史主动精神或者主体历史能动性，表现为人们自觉运用唯物史观理解生活世界及其真实过程，并透过生活表象去洞察“历史表象之下的深层现实”。

(B) Historical Logic: The Spirit of Innovation Is the Profound Foundation for the Cultivation and Development of the Historical Initiative Spirit

（二）历史逻辑：创新精神是历史主动精神涵育发展的深厚底蕴

The concept of “historical initiative spirit” does not exist in traditional Chinese culture. However, within the core value concepts such as “vigorous and promising” and “keeping pace with the times,” there are extremely rich historical initiative factors. Among them, “courage to innovate” is the most prominent spiritual style of the Chinese nation, carrying people’s identification with and belonging to their own community identity. “As Heaven’s movement is ever vigorous, so must a gentleman ceaselessly strive for self-improvement.” [11]11 This is a classical Chinese saying from the *I Ching* (Book of Changes), often cited to encourage self-reliance and continuous effort. In the traditional spiritual world represented by Confucian thought, the phenomenon of celestial bodies moving without ceasing is regarded as “vigor,” while the state of “not stopping” and “changing” is called “ceaselessness.” The philosophical implications contained therein have profound progressive meaning, holding that people need to fully exert their positive initiative to remain consistent with the constantly changing objective world. Based on an analysis of the ultimate values revered by traditional Chinese culture, the subject’s conscious initiative shares identity with the spirit of innovation. Among them, conscious initiative is the ideological foundation and internal driving force for the generation of the spirit of innovation, while the spirit of innovation is the practical process and inevitable result of conscious initiative. Precisely because of this, ancient sages formed the profound philosophical insight: “The ceaselessly vigorous, who caution themselves all day long, are in harmony with the seasons of Heaven, with all things growing ceaselessly, meaning they advance in step with the times.” [12]12 This is a classical Chinese commentary on the *I Ching*, emphasizing proactive action in harmony with the times. The “ceaselessly vigorous” here means being proactive and initiative, and “advancing in step with the times” is what we advocate today as “keeping pace with the times.”

中华传统文化中并无“历史主动精神”这一概念，而在以“刚健有为”“与时俱进”等为核心的价值理念中，却蕴含着极为丰富的历史主动因素。其中，“勇于创新”便是中华民族最显著的精神风貌，承载着人们对于自身群落身份的认同和归属。“天行健，君子以自强不息。”在以儒家思想为代表的传统精神世界，天体运转永不停歇的现象被视为“健”，“不停止”和“通变”的状态则被称为“不息”。其内含的哲理诉求具有深刻的进取之义，认为人们需要充分发挥自身的积极能动性，同不断变化的客观世界保持一致。基于中国传统文化崇奉的终极价值分析，主体在自觉能动性上同创新精神具有同一性。其中，自觉能动性是创新精神得以生成的思想基础和内在动力，创新精神则是自觉能动性的实践过程和必然结果。正因如此，古代先哲们形成了“乾乾不息，终日自戒者。同于天时，生物不息，言与时偕行也”的深刻哲思。这里的“乾乾不息”即为积极主动之意，“与时偕行”就是今天我们提倡的“与时俱进”。

The courage to innovate is a concentrated manifestation of the Chinese national character, holding that all things are transformed through active change. The term “innovation” carries the meaning of “abolishing the old and establishing the new,” [13]13 革故鼎新 (gé gù dǐng xīn): A four-character idiom meaning “to abolish the old and establish the new,” originally from the *Book of Changes* (Yijing). referring to the ruling stratum’s ability to proactively abolish old institutions and establish new regulations. For example, during the Northern Song dynasty, Wang Anshi, when presiding over the reforms, once proposed, “Heaven’s changes are not to be feared, the ancestors’ ways are not to be followed, and others’ criticisms are not to be heeded,” [14]14 “天变不足畏，祖宗不足法，人言不足恤” (tiān biàn bù zú wèi, zǔ zōng bù zú fǎ, rén yán bù zú xù): A famous saying attributed to Wang Anshi (1021–1086), the Song dynasty reformer, expressing his determination to defy traditional authority. holding that only by abolishing outdated conventions and establishing new systems and decrees could the country’s situation of poverty and weakness be thoroughly changed. In the late Qing dynasty, Kang Youwei, Liang Qichao, and others, when promoting the Hundred Days’ Reform, [15]15 戊戌变法 (Wùxū Biànfǎ): The Hundred Days’ Reform of 1898, a failed 103-day period of national reform led by Kang Youwei and Liang Qichao under Emperor Guangxu, suppressed by the Empress Dowager Cixi. vigorously appealed that “change is the universal principle of the world,” pointing out that only through reform could the “nation be preserved,” “the race be preserved,” and “the teachings be preserved,” enabling the Chinese nation to “rise vigorously within a hundred years”; conversely, if they could not actively reform, they would inevitably “cede the power of change to others,” ultimately losing national sovereignty. Surveying ancient statecraft thought, it is not difficult to find that propositions advocating innovation and seeking change, and promoting historical progress, are too numerous to list. Although these ideas and propositions served the feudal ruling class, the proactive spirit, enterprising character, and optimistic disposition contained within them have been fused into the traditions, institutions, customs, and habits of the Chinese nation, nurturing a valuable historical initiative character. Furthermore, the historical initiative spirit within the Chinese national spirit of innovation is also manifested in people’s continuous self-cultivation, such as the “superior person” [16]16 君子 (jūnzǐ): A Confucian term for an ideal moral person, often translated as “superior person,” “gentleman,” or “exemplary person.” reaching the supreme state of moral goodness through “daily renewal.” As Song dynasty Neo-Confucianism states, “The learning of the superior person must be renewed daily; one who is renewed daily advances daily. One who does not advance daily must retreat daily; there has never been one who neither advances nor retreats.” [17]17 “君子之学必日新…” (jūnzǐ zhī xué bì rì xīn…): A saying from the Song Neo-Confucian scholar Cheng Yi (程颐), emphasizing the necessity of daily moral and intellectual renewal. The natural world and human society both evolve according to their own laws; therefore, humans in historical activities must also actively adapt to historical laws, perfecting themselves and promoting social progress through continuous innovation.

勇于创新是中华民族气质的集中彰显，认为万事万物在主动变革中得以流转。创新一词具有“革故鼎新”之意，指统治阶层能够主动革除旧制和建立新规。例如，北宋王安石在主持变法时就曾提出，“天变不足畏，祖宗不足法，人言不足恤”，认为只有废除陈规旧习、建立新的制度法令，才能彻底改变国家积贫积弱的局势。清末康有为、梁启超等人在推动戊戌变法时，极力吁求“变者，天下之公理也”，指出只有变法才可“保国”“保种”和“保教”，使中华民族“不百年间，乃渤然而兴矣”；反之，若不能积极变法，势必会将“变之权让诸人”，最终丧失国家主权。纵观古代治国思想不难发现，提倡革新求变、推动历史进步的主张不胜枚举。虽然这些思想主张服务于封建统治阶级，但其中蕴含的主动精神、进取风骨和乐观品格，却已熔铸在中华民族的传统、制度、风俗和习惯之中，孕育了宝贵的历史主动品格。此外，中华民族创新精神中的历史主动精神，还表现为人们不断提高自身修养，如“君子”通过“日新”以到达道德的至善之境。诚如宋代理学所言，“君子之学必日新，日新者，日进也。不日进者必日退，未有不进而不退者也”。自然世界和人类社会都会依据自身规律不断演化，因此人类在历史活动中也要主动适应历史规律，在不断创新中完善自身和推动社会进步。

The spirit of innovation expresses the value demands of the spiritual construction of the Chinese national community, and its inherent proactive spirit provides a continuous driving force for the development of Chinese civilization. “Chinese civilization has not only profoundly influenced China’s development but has also made significant contributions to the progress of human civilization.” [18]18 Quotation from Xi Jinping, likely from a speech on the importance Historically, the Chinese nation gradually developed into an organic living community through common practice, and while enriching the diversity of human civilization, it also propelled the process of world history. The reason for this is, on the one hand, that the various ethnic groups in China formed a kind of “cultural affinity” bond in historical development—that is, a bond based on shared history, culture, national memory, and modes of value expression. On the other hand, members of different ethnic groups, through common labor and collective life, nurtured and consciously identified with a proactive spirit centered on active innovation. Precisely because of this, the Chinese nation was able to integrate into a highly cohesive community in historical development. In fact, within this truly “human” form of community of the Chinese nation, the spirit of innovation possesses a positive dynamism, capable of guiding the people to actively grasp the general trend of history, lead the historical tide, and coalesce a powerful joint force for creating a new form of human civilization.

