The New Form of Human Civilization and Its Significance from the Perspective of World History

The new form of human civilization is an inherent requirement of Chinese-path modernization and a concrete manifestation of Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era. Theory originates from practice and in turn guides practice. The new form of human civilization is an achievement of the practical exploration of socialism with Chinese characteristics, yet it still requires theoretical interpretation and elevation based on the fundamental principles of Marxism. Marx’s theory of world history is a theoretical tool that can be drawn upon. From the perspective of world history, the new form of human civilization represents a creative development of Marx’s theory of world history. Sorting out and interpreting Marx’s theory of world history helps to understand the new form of human civilization more accurately and deeply. Based on this, this article first clarifies Hegel’s thought on world history, which is a major source of Marx’s theory of world history, and analyzes the similarities and differences between the two. Second, it argues that the new form of human civilization is a form of civilization in the New Era developed on the basis of Marx’s theory of world history, a realization of the theory of world history. Finally, it explains that the new form of human civilization, as a contemporary concrete representation of Marx’s theory of world history, responds through its theoretical scientificity and practical effectiveness to erroneous doctrines such as the Western “end of history” thesis.

人类文明新形态是中国式现代化的题中应有之义，是习近平新时代中国特色社会主义思想的具体呈现。理论来源于实践，又指导实践。人类文明新形态是中国特色社会主义实践探索取得的成就，但它仍需要根据马克思主义基本原理对其进行理论阐释和升华，马克思的世界历史理论是可资借鉴的理论工具。从世界历史视域来看，人类文明新形态是对马克思世界历史理论的创造性发展，梳理和阐释马克思的世界历史理论，有助于更准确深入地理解人类文明新形态。基于此，本文首先阐明作为马克思世界历史理论主要来源的黑格尔的世界历史思想，分析二者的异同；其次论证人类文明新形态是以马克思的世界历史理论为基础发展而来的新时代的文明形态，是世界历史理论的现实化；最后解释人类文明新形态作为马克思世界历史理论的当代具体表征，其在理论上的科学性和实践上的有效性回应了西方“历史终结论”等错误学说。

I. The Theory of World History: From Hegel to Marx

一、世界历史理论：从黑格尔到马克思

Hegel’s thought on world history is one of the ideological sources of Marx’s theory of world history. As is well known, although Hegel’s philosophy possesses a historical dimension, its idealist foundation makes it essentially an inverted philosophy of history, thereby “turning the real relationship upside down, standing it on its head.” [1]1 Marx, *Capital*, vol. 1, referring to Hegel’s idealist dialectic. Marx’s theory of world history “inverted” Hegel’s philosophy of history, and on the basis of sublating it, proposed a materialist theory of world history. This requires an analysis of the fundamental differences between the two theories in terms of the driving force of historical development, the subject of history, and the trend of historical development.

黑格尔的世界历史思想是马克思世界历史理论的思想来源之一。众所周知，黑格尔哲学尽管具有历史维度，但它的唯心主义底色使其本质上只能是一种头足倒立的历史哲学，从而把“真正的关系因此颠倒了，头脚倒置了”。马克思的世界历史理论对黑格尔历史哲学进行了“颠倒”，在扬弃它的基础上提出了一种唯物主义的世界历史理论。这就需要分析这两种理论在历史发展动力、历史主体以及历史发展趋势等方面的根本差异。

First, Hegel regarded absolute spirit as the driving force of world history, while Marx considered productive forces to be the fundamental cause of world historical development. Hegel believed that “‘Reason’ governs the world, and ‘Reason’ has always governed the world.” [2]2 Hegel, *Lectures on the Philosophy of World History*. For Hegel, “‘Reason’ rules the world, and likewise rules world history.” [3]3 Ibid. Reason governs not only the present world but also the history that has already occurred. What, then, is this “Reason” that rules or governs the world and world history? It is absolute spirit. Because Reason is essentially “spirit in its absolute truth,” it “exists in and for itself” and “eternally produces its own unity.” [4]4 Hegel, *Encyclopaedia of the Philosophical Sciences*. Moreover, Hegel also held that “‘Freedom’ is the sole truth of ‘spirit,’” [5]5 Hegel, *Lectures on the Philosophy of World History*. so absolute spirit becomes a consciousness of “freedom,” and “world history is nothing but the progress of the consciousness of freedom.” [6]6 Ibid. This indicates that absolute spirit, with freedom as its essential determination, is the fundamental driving force of world historical development, capable of “developing into a world,” [7]7 Ibid. and people’s study of history is nothing but the study of “the phenomenon of history itself” externalized by absolute spirit. [8]8 Ibid.