创新精神表达了中华民族共同体精神构建的价值诉求，其内在的主动精神为中华文明发展提供了绵延动力。“中华文明，不仅对中国发展产生了深刻影响，而且对人类文明进步作出了重大贡献。”从历史上看，中华民族在共同实践中逐渐发展为有机的生活共同体，并在丰富人类文明多样性的同时推动了世界历史进程。究其原因，一方面，我国各个民族在历史发展中形成了一种“文缘”纽带，亦即一种基于共同的历史文化、民族记忆和价值表达的方式。另一方面，不同民族成员在共同劳动和集体生活中，孕育形成并自觉认同了以积极创新为核心的主动精神。正因如此，中华民族才能在历史发展中融合成为一个具有高度内聚力的共同体。事实上，在中华民族这个真正“属人”的共同体形式中，创新精神具有一种积极的能动性，能够引导民众主动把握历史大势、引领历史潮流，凝聚起创建人类文明新形态的强大合力。

(III) Practical Logic: The Spirit of Struggle as the Genetic Decoding for the Continuous Promotion of the Historical Initiative Spirit

（三）实践逻辑：斗争精神是历史主动精神赓续弘扬的基因解码

The spirit of struggle is a “human” spirit obtained when the subject transforms the objective world, and it is an important content and fundamental manifestation of the historical initiative spirit. As the concretization and extension of the revolutionary struggle philosophy in the historical field, the historical initiative spirit acknowledges that “struggle” is the catalyst for promoting historical progress. “All history is the history of class struggles, that is, the history of struggles between exploited and exploiting classes, between dominated and dominating classes at various stages of social development.” [19]19 “Good governance” (善治, shàn zhì): In the Chinese political context, this term refers to the ideal state of national governance characterized by effectiveness, rule of law, and responsiveness to the people, often contrasted with mere administrative control. All social history is a history of struggle; the driving force of social progress is contained in the process of people resolving contradictions. The contradictions between productive forces and relations of production, and between social existence and social consciousness, universally exist in every stage of human history and determine “the differentiation, exclusion, opposition, and even mutual conflict and confrontation of different interest relations.” [20]20 "Grand view of history" (大历史观) — a Marxist historiographical approach that emphasizes understanding historical events within a broad, long-term, and holistic framework, integrating macro-level structural analysis with micro-level concrete details, as advocated by the CPC to counter fragmented or distorted historical narratives. However, when this differentiation and confrontation centered on interests develops into class contradictions, it inevitably triggers comprehensive struggles in the economic, political, and ideological fields. To engage in material production activities and resolve contradictions, people construct social structures that correspond to them. It is precisely in this struggle of generating and resolving contradictions that the historical initiative spirit gradually takes shape.

斗争精神是主体改造客观世界时获得的一种“属人”精神，是历史主动精神的重要内容和根本体现。作为革命斗争哲学在历史领域的具化与延伸，历史主动精神承认“斗争”是推动历史进步的催化剂。“全部历史都是阶级斗争的历史，即社会发展各阶段上被剥削阶级和剥削阶级之间、被统治阶级和统治阶级之间斗争的历史。”一切社会历史都是斗争史，社会进步的动力蕴含于人们解决矛盾的过程之中。生产力和生产关系、社会存在和社会意识之间的矛盾，普遍地存在于人类历史各个阶段，并且决定着“不同利益关系的分化、排斥、对立甚至相互冲突和对抗”。然而，当这种以利益为核心的分化和对抗发展为阶级矛盾时，就势必会引发经济、政治和思想领域的全面斗争。人们为了从事物质生产活动，解决矛盾，建构出了与之契合的社会结构。正是在这个产生矛盾与化解矛盾的斗争中，历史主动精神逐渐孕育形成。

History develops amidst the movement of social contradictions; where there are contradictions, the spirit of struggle needs to be promoted. However, the existence and evolution of social contradictions do not necessarily lead to revolution; the key lies in whether people can form a proactive spirit in historical activities. “Men make their own history, but they do not make it just as they please.” [21]21 "Life-world" (生活世界) — a concept from phenomenological philosophy, particularly associated with Edmund Husserl, referring to the pre-theoretical, everyday world of lived experience, as opposed to abstract scientific or theoretical constructs. Although human history is created by the subject in its own practice, this creation is based on a certain objective material foundation and also relies on the spirit of struggling against all contradictions. When we survey the entirety of human history, we find that any country, nation, or group wishing to thrive and multiply must cultivate a tenacious quality of struggle. For instance, during the War of Resistance Against Japan, [22]22 Xi Jinping, “Speech at the Commemoration of the 70th Anniversary of the Victory of the Chinese People’s War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression and the World Anti-Fascist War,” *People’s Daily*, September 4, 2015. Mao Zedong pointed out, “The Chinese nation, deeply afflicted by calamities, has seen its outstanding figures struggle and sacrifice, advance wave upon wave, and grope for the truth of saving the country and the people—this is truly moving and heroic.” [23]23 Xia Zhentao, *On Practical Rationality* (Beijing: People’s Publishing House, 2011), p. 3. The Chinese nation is a nation rich in the spirit of struggle, and it is on this basis that it has created a uniquely appealing Chinese civilization. In the social revolutions of modern times, Chinese Communists inherited and developed the Marxist view of struggle, clarifying the goals of struggle at the very beginning of the Party’s founding: for example, in military struggle, requiring the revolutionary army to unite with the proletariat and the working class “to overthrow the regime of the capitalist class together”; in political struggle, requiring “the recognition of the dictatorship of the proletariat until the end of class struggle, that is, until the elimination of class distinctions in society”; in economic struggle, requiring “the abolition of capitalist private property,” making all means of livelihood “belong to society as public property.” [24]24 Karl Marx, “Economic and Philosophic Manuscripts of 1844,” in *Marx and Engels Collected Works*, vol. 42 (Beijing: People’s Publishing House, 1979), p. 97. In short, Communists are the outstanding representatives of the Chinese nation. In the process of decoding the spiritual key to the flourishing and enduring nature of Chinese civilization, they have clarified the important historical issues of “for whom to struggle” and “how to struggle.”

历史是在社会矛盾运动中发展的，有矛盾就需要发扬斗争精神。然而，社会矛盾的存在与演变并不必然导致革命，关键在于人们在历史活动中能否形成主动精神。“人们自己创造自己的历史，但是他们并不是随心所欲地创造。”人类历史虽然是主体在自身的实践中创造出来的，但这种创造基于一定的客观物质基础，还要依靠同一切矛盾进行斗争的精神。当我们纵观整个人类历史时就会发现，任何一个国家、民族和群体想要繁衍生息，就应培育出一种坚韧不拔的斗争品质。如在抗日战争期间，毛泽东就曾指出，“灾难深重的中华民族，一百年来，其优秀人物奋斗牺牲，前仆后继，摸索救国救民的真理，是可歌可泣的”。中华民族是富有斗争精神的民族，据此才缔造了独具魅力的中华文明。在近代以来的社会革命中，中国共产党人继承和发展了马克思主义斗争观，在建党之初就明确了斗争目标：如在军事斗争上，要求革命军队联合无产阶级、工人阶级，“一起推翻资本家阶级的政权”；在政治斗争上，必须“承认无产阶级专政，直到阶级斗争结束，即直到消灭社会的阶级区分”；在经济斗争上，要求“消灭资本家私有制”，使全部生活资料“归社会公有”。总之，共产党人是中华民族的优秀代表，在解码中华文明繁盛不息的精神密钥过程中，明确了“为谁而斗争”和“怎样斗争”的重要历史议题。

In the historical context of realizing the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation, the spirit of struggle and the historical initiative spirit are highly self-consistent, having long been forged into the most distinctive temperament and character of the Chinese nation. As Xi Jinping emphasized: “Drawing on historical experience to create a new future, we must carry out a great struggle with many new historical features. Daring to struggle and daring to win are the invincible powerful spiritual forces of the Chinese Communist Party.” [25]25 Karl Marx, *Capital*, vol. 1 (Beijing: People’s Publishing House, 2004), p. 89. The path to rejuvenation for any civilization is never smooth; it is always fraught with risks and tests. This requires us to promote the great spirit of struggle, unite and lead the people to effectively resolve major contradictions and withstand major risks. The Chinese people dare to struggle and have achieved victory in struggle because we are adept at grasping the laws of historical development and carry out resolute struggle while giving full play to the historical initiative spirit. “The path of history is not all smooth; sometimes it reaches difficult and dangerous passes, which can only be crossed by relying on a vigorous spirit.” [26]26 Karl Marx, *Capital*, vol. 3 (Beijing: People’s Publishing House, 2004), p. 289. The world today is full of turbulence and instability. Only by fully exerting the historical initiative spirit, persisting in struggle, daring to struggle, and struggling for the people, can we advance more firmly along the path of great rejuvenation.

在实现中华民族伟大复兴的历史语境中，斗争精神和历史主动精神具有高度自洽性，早已熔铸为中华民族最鲜明的气质与性格。如习近平所强调的：“以史为鉴、开创未来，必须进行具有许多新的历史特点的伟大斗争。敢于斗争、敢于胜利，是中国共产党不可战胜的强大精神力量。”任何文明的复兴之路都不会是坦途，都时刻面临着风险与考验。这要求我们弘扬伟大斗争精神，团结带领人民有效解决重大矛盾、抵御重大风险。中国人民是敢于斗争并取得斗争胜利的，原因在于我们善于把握历史发展规律，并在发挥历史主动精神中进行坚决斗争。“历史的道路，不全是坦平的，有时走到艰难险阻的境界，这是全靠雄健的精神才能冲过去的。”当今世界充满着动荡与不安，我们只有充分发挥历史主动精神，坚持斗争、勇于斗争和为民斗争，才能更加坚定地朝着伟大复兴之路前进。

II. The National Identity Function Contained in the Historical Initiative Spirit in the New Era

二、新时代历史主动精神蕴含的国家认同功能

The historical initiative spirit arises in the activities of national construction, possessing a powerful ideological cohesive force and value identity force, conducive to enhancing the people’s high degree of identification with the Party’s leadership and socialism with Chinese characteristics. This includes: first, the historical initiative spirit takes promoting the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation as its historical mission, clarifying the legitimacy of the Chinese-path modernization while revealing the laws of China’s historical development; second, the historical initiative spirit can stimulate the consciousness of social subjects, empowering national governance to reach the state of “good governance” in the process of cultivating public rational spirit; finally, the historical initiative spirit is built upon collective memory, capable of strengthening the people’s confidence in the century-long history of struggle of the Chinese nation.

历史主动精神是在国家建构活动中产生的，具有一种强大的思想凝聚力、价值认同力，有利于增进民众对于党的领导和中国特色社会主义的高度认同。这包括：首先，历史主动精神以促进中华民族伟大复兴为历史使命，在揭示我国历史发展规律的同时明确了中国式现代化道路的合法性；其次，历史主动精神能够激发社会主体的自觉性，在培育公众理性精神的过程中可以赋能国家治理到达“善治”之境；最后，历史主动精神建基于集体记忆，能够坚定民众对于中华民族百年奋斗历史的信心。

(I) Mission Identity: The Historical Initiative Spirit Clarifies the Legitimacy of the Chinese-Path Modernization

（一）使命认同：历史主动精神明确中国式现代化道路的合法性

The historical initiative spirit possesses a strong orientation toward national identity and can provide legitimacy support for the Chinese-path modernization. Analyzed in accordance with national identity theory, “legitimacy” is the value premise for a modern state to maintain its vitality forever, and also the value guarantee for the ruling party to lead the people in carrying out modernization. The French scholar Coicaud points out that legitimacy is “a process by which political power and its subjects prove their own legitimacy.” In fact, in this historical process of value self-justification, winning mass identity is the prerequisite for a state to possess legitimacy. This is concentratedly manifested as the people’s identity with the path, system, and model chosen by their own country. As an important ideological product of China’s social revolution since modern times, the historical initiative spirit is rooted in the modernization practice of the Party and the masses, and because it carries the ideal and belief of the Chinese nation regarding the realization of communism, it fundamentally concerns the legitimacy of the Chinese-path modernization.

历史主动精神有着强烈的国家认同指向，能为中国式现代化道路提供合法性支撑。依据国家认同理论分析，“合法性”是现代国家永葆生命活力的价值前提，也是执政党领导民众进行现代化建设的价值保障。法国学者夸克指出，合法性是一个“政治权力和其遵从者证明自身合法性的过程”。事实上，在这个价值自证的历史过程中，获得群众认同乃是一个国家拥有合法性的先决条件。这集中表现为民众对于本国选择何种道路、制度和模式的认同。作为中国近代以来社会革命的重要思想产物，历史主动精神植根于党和人民群众的现代化实践，因其承载着中华民族关于实现共产主义的理想信念，故从根本上关涉着中国式现代化道路的合法性。

The historical initiative spirit contains profound legitimacy resources, and on the basis of stimulating the historical consciousness of the broad masses, it can deepen people’s identity with the creation of the Chinese-path modernization. Ontologically, “modernization” refers to the historical process of society moving from tradition to modernity, and its deep essence is “the modernization of people.” Analyzed in accordance with Marx’s theory of emancipation, the modernization of people has a “dual character”: first, when pointing to the “flesh” of people as natural beings, it stipulates that people shake off the “dependency-type” relations of production formed in historical activities; second, when involving people’s spiritual world, it requires returning various spiritual relations to people themselves through revolutionary practical activities. As steadfast practitioners of Marxism, Chinese Communists have explored a Chinese-path modernization aimed at realizing the emancipation of people. This path consistently adheres to the “people-centered” value concept, elevating the realization and safeguarding of the people’s interests into the dominant logic running through national governance. Marx and Engels pointed out: “The proletarian movement is the independent movement of the immense majority, in the interests of the immense majority.” As the vanguard of the proletariat and the Chinese nation, Chinese Communists have always represented the fundamental interests of the broadest masses of the people, taking “seeking happiness for the people” as the logical starting point and value goal of modernization. Reviewing the Party’s century-long history, it is not difficult to find that precisely because it adhered to and developed the “people-centered” value concept, the Communist Party of China has been able to occupy the commanding heights of human morality and truth, always stand on the correct side of history, and on the basis of stimulating the historical initiative of the masses, provide powerful spiritual impetus for advancing national modernization and the emancipation of people.

历史主动精神蕴含着深厚的合法性资源，能在激发广大民众历史自觉的基础上，深化人们对于创造中国式现代化道路的认同。从本体上看，“现代化”是指社会从传统走向现代的历史过程，深层本质乃是“人的现代化”。依据马克思的解放理论分析，人的现代化具有“二重性”特征：一是在指向作为自然存在的人之“肉体”时，规定人们摆脱在历史活动中形成的“依附型”生产关系；二是在涉及人的精神世界时，要求通过革命性的实践活动将各种精神关系归还给人自身。作为马克思主义的坚定实践者，中国共产党人探索出了一条旨在实现人的解放的中国式现代化道路。这条道路始终坚持“以人民为中心”的价值理念，把实现和维护民众利益上升为贯穿治国理政的主导逻辑。马克思恩格斯指出：“无产阶级的运动是绝大多数人的，为绝大多数人谋利益的独立的运动。”作为无产阶级和中华民族的先锋队，中国共产党人始终代表最广大人民群众的根本利益，把“为人民谋幸福”作为现代化建设的逻辑起点和价值旨归。回顾党的百年历史不难发现，正是因为坚持和发展了“以人民为中心”的价值理念，中国共产党才能占据人类道义和真理的制高点，并始终站在历史正确的一边，在激发人民群众历史主动性的基础上，为推进国家现代化和人的解放提供强大精神动力。

The historical initiative spirit can effectively resolve the inherent paradox of the “age of civilization.” Since the revolution in the mode of production of human society, the process of world civilization has undergone two leaps and formed two major forms of civilization. First, the form of capitalist civilization dominated by Western countries once played a progressive role in human history. For example, while cutting off “all feudal, patriarchal, idyllic relations,” it opened up the world market and made “the production and consumption of all countries become cosmopolitan.” However, capitalism is ultimately a mode of production that willfully pursues profit; in the process of modernization, it “can no longer promote the development of bourgeois civilization and bourgeois relations of production,” and moreover, it has created the force that will bury it, namely, the proletariat. Second, in the process of respecting historical laws and grasping historical initiative in modernization, the Chinese people have created a form of human civilization different from the Western paradigm. This new form of civilization, created under the leadership of the Communist Party of China, possesses profound “people’s character” and “historical character,” and can eliminate the paradox of capitalist civilization where progress coexists with oppression, and creation coexists with exploitation. This is manifested in the fact that it upholds social justice in the development that adheres to “people-centeredness,” handles internal and external relations from the height of the general trend of human development and the great changes in the world pattern, and “upholds fairness and justice, stands on the correct side of history, and stands on the side of human progress.” In short, the historical initiative spirit possesses a historical responsibility of “embracing the world with a broad mind,” requiring people to always focus on the fate of mankind with a global perspective.

历史主动精神能有力化解“文明时代”的内在悖论。自人类社会生产方式发生革命以来，世界文明进程发生过两次飞跃并形成了两大文明形态。其一，西方国家主导的资本主义文明形态，曾在人类历史上起过进步作用。如在斩断“形形色色的封建羁绊”的同时，开拓世界市场并使“一切国家的生产和消费都成为世界性的”。然而，资本主义终究是一种任性逐利的生产方式，在现代化过程中“不能再促进资产阶级文明和资产阶级所有制关系的发展”，而且制造出了埋葬自身的力量即无产阶级。其二，中国人民在尊重历史规律、把握历史主动的现代化过程中，缔造了一种不同于西方范式的人类文明形态。这种由中国共产党领导缔造的新型文明形态，具有深刻的“人民性”和“历史性”特征，能够消除资本主义文明进步与压迫、创造与剥削并存的悖论。这表现为，它在坚持“以人民为中心”的发展中维护社会正义，站在人类发展大潮流、世界变化大格局的高度处理内外关系，“主持公道、伸张正义，站在历史正确的一边，站在人类进步的一边”。总之，历史主动精神具有一种“胸怀天下”的历史责任，要求人们始终以世界的眼光关注人类命运。

(II) Order Identity: The Historical Initiative Spirit Empowers National Governance to Reach the Realm of “Good Governance”

（二）秩序认同：历史主动精神赋能国家治理达到“善治”之境

The historical initiative spirit possesses a profound function of order construction, and can provide positive spiritual strength for the modernization of national governance. Tracing its roots, national governance practice is a diachronic dynamic process, requiring not only explicit “rigid” institutions to maintain the overall stability of governance activities, but also urgently needing implicit “soft” spiritual strength to provide support, that is, forming a positive social psychology based on historical consciousness. The historical initiative spirit constructs and shapes China’s national governance path and governance model. On the one hand, the historical initiative spirit has the characteristic of “conformity to purpose” in national governance, insisting on taking the satisfaction of “people’s” needs as the fundamental yardstick, emphasizing that the interests of the majority, not the minority, must be safeguarded. Precisely because it highly conforms to the essence of people, the historical initiative spirit can empower subjects to actively engage in political activities. On the other hand, the historical initiative spirit, as the value manifestation of the “principle of truth” in the historical field, requires that all national governance activities must conform to historical laws and the general trend of historical development. Therefore, this confirms that China’s modernization of national governance is always developing in the correct direction.

历史主动精神具有深刻的秩序建构功能，能为国家治理现代化提供积极的精神力量。究其根源，国家治理实践是一个历时性的动态过程，不只需要显性的“刚性”制度维持治理活动的整体稳定，也亟需内隐“软性”的精神力量提供支撑，亦即基于历史自觉形成一种积极的社会心理。历史主动精神建构并塑造了中国国家治理道路与治理模式。一方面，历史主动精神在国家治理中具有“合目的性”的特征，坚持以满足“人”的需要为根本尺度，强调必须维护大多数人而非少数人的利益需要。正是因为高度契合了人的本质，历史主动精神才可以赋能主体积极从事政治活动。另一方面，历史主动精神作为“真理性原则”在历史领域的价值彰显，要求一切国家治理活动都必须合乎历史规律、符合历史发展大势。因此，这就确证了我国的国家治理现代化始终朝着正确的方向发展。

The national governance practice promoted by China since the New Era is a process of governance modernization empowered by the historical initiative spirit. As a spiritual form aimed at realizing the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation, the historical initiative spirit takes reaching the realm of “good governance” as a common political ideal. The so-called “good governance” is the highest realm to be achieved by national governance, representing the best state between the political state and civil society, and is an important indicator for measuring the level of a country’s governance. Marxist state theory holds that the state, as a historical phenomenon that is bound to wither away, was initially established by people to reconcile “special interests” with “common interests” as an “independent form divorced from the actual individual interests and the interests of all.” That is to say, the fundamental purpose for people to establish the “state” is to find a common interest basis from special interests, and then construct a reasonable order aimed at realizing common interests. Historically, while affirming the political ruling function of the state, Marx also emphasized its governance function in constructing an ideal social order, and believed that subjective spiritual factors play a fundamental role in it. Tracing its roots, the historical initiative spirit is a precious spiritual character rooted in national governance activities, itself containing a value appeal for order and standardization, capable of integrating the different interest needs of multiple subjects. In essence, the historical initiative spirit is conducive to stimulating the historical consciousness of social members; not only can it fully take care of their own special interests in national governance practice, but it can also promote benign interaction among multiple subjects, thereby satisfying the common interest needs of all members.

我国在新时代以来所推动的国家治理实践，是历史主动精神赋能下的治理现代化过程。作为以实现中华民族伟大复兴为目标的精神形态，历史主动精神将达到“善治”之境作为共同的政治理想。所谓“善治”，就是国家治理所要达到的最高境界，表征着政治国家与公民社会之间的最佳状态，且是衡量一个国家治理水平的重要标志。马克思主义国家理论认为，国家作为一个必然走向消亡的历史现象，最初是人们为了调和“特殊利益”与“共同利益”而建立的一种同“实际的单个利益和全体利益相脱离的独立形式”。也就是说，人们之所以成立“国家”，根本目的是为了从特殊利益中找寻共同的利益基点，进而建构出一个旨在实现共同利益的合理秩序。历史地看，马克思在肯定国家政治统治功能的同时，还强调了它在建构理想社会秩序中的治理功能，并且认为主体精神因素在其中起着根本性作用。究其根源，历史主动精神是根植于国家治理活动的宝贵精神品格，本身就蕴含着一种秩序化和规范化的价值诉求，能够对多元主体的不同利益需要进行整合。质言之，历史主动精神有利于激发社会成员的历史自觉，不仅能够在国家治理实践中充分照顾自身的特殊利益，还能促进多元主体之间实现良性互动，从而满足所有成员的共同利益需要。

The historical initiative spirit can empower the practice of national governance, also because it internalizes the “principle of justice” as the “meta-value” of governance. The principle of justice contains a profound historical initiative spirit, capable of altering the social state of “dependence on persons” and “dependence on things,” making “self-realization” a fundamental hallmark of society. Our Party has consistently valued justice, forming a rich body of thought on justice in the activities of national governance. First, it recognizes that the prerequisite for practicing the principle of justice is to establish a political community that is politically equal, economically prosperous, and culturally advanced. To this end, during the period of the New Democratic Revolution, the Communist Party of China raised high the banner of Marxism, demanding the establishment of a state with “genuine universal equality, without distinctions of gender, belief, property, education, etc.” [20]20 "Grand view of history" (大历史观) — a Marxist historiographical approach that emphasizes understanding historical events within a broad, long-term, and holistic framework, integrating macro-level structural analysis with micro-level concrete details, as advocated by the CPC to counter fragmented or distorted historical narratives. Second, it accurately grasps the value premise for upholding justice, making the realization of the fundamental interests of the masses the fundamental requirement for governing the country. Our Party has always insisted on coming from the people, taking root among the people, and serving the people, actively practicing and upholding this fundamental principle under all circumstances. Finally, it masters the essence of practicing the principle of justice, taking “distributive justice” as an important guarantee for realizing the modernization of national governance. Distributive justice is conducive to curbing the excessive intervention of capital logic, fully unleashing the positive effects of the principle of justice at specific historical stages. In essence, the principle of justice is a factual principle constructed by people in historical activities, capable of exerting positive effects in the practice of national governance.

历史主动精神可以赋能国家治理实践，还在于将“正义原则”内化为治理的“元价值”。正义原则蕴含着深厚的历史主动精神，能够改变“依赖人”和“依赖物”的社会状态，使“自我实现”成为社会的根本标识。我们党一贯重视正义，在国家治理活动中形成了丰富的正义思想。首先，认识到践行正义原则的先决条件，乃是建立一个政治平等、经济繁荣和文化先进的政治共同体。为此，中国共产党在新民主主义革命时期高举马克思主义的大旗，要求建立一个“无男女、信仰、财产、教育等差别的真正普遍平等的”国家。其次，准确把握维护正义的价值前提，把实现人民群众根本利益作为治理国家的根本要求。我们党始终坚持来自人民、植根人民和服务人民，在任何情况下都积极践行和维护这一根本原则。最后，掌握践行正义原则的要义，把“分配正义”作为实现国家治理现代化的重要保障。分配正义有利于抑制资本逻辑过度介入，充分发挥正义原则在特定历史阶段中的积极效应。质言之，正义原则是人们在历史活动中建构出来的一种事实原则，它能在国家治理实践中发挥积极效应。

(III) Memory Identity: The Historical Initiative Spirit Fortifies the Foundation of Confidence for Realizing the Great Rejuvenation of the Chinese Nation

（三）记忆认同：历史主动精神筑牢实现中华民族伟大复兴的自信根基

Analyzed in terms of generative mechanism and form of expression, the historical initiative spirit is the value self-validation of the collective memory of the Chinese nation in historical activities. Generally speaking, shared historical memory usually possesses a profound social identity function, capable of integrating dispersed or alien forces. Collective memory often refers to people’s “imagination” and recollection of past historical experience. It can not only record, identify, and reproduce the life scenarios of a community in material or conceptual forms, but also form national identity on the basis of highlighting sameness, demonstrating continuity, and interpreting legitimacy. Facts show that, regardless of the form of community in which people live, collective memory is used to store the knowledge system concerning the group. Group members obtain from these memories all evaluative understandings related to common life, and use them to discern their differences from or sameness with “others.” The ruling group and its members, by reconstructing the content of memory—for example, adopting methods of screening, filtering, confirming, or blurring—promote the adjustment of members’ psychological schemas, thereby achieving the goal of resolving cognitive differences and forming a consensus of memory.

依据生成机理和表现形式分析，历史主动精神是中华民族集体记忆在历史活动中的价值自证。一般来看，共同的历史记忆通常具有深刻的社会认同功能，它能将分散的或者异己的力量整合起来。集体记忆往往指涉人们对于以往历史经验的“想象”与回忆，不仅能以物质的或观念的形态记录、识别、再现共同体的生活情景，还能在凸显同一性、展示延续性和诠释合法性的基础上形成国家认同。事实表明，无论人们生活在何种形态的共同体之中，集体记忆都是被用来储存有关本群体的知识系统。群体成员从这些记忆中获得一切有关共同生活的评价性认识，并以此来辨别自身同“他者”的差异性或同一性。统治集团及其成员通过对记忆内容进行重构，譬如采取筛选、过滤、确证或模糊的方式推动成员心理图景调整，从而达到化解认识分歧、形成记忆共识的目的。

Achieving the great rejuvenation has always been the historical theme diligently pursued by the Chinese nation, requiring the construction of a collective memory with a high degree of identity through the exertion of the historical initiative spirit. National rejuvenation specifically refers to the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation within the living space of the community, and the “meta-power” for achieving rejuvenation originates from collective memory. In essence, collective memory contains a profound logic of national identity, capable of effectively resolving the internal tensions of a “nation-state” dual society. Based on the composition of modern nation-states, national identity can be divided into “single-type” identity and “plural-type” identity. The former is generated in a political community composed of a single ethnic group; its characteristic of “same origin and same ancestry” determines its high degree of overlap with national identity. The latter exists in a state composed of multiple ethnic groups, where each member ethnic group has a relatively independent collective memory, and the identity of any one member ethnic group is only “one element within a pluralistic identity system where numerous ethnic identities coexist,” and “cannot become a universal identity shared by all citizens within the political community.” [21]21 "Life-world" (生活世界) — a concept from phenomenological philosophy, particularly associated with Edmund Husserl, referring to the pre-theoretical, everyday world of lived experience, as opposed to abstract scientific or theoretical constructs. It can be seen that obtaining national identity is a prerequisite for the survival and development of a “nation-state.” So-called “identity” refers to the process or state in which a subject attempts to establish a relationship of “sameness” with a specific object to satisfy its own needs. Understood from the perspective of collective memory, realizing the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation first requires constructing a shared national memory, so as to gradually gain the people’s identification with the Chinese nation. This identity stems not only from the common descent, blood ties, customs, and culture of the Chinese nation, but also from the shared vision deep within the national memory of achieving the great cause of national rejuvenation.

实现伟大复兴始终是中华民族孜孜以求的历史主题，需要在发挥历史主动精神中建构出具有高度认同感的集体记忆。民族复兴特指中华民族在共同体生活空间中的伟大复兴，而实现复兴的“元动力”就源自集体记忆。究其实质，集体记忆蕴含着深刻的国家认同逻辑，能够有效化解“民族—国家”二元社会的内部张力。基于现代民族国家的构成来看，民族认同可分为“单一型”认同和“多元型”认同。其中，前者生成于单一民族构成的政治共同体，“同源同宗”的特征决定了它和国家认同有着高度的重合性；后者存在于多民族构成的国家，每个成员民族都具有相对独立的集体记忆，任一成员民族的认同都只是“众多民族认同并存的多元认同体系中的一元”，而“不能成为政治共同体内的所有公民所共享的普遍性认同”。由此可见，获得民族认同是一个“民族国家”得以存续发展的先决条件。所谓“认同”，指涉主体为了满足自身需要试图同特定客体建立“同一性”关系的过程或状态。从集体记忆的视角理解，实现中华民族伟大复兴首先需要建构出共同的民族记忆，这样才能渐次获得民众对于中华民族的认同。这种认同不仅源自中华民族共同的继嗣、血缘、习俗和文化，还植根于民族记忆深处关于实现民族复兴伟业的共同愿景。

The historical initiative spirit inherent in collective memory possesses a strong “reflexivity,” conducive to enhancing historical confidence in realizing the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation. So-called historical confidence refers to the people’s confidence in the history they themselves have created and in future prospects, reflecting the people’s profound insight into and conscious adaptation to the laws of our country’s historical development. Historical confidence is a spiritual state rooted in collective memory, requiring people to examine national rejuvenation and its inherent laws from a historical perspective. In fact, “national great rejuvenation,” as a highly revolutionary historical concept, is “a transcendence of all previous civilizations and social forms, the revitalization of China under the form of socialism with Chinese characteristics.” [22]22 Xi Jinping, “Speech at the Commemoration of the 70th Anniversary of the Victory of the Chinese People’s War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression and the World Anti-Fascist War,” *People’s Daily*, September 4, 2015. Since modern times, in exploring the correct path for realizing national modernization, different groups within Chinese society have made attempts, but all ultimately ended in failure. This heavy responsibility historically fell on the shoulders of the Chinese Communists. Xi

集体记忆内蕴的历史主动精神具有强烈的“反身性”，有利于增进实现中华民族伟大复兴的历史自信。所谓历史自信，是指民众对于由自身创造的历史以及未来前景的信心，投射出人们对我国历史发展规律的深刻洞见和自觉适应。历史自信是一种植根于集体记忆的精神状态，要求人们以历史的眼光去审视民族复兴及其内在规律。事实上，“民族伟大复兴”作为一个极具革命性质的历史概念，是“对以往一切文明和社会形态的超越，是在中国特色社会主义形态下振兴中华”。近代以来，为探索实现国家现代化的正确道路，中国社会内部不同群体先后进行过尝试，但最终均以失败告终。这一重任最后历史性地落在了中国共产党人的肩上。习近平指出：“一百年来，中国共产党团结带领人民进行的一切奋斗、一切牺牲、一切创造，归结起来就是一个主题：实现中华民族伟大复兴。”中国共产党自创建之日就肩负起实现中华民族伟大复兴的历史使命，在弘扬历史主动精神的基础上推动了马克思主义中国化时代化进程。这表现为，中国共产党人基于唯物史观的立场、观点和方法，系统地建构出了中华民族关于实现伟大复兴的共同记忆，最终带领中国实现了“由近代不断衰落到根本扭转命运、持续走向繁荣富强的伟大飞跃”。

III. Deepening Pathways for the Historical Initiative Spirit in the New Era

三、新时代历史主动精神的深化路径

In the process of human society moving toward a better society, whether the historical initiative spirit can be actively promoted and practiced concerns whether a country or a nation can develop in accordance with laws. At present, the historical initiative spirit faces multiple risks and challenges, which require us to respond proactively. Among these, establishing a "grand view of history" is the fundamental prerequisite for the historical initiative spirit, conducive to transforming abstract spiritual forms into actual material forces; cultivating "subjective rationality" is the subjective factor in its formation and development, capable of guiding people to critique the "alienated" essence of capitalist society; strengthening "spiritual production" is the endogenous driving force of the historical initiative spirit, determining people's meaning and value in the "life-world."

在人类社会通往美好社会的进程中，能否积极弘扬与践行历史主动精神，关涉着一个国家、一个民族能否合乎规律地向前发展。当前，历史主动精神面临着多重风险挑战，这就要求我们主动应对。其中，树立“大历史观”是历史主动精神的根本前提，有利于将抽象的精神形态转化为实际的物质力量；涵养“主体理性”是其形成发展的主体性因素，能够引导人们批判资本主义社会的“异化”实质；加强“精神生产”是历史主动精神的内生动力，决定了人们在“生活世界”中的意义和价值。

(I) Cognitive Initiative: Establishing a "Grand View of History" to Dissolve Historical Nihilism

（一）认知主动：树立“大历史观”以消解历史虚无主义

The historical initiative spirit is a spiritual form that manifests the historical confidence of the Chinese nation, capable of guiding people to form correct historical cognition. So-called historical cognition refers to the process and result of objective history being internalized into the knowledge composition through which people understand past activities, encompassing the subject's cognitive situation, basic emotions, and value judgments regarding the history created by themselves. Identified by the degree of self-consistency between "history-objectivity" and "cognition-subjectivity," historical cognition is divided into two types: correct and incorrect. Among these, correct historical cognition possesses a scientific rational spirit, manifesting as subjective understanding reaching a level of "identity" in its coupling with objective historical facts; incorrect historical cognition is usually confined to the level of subjective perceptual or experiential understanding, and because people cannot systematically grasp the historical picture and future trends, they often deny or distort the objectivity of history. Facts show that correctly cognizing history is the value premise for cultivating the historical initiative spirit, capable of endowing people with positive and enterprising energy for struggle, while incorrectly cognizing history brings about the negative consequence of dissolving willpower.

历史主动精神是彰显中华民族历史自信的精神形态，能够指导人们形成正确的历史认知。所谓历史认知，指涉客观历史内化为人们认识过往活动的知识构成的过程和结果，包含着主体对于由自身创造的历史的认知情况、基本情感和价值判断等内容。依据“历史—客观性”与“认识—主观性”的自洽程度识别，历史认知分为正确的和错误的两种类型。其中，正确的历史认知具有科学的理性精神，表现为主观认识在同客观史实的耦合中能够达到“同一”的层次；错误的历史认知通常限定在主体感性或经验认识层面，由于人们无法系统地把握历史图景和未来趋势，因此往往会否认或扭曲历史的客观性。事实表明，正确认知历史是培育历史主动精神的价值前提，能够赋予人们积极进取的奋斗能量，而错误认知历史给人们带来瓦解意志的消极后果。

Correctly cognizing history is the fundamental requirement for enhancing the historical initiative spirit, and can provide a rational historical interpretation for realizing the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation. Correct historical cognition requires people to establish a “grand historical perspective,” that is, to grasp the laws of historical development from the movement of social contradictions. Based on the logical analysis of “history—reality—future,” the “grand historical perspective” is generated and developed within the historical field of the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation and the changes unseen in a century. On the one hand, the “grand historical perspective” takes historical materialism as its theoretical foundation and is a concrete manifestation of the basic philosophical questions of Marxism in the realm of history; on the other hand, the “grand historical perspective” originates from people’s scientific grasp of historical development, emphasizing the dialectical unity of the totality, continuity, and developmental nature of the historical process. In the process of Chinese-path modernization, the “grand historical perspective,” as the Communist Party’s creative application of historical materialism, is rooted in the great practice of the people in the New Era. At the same time, the “grand historical perspective” also possesses a prominent value-orientation function, capable of guiding people to proceed from the actual conditions and to master the historical initiative in thoroughly stepping out of “historical confusion.” Since the 18th National Congress of the CPC,

正确认知历史是增进历史主动精神的根本要求，能为实现中华民族伟大复兴提供一种合理性的历史诠释。正确的历史认知要求人们树立“大历史观”，即从社会矛盾运动中把握历史发展规律。基于“历史—现实—未来”的逻辑分析，“大历史观”生成并发展于中华民族伟大复兴伟业和世界百年未有之大变局的历史场域。一方面，“大历史观”将唯物史观作为理论基础，是马克思主义基本哲学问题在历史领域的具体呈现；另一方面，“大历史观”发轫于人们对历史发展的科学把握，强调历史进程的整体性、连续性和发展性的辩证统一。在中国式现代化进程中，“大历史观”作为共产党人对唯物史观的创造性运用，植根于人民群众在新时代的伟大实践。与此同时，“大历史观”还具有突出的价值导向功能，能够引导人们从现实状况出发，在彻底走出“历史迷思”中掌握历史主动权。党的十八大以来，习近平多次谈及“大历史观”，反复指出，“要坚持正确党史观、树立大历史观，准确把握党的历史发展的主题主线、主流本质”，“树立大历史观，从历史长河、时代大潮、全球风云中分析演变机理、探究历史规律”。这就要求中华民族在伟大复兴之路上，坚持运用“大历史观”揭示人类历史发展规律，即运用具体历史的、客观全面的、联系发展的观点审视国内外现状。中国式现代化成就表明，“大历史观”能够帮助人们更加清醒地认识基本国情，帮助人民群众焕发历史主动精神，进而调动劳动和创造的积极性。

Observing, grasping, and leading the era in accordance with the “grand view of history” can effectively counter the infiltration of historical nihilism. Historical nihilism carries the risk of “mirroring” historical cognition, weakening the initiative spirit while blurring people’s historical goals. First, in historical ontology, the target of historical nihilism is the “history” of a community; by denying the objectivity and regularity of history, it severs the inheritance and continuity of cultural traditions. Second, in historical epistemology, historical nihilism adheres to relativism and deconstructionism, using subjective factors in historical cognition to deny the objective requirements of historical cognition, such as insisting on negative theses like “history is written by the victors.” Third, in historical methodology, historical nihilism deliberately confuses the mainstream and branches, essence and phenomena of history, evades the fundamental questions of historical perspective, and easily falls into fragmented and one-sided historical interpretations. Finally, in historical axiology, historical nihilists raise the banner of “postmodernism,” insisting on spoofing history, fictionalizing history, and rewriting history, thereby deconstructing the sublimity of history. As a common tactic used by Western countries to promote “color revolutions,” historical nihilism severely weakens the people’s initiative spirit and sense of national identity. In response, Xi Jinping emphasizes: “A nation’s history is the foundation on which it settles and develops.” [22]22 Xi Jinping, “Speech at the Commemoration of the 70th Anniversary of the Victory of the Chinese People’s War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression and the World Anti-Fascist War,” *People’s Daily*, September 4, 2015. The laws of historical evolution of human civilization show that correctly understanding a nation’s own development process and future direction is a primary issue concerning the continuation of its genes and the transmission of its bloodline. Therefore, we must establish and uphold the “grand view of history,” confirming that realizing the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation is an organic unity of conformity with purpose and conformity with law.

依据“大历史观”观察时代、把握时代和引领时代，能够有力应对历史虚无主义的渗透。历史虚无主义具有“镜像”历史认知的风险，在模糊人们历史目标的同时削弱主动精神。首先，在历史本体论上，历史虚无主义的标的物是一个群落的“历史”，通过否认历史的客观性与规律性，割裂文化传统的继承性与绵延性。其次，在历史认识论上，历史虚无主义坚持相对主义和解构主义，假借历史认识中的主观性因素去否认历史认识的客观性要求，如坚持“历史由胜利者书写”等消极论调。再次，在历史方法论上，历史虚无主义刻意混淆历史的主流和分支、本质和现象，回避历史观的根本问题，极易陷入碎片化和片面性的历史解读之中。最后，在历史价值论上，历史虚无主义者高举“后现代主义”旗帜，坚持恶搞历史、戏说历史和重写历史，从而解构历史的崇高性。作为西方国家推行“颜色革命”的惯用伎俩，历史虚无主义严重削弱了人民群众的主动精神和国家认同感。对此，习近平强调：“一个民族的历史是一个民族安身立命的基础。”人类文明的历史演进规律表明，正确认识本民族的发展历程和未来走向，是关涉本民族基因延续和血脉传承的首要议题。因此，我们必须树立和坚持“大历史观”，确证实现中华民族伟大复兴是合目的性与合规律性的有机统一。

(II) Rational Initiative: Cultivating “Subject Rationality” to Unveil the Historical Picture of Alienation by Capital Logic

（二）理性主动：涵养“主体理性”以解蔽资本逻辑异化的历史图景

The historical initiative spirit is a quality generated by people in the process of creating history, a spiritual force formed by the subject based on its own rationality. People’s historical activities of transforming the world are conscious and rational activities, “always beginning with setting a purpose through deliberation, and then using tools to transform objective objects in order to achieve the realization of the purpose.” [23]23 Xia Zhentao, *On Practical Rationality* (Beijing: People’s Publishing House, 2011), p. 3. The “purpose” established and to be realized here is precisely the social picture of external objects set by the subject through rationality, requiring that all historical activities must proceed in accordance with laws. As a core component of subject rationality, although the historical initiative spirit is a manifestation of the essential provisions of the human “species,” it also possesses an internal logic of self-dissolution, the direct consequence of which is the emergence of “irrationality.” “Irrationality” regards human desires and instincts as the origin of the world; while denying the objective reality of truth, it also denies the important role of practice and rationality in cognition, thereby leading human cognition toward intuitionism or mysticism. Currently, as the capitalist mode of production and way of life excessively intrudes into the realm of meaning, the spirit of subject rationality is severely undermined. This is because capital logic has a strong tendency toward reification, and its inherent irrational factors will fabricate an alienated historical picture.

历史主动精神是人们在创造历史时生成的品质，是主体基于自身理性而形成的精神力量。人们改造世界的历史活动是一种自觉理性的活动，“总是以经过思考并确立一定的目的为开端，而后运用工具对客观对象进行改造，以求得目的的实现的”。这里确立并要实现的“目的”，正是主体依靠理性设定的关于外部对象的社会图景，它要求一切历史活动都必须合乎规律地进行。历史主动精神作为主体理性的核心构成，虽然是人的“类”本质的规定性体现，但同时也具有一种自我消解的内在逻辑，其直接后果就是产生“非理性”。“非理性”将人的欲望和本能看作世界本源，其在否认真理客观现实性的同时，亦会否认实践和理性在认识中的重要作用，从而将人的认识引向直觉主义或神秘主义。当前，随着资本主义生产生活方式过度介入意义世界，主体理性精神随之遭到严重消解。这是因为资本逻辑具有一种强烈的物化倾向，其内在的非理性因素将会虚构出一个异化的历史图景。

The historical initiative spirit is based on subject rationality; when rational factors are undermined by capital logic, its inherent agency is deconstructed. This requires us to “disenchant” capital logic. On the one hand, we must discern the reifying tendency of the capitalist mode of production and unveil the rational alienation caused by the excessive intervention of capital logic. According to the theoretical insights of historical materialism, rational alienation originates from the subject’s labor alienation: “Alienated labor transforms species-life into a means for maintaining individual life.” [24]24 Karl Marx, “Economic and Philosophic Manuscripts of 1844,” in *Marx and Engels Collected Works*, vol. 42 (Beijing: People’s Publishing House, 1979), p. 97. However, as a phenomenon emerging at a certain stage of development of productive forces, alienated labor inevitably appears in capitalist society, which pursues the “separation of labor and capital” and the maximization of surplus value. Capitalist society is filled with pragmatism, utilitarianism, and materialism, and its reifying tendency “reflects the social character of men’s own labor as objective characters of the products of labor themselves, as the socio-natural properties of these things.” [25]25 Karl Marx, *Capital*, vol. 1 (Beijing: People’s Publishing House, 2004), p. 89. Furthermore, in the process of realizing its own self-expansion, capital not only abstracts the subject’s free and conscious activity but also strengthens people’s commodity attributes to swallow up or banish their transcendence, ultimately leading to the alienation of subject rationality. Therefore, to manifest subject rationality and its initiative spirit and to transcend the value traps created by irrational factors, we must view capitalism from a historical perspective. Specifically, we both acknowledge the rationality of the capitalist mode of production and its important role in historical progress, while also rationally examining the historical limitations of capitalism, recognizing that it is “only a mode of production corresponding to a limited period of development of material conditions of production.” [26]26 Karl Marx, *Capital*, vol. 3 (Beijing: People’s Publishing House, 2004), p. 289. In short, capitalism is merely a stage in people’s historical activities, not the ultimate stage or highest meaning of historical development.

历史主动精神是以主体理性为生成基础的，当理性因素遭到资本逻辑消解时，其内蕴的能动性则会遭到解构。这就要求我们对资本逻辑进行“祛魅”。一方面，洞察资本主义生产方式的物化倾向，解蔽由资本逻辑过度介入导致的理性异化。依据唯物史观的理论识见，理性异化源自主体的劳动异化，“异化劳动把类生活变成维持个人生活的手段”。然而，异化劳动作为生产力发展到一定阶段的现象，势必出现在以追求“劳动和资本分离”、剩余价值最大化的资本主义社会。资本主义社会内部充盈着实用主义、功利主义与物质主义，其物化倾向“把人们本身劳动的社会性质反映成劳动产品本身的物的性质，反映成这些物的天然的社会属性”。进一步说，资本在实现自身增殖的过程中，不仅会将主体自由的和有意识的活动抽象化，还会通过强化人的商品属性以吞噬或放逐人的超越性，最终导致主体理性发生异化。为此，欲要彰显主体理性及其主动精神，超越由非理性因素制造的价值陷阱，就必须用历史的眼光看待资本主义。具体来说，我们既承认资本主义生产方式的合理性，发挥它在历史进步中的重要作用，同时也要理性地审视资本主义的历史局限性，认识到它“只是一种历史的、和物质生产条件的某个有限的发展时期相适应的生产方式”。总之，资本主义只是人们从事历史活动的一个阶段，而非历史发展的终极阶段和最高意义。

On the other hand, we must profoundly critique the tendency toward personality objectification under consumerism and strengthen subject rationality in consumption activities. Consumerism, as a social trend dominated by the logic of capital, can fabricate false needs and sensory experiences, thereby alienating the subject into a “tool of consumption.” As Baudrillard stated, consumerism takes objects and enjoyment as its axis; it is “the goal of expressing desires through曲折隐喻式表达, the goal of producing social codes through differentiating signs.” [27]27 Jean Baudrillard, *The Consumer Society*, trans. Liu Chengfu and Quan Zhigang (Nanjing: Nanjing University Press, 2014), p. 60. Based on an understanding of the “species” essence of humanity, the spirit of rationality requires the subject to affirm its own significance in the “life-world” and, in this process, actively achieve self-sublation and self-liberation. However, once this rationality degenerates into a tool for satisfying physical desires, the subject will inevitably move toward the historical “end” in terms of spiritual feeling, ethical character, and aesthetic taste. In essence, consumerism, as a capitalized ideology, is actually “an instrumental consciousness that, after being cloaked in a universal consciousness, remains firmly dominated by the logic of capital.” [28]28 Zhang Yibing, *Re-illuminating the Historical Phenomenology of Historical Materialism* (Nanjing: Nanjing University Press, 2020), p. 28. Against the historical backdrop of the collusion between digital technology and consumerism, people gradually submit to the manipulation of digital symbols. For example, digital consumerism reconstructs people’s consumption habits, social traditions, and historical cognition, obscuring the rational spirit of humanity in both virtual space and real life. This requires us to be highly vigilant against the crisis of personality objectification under consumerism. We must fully affirm that consumption drives historical progress in the cycle of “need—labor—consumption—new need,” while also establishing a consumption attitude that highlights subject dignity—that is, by constructing an active and meaningful consumption behavior, we affirm the historical agency of people in consumption activities.

另一方面，深刻批判消费主义的人格物化倾向，消费活动中强化主体理性。消费主义作为资本逻辑宰制下的社会思潮，能够制造出一种虚假的需要和观感体验，进而导致主体异化为“消费的工具”。如鲍德里亚所言，消费主义以物品和享受为轴心，它是对“欲望进行曲折隐喻式表达的目标、通过区别符号来生产社会编码的目标”。基于人的“类”本质理解，理性精神要求主体确证自身在“生活世界”的意义，并在这个过程中主动实现自我扬弃和自我解放。然而，一旦这种理性退化为满足肉体欲望的工具，主体在精神感觉、伦理品格和审美情趣上势必会走向历史的“终结”。质言之，消费主义作为一种资本化的意识形态，其实是“披上了普遍意识外衣之后仍然牢牢地被资本逻辑支配着的工具性意识”。在数字同消费主义发生共谋的历史背景下，人们逐渐臣服于数字符号的操控，如数字消费主义重构了人们的消费习惯、社会传统和历史认知，并在虚拟空间和实际生活中遮蔽人的理性精神。这就要求我们高度警惕消费主义的人格物化危机，既要充分肯定消费在“需要—劳动—消费—新的需要”中推动历史进步，也要树立一种彰显主体尊严的消费态度，亦即通过建构一种主动的、有意义的消费行为，确证人在消费活动中的历史能动性。

(3) Value Initiative: Strengthening “Spiritual Production” to Address the Historical Crisis Created by Technological Rationality

（三）价值主动：加强“精神生产”以应对技术理性制造的历史危机

The historical initiative spirit is an important content of the subject’s historical activities and an intrinsic driving force for the development of spiritual production. The historical initiative spirit formed by people in spiritual production is usually manifested as a positive spiritual perception and creative ability. From the perspective of generative mechanisms, spiritual production originates from the separation of material labor and spiritual labor, aiming to meet people’s own spiritual needs. Marx and Engels once elaborated on “spiritual production,” stating: “The production of ideas, of conceptions, of consciousness, is at first directly interwoven with the material activity and the material intercourse of men, the language of real life. Conceiving, thinking, the mental intercourse of men, appear at this stage as the direct efflux of their material behavior. The same applies to mental production as expressed in the language of politics, laws, morality, religion, metaphysics, etc., of a people.” [29]29 Karl Marx and Frederick Engels, *The German Ideology*, in *Marx and Engels Collected Works*, vol. 5 (Beijing: People’s Publishing House, 2009), p. 524. The spiritual phenomena, free concepts, and conscious thoughts produced by people in spiritual production are all constrained by the productive forces and communication capabilities of a specific time and space. In fact, throughout the emergence, development, and transformation of human spiritual production, technology and its inherent rationality have always played an important promoting role. However, as the value position of technologism in the “life-world” continues to rise, and as technological logic oversteps its bounds in spiritual production, the historical initiative spirit, as an important component of value rationality, has been severely undermined.

历史主动精神是主体从事历史活动的重要内容，亦是推动精神生产发展的内在动力。人们在精神生产中形成的历史主动精神，通常表现为一种积极的精神感悟和创造能力。从生成机制上看，精神生产发轫于物质劳动和精神劳动的相互分离，旨在满足人们自身的精神需要。马克思恩格斯曾对“精神生产”进行过阐述，指出：“人们的想象、思维、精神交往在这里还是人们物质行动的直接产物。表现在某一民族的政治、法律、道德、宗教、形而上学等的语言中的精神生产也是这样。”人们在精神生产中所产生的精神现象、自由观念和自觉思想，都会受到特定时空中生产力和交往能力的约束。其实，在人类精神生产萌生、发展和变革过程中，技术及其内在理性一直发挥着重要的促进作用。然而，随着技术主义在“生活世界”的价值序位持续上升，以及技术逻辑在精神生产中发生僭越，作为价值理性重要构成的历史主动精神遭到了严重消解。

Driven and compelled by the various desires of human groups, technological rationality has begun to “run out of control” in spiritual production. Furthermore, when technological rationality “overloads” and attempts to dominate the entire world of meaning, spiritual production will also become alienated into a means for people to pursue “utility.” Currently, as the threshold of tension between value rationality and technological rationality increases, the spiritual crisis faced by the subject is also becoming increasingly severe. On the one hand, this requires upholding the concept of “humanism” in spiritual production, internalizing truth, goodness, beauty, and righteousness as revered value ethics. “Humanism” possesses profound humanistic spirit and value concern, capable of guiding the subject to actively focus on individual value, social development, and historical destiny, and effectively addressing the value dilemmas created by technological logic through idealistic presuppositions, creative practice, transcendent aspirations, and appreciative enjoyment. In essence, humanism acknowledges that human essence is generated in the practice of free choice, believing that the reason humans possess the highest value and dignity is that all of human history is a self-directed activity with humanity as its end. In the digital age of technological supremacy, to resist the domination of spiritual production by technological rationality and its logic of utility, and to guide the one-dimensional “human” to become a pluralistic value subject, it is necessary to disenchant the “world of meaning” after the alienation of technological rationality. Specifically, in socialist spiritual production, we must not only limit the excessive “overload” of technologism in material value, functional value, and practical value, but also promote the full manifestation of its inherent spiritual value, existential value, and ideal value. Facts show that only by completing the subject’s true appropriation of value rationality and enhancing people’s autonomous consciousness and active spirit in spiritual production can we truly resolve the dilemma of the dissolution of historical meaning created by the subject.

在人类群体各种欲望的诱惑和驱迫下，技术理性在精神生产中开始出现“失控”。进言之，当技术理性“超载”并试图宰制整个意义世界之时，精神生产也将异化为人们追求“效用性”的手段。当前，随着价值理性和技术理性张力阈值的增大，主体面临的精神危机也日趋严重。一方面，这要求在精神生产中秉持“人本主义”理念，将真、善、美、义内化为崇奉的价值伦理。“人本主义”具有深厚的人文精神和价值关切，能够引导主体积极关注个体价值、社会发展和历史命运等内容，并通过进行理想性预设、创造性实践、超越性诉求与欣赏性享受等，有效应对技术逻辑制造的价值困境。质言之，人本主义承认人的本质在自由选择的实践中生成，认为人之所以具有最高的价值和尊严，是因为人的全部历史都是以人为目的的自为性活动。在技术至上的数字时代，要抵御技术理性及其效用逻辑对精神生产的宰制，引导单向度的“人”成为多元化的价值主体，就要对技术理性异化后的“意义世界”祛魅。具体来说，在社会主义精神生产中，我们既要限制技术主义在物质价值、功能价值和现实价值上的过度“超载”，更要促使其内在的精神价值、生存价值和理想价值充分彰显。事实表明，只有完成主体对价值理性的真正占有，增强人们在精神生产中的自主意识和能动精神，才能真正破解主体创造的历史意义的消解困境。

On the other hand, we must restore the instrumental essence of technological rationality in spiritual production, so that technology, directed at “external nature,” empowers the world of meaning. People cannot resort to the “law of good and evil equivalence” to render a binary judgment on technology, simply to criticize its “de-anthropocentrism” and substitution logic. In fact, as an important mode of human existence, technology is not merely for satisfying the subject’s simple “needs,” but for the aspiration to live better. In other words, the fundamental purpose of people inventing, designing, and upgrading technology is to enable themselves to live with greater dignity and to more effectively realize value self-verification in the “life-world.” In Marx’s view, the essence of technology is to serve the historical activities of laborers, helping people “to act upon other things according to their own purposes.” [30]30 Karl Marx, *Capital*, vol. 1, in *Marx and Engels Collected Works*, vol. 44 (Beijing: People’s Publishing House, 2001), p. 209. Therefore, in spiritual production, we must adhere to “technological justice,” using technology reasonably to engage in historical activities, and promoting the organic unity of truth, goodness, beauty, and righteousness. In the era of “digital survival,” “digital” has demonstrated a powerful integrative capacity in the global allocation of resources. It can empower spiritual production at extremely high speed and with immense energy, reshaping people’s cognitive methods and mental states in creating history. Thus, we must grasp historical initiative, actively utilize the characteristics of digital technology—high integration, high adaptability, and low cost—to vigorously develop artificial intelligence, the metaverse, cloud computing, etc., and fully unleash the potential of digital technology in spiritual production. Furthermore, while engaging in spiritual production activities with the aid of digital technology, we must also follow the value principle of “technology for good”—that is, transcending the instrumental logic of digital technology and fully empowering it with humanistic spirit. Only by actively guiding people to adapt to the new model of “digital survival” can we strengthen their confidence in creating history and promoting historical progress.

另一方面，在精神生产中复归技术理性的工具本质，使得指向“身外自然”的技术赋能意义世界。人们不能为了批判技术的“去人类中心化”和替代逻辑，而利用“善恶对价法则”对其进行非此即彼的裁决。事实上，技术作为人的重要存在方式，并非只是为了满足主体的简单“需要”，而是为了渴求活得更好。换言之，人们之所以发明、设计与提升技术，根本目的是为了让自身活得更有尊严，更加有力地在“生活世界”实现价值自证。在马克思看来，技术的本质乃是服务劳动者的历史活动，帮助人们“依照自己的目的作用于其他的物”。对此，在精神生产中必须坚持“技术正义”，合理地使用技术从事历史活动，促进真、善、美、义实现有机统一。在“数字化生存”时代，“数字”在全球资源配置中展现出了强大的整合能力，它能以极快速度和极大能量赋能精神生产，重塑人们创造历史的认知方式和精神状态。由此，我们必须掌握历史主动性，积极利用数字技术高融合、高适应和低成本的特性，大力发展人工智能、元宇宙、云计算等，充分释放数字在精神生产中的潜能。此外，我们在借助数字技术从事精神生产活动的同时，还必须遵循“技术向善”的价值原则，亦即超越数字技术的工具逻辑，对其进行充分的人文精神赋权。只有主动引导人们适应“数字化生存”新模式，才能坚定人们创造历史、推动历史进步的信心。

IV. Conclusion

四、结语

The more profound and comprehensive people’s understanding of the laws of historical development, the more they can grasp the future destiny of the country, the nation, and themselves. “No matter what the outcome of history, people always create their history by each pursuing his own consciously intended goals.” [31]31 Frederick Engels, *Ludwig Feuerbach and the End of Classical German Philosophy*, in *Marx and Engels Collected Works*, vol. 4 (Beijing: People’s Publishing House, 2009), p. 302. Although historical development is not controlled by the subject’s will, humans, as a “species” with self-awareness and the pursuit of some meaning, can influence and drive the historical process according to their own wishes. The development of world history, the flourishing of diverse civilizations, and the free liberation of humanity all depend on the exertion and transformation of the subject’s agency. In the current era, world history is facing changes unseen in a century, and the historical position of China has also undergone historic changes. This undoubtedly presents a major opportunity and a severe challenge for the question “Where is human civilization headed?” “As long as we grasp the general trend of historical development, seize the opportunity of historical transformation, strive with vigor and determination, and forge ahead with keen insight, human society can move forward better.” [32]32 Xi Jinping, “Speech at the Ceremony Marking the Centenary of the Communist Party of China,” *People’s Daily*, July 2, 2021. Only by observing the overall situation, discerning the general trend, and planning major events from a historical perspective can we outline a beautiful picture of human history while practicing the principle that “development is the eternal theme of human society.”

人们对历史发展规律的认识越是深刻全面，就越能够掌握国家、民族和自身的前途命运。“无论历史的结局如何，人们总是通过每一个人追求他自己的、自觉预期的目的来创造他们的历史”。历史发展虽然不为主体意志所控制，但人作为具有自我意识和追求某种意义的“类”，却可以根据自身意愿去影响和推动历史进程。世界历史的发展、多样文明的繁荣和人的自由解放，均离不开主体能动性的发挥和转化。当今时代，世界历史正面临着百年未有之大变局，中国所处的历史方位也发生了历史性变化。这对于“人类文明向何处去”无疑是一次重大机遇和严峻挑战。“只要把握住历史发展大势，抓住历史变革时机，奋发有为，锐意进取，人类社会就能更好前进。”我们只有从历史的高度观察大局、洞察大势和谋划大事，才能在践行“发展是人类社会的永恒主题”中擘画人类历史美好图景。

Online Editor: Tongxin

网络编辑：同心