首先，黑格尔把绝对精神视为世界历史的发展动力，马克思则认为生产力才是世界历史发展的根本原因。黑格尔认为，“‘理性’支配世界，而且‘理性’向来支配着世界”。在黑格尔那里，“‘理性’统治了世界，也同样统治了世界历史”。理性所支配的不仅是当下的世界，还支配着已经发生的历史。那么统治或支配世界和世界历史的“理性”究竟是什么？它是绝对精神。因为理性本质上是“在其绝对真理性内的精神”，它“自在而自为地存在着”并“永恒地产生着自己的统一性”。不仅如此，黑格尔还认为“‘自由’是‘精神’的唯一的真理”，因此绝对精神就成了一种“自由”的意识，而“世界历史无非是‘自由’意识的进展”。这表明，以自由为本质规定的绝对精神就是世界历史得以发展的根本动力，它能够“发展为一个世界”，人们关于历史的研究无非是关于绝对精神外化出来的“历史本身的现象”的研究。

Although Marx once adhered to Hegel’s philosophy, after establishing the materialist conception of history, he explicitly opposed regarding “absolute spirit” or world spirit as the driving force of history. Marx and Engels pointed out in *The German Ideology* that “the transformation of history into world history is not a mere abstract act of ‘self-consciousness,’ world spirit, or some metaphysical specter, but a thoroughly material, empirically verifiable act.” [9]9 Marx and Engels, *The German Ideology*. On the basis of criticizing the philosophy of history and world history of Hegel and the Young Hegelians, Marx gradually formed the idea of taking productive forces as the fundamental driving force of the development of human society and world history. In his view, the development of productive forces is the “absolutely necessary practical premise” for eliminating poverty and extreme impoverishment, because only with the universal development of productive forces can “universal intercourse” be established. [10]10 Ibid. The establishment of this universal intercourse is the prerequisite for the emergence and development of world history. Subsequently, Marx further developed and perfected this idea. In the *Communist Manifesto*, Marx and Engels pointed out that capital’s global movement led to “the East being subordinated to the West,” ultimately forming “a unified government, unified laws, unified national class interests, and a unified tariff—a unified nation” on a world scale. [11]11 Marx and Engels, *Manifesto of the Communist Party*. In the “Preface to *A Contribution to the Critique of Political Economy*,” Marx outlined his research plan using the method of the unity of logic and history, with the world market, the foundation of world history, as the final link in his examination of the capitalist system. In his view, the evolution of forms of human society and the formation and development of the world market are fundamental to the transformation of history into world history, and ultimately both should be “explained from the existing conflict between social productive forces and relations of production.” [12]12 Marx, “Preface to *A Contribution to the Critique of Political Economy*.”

马克思尽管曾服膺于黑格尔哲学，但在确立唯物主义历史观之后，就明确反对把“绝对精神”或世界精神视为历史发展的动力。马克思恩格斯在《德意志意识形态》中指出，“历史向世界历史的转变，不是‘自我意识’、世界精神或者某个形而上学幽灵的某种纯粹的抽象行动，而是完全物质的、可以通过经验证明的行动”。在批判黑格尔和青年黑格尔派历史哲学和世界历史的基础上，马克思逐渐形成了把生产力作为人类社会和世界历史发展的根本动力的思想。在他看来，生产力发展是消灭贫穷和极端贫困化的“绝对必需的实际前提”，因为只有生产力的普遍发展，“人们的普遍交往才能建立起来”，这种普遍交往的确立，是世界历史得以产生和发展的前提。此后，马克思进一步发展和完善了这一思想。在《共产党宣言》中，马克思恩格斯指出资本在全球游走导致“东方从属于西方”，最终在世界范围内形成了“统一的政府、统一的法律、统一的民族阶级利益和统一的关税的统一的民族”。在《〈政治经济学批判〉序言》中，马克思以逻辑和历史相统一的方法论述了自己的研究计划，作为世界历史之基础的世界市场是其考察资本主义制度的最后环节。在他看来，人类社会形态的演变和世界市场的形成、发展是历史向世界历史转变的根本，最终都应该“从社会生产力和生产关系之间的现存冲突中去解释”。

Second, regarding the subject of history, Hegel regarded heroic figures, as embodiments of absolute spirit, as the subject of history, while Marx considered the masses of the people to be the subject of history. In the state, which serves as a prelude to world history, Hegel believed that people are merely “the living tools of the substantive enterprise of the world spirit.” [13]13 Hegel, *Philosophy of Right*. However, for absolute spirit to externalize and manifest itself in actual world history, it must do so through the mediation of “world-historical individuals,” i.e., “historical figures.” [14]14 Hegel, *Lectures on the Philosophy of World History*. As world-historical individuals, these heroic figures appear to pursue their own ends, but as “the truth of their age and their world,” they are merely “the universal ‘Idea’ that is unfolding.” [15]15 Ibid. Moreover, he opposed heroic figures to the masses of the people. On the one hand, the masses are nothing but a mob; “the people are that part which does not know what it wants.” [16]16 Hegel, *Elements of the Philosophy of Right*. On the other hand, the people must submit to heroic figures, because the latter are the “forward-moving ‘spirit,’” and thus they need to bring the masses “to consciousness.” [17]17 Hegel, *Lectures on the Philosophy of World History*.

其次，就历史的主体而言，黑格尔将绝对精神化身的英雄人物作为历史的主体，马克思则认为人民群众才是历史的主体。在作为世界历史之前奏的国家中，黑格尔认为人不过是“世界精神的实体性事业的活的工具”。不过，绝对精神要在现实的世界历史中外化和显现，就必须通过“世界历史个人”即“历史人物”这一中介。作为世界历史个人，这些英雄人物看似在追求自身的目的，但作为“他们的时代和他们的世界的‘真理’”，他们只是“正在展开的那个普遍的‘观念’”。不仅如此，他把英雄人物与人民群众对立起来，一方面，人民群众不过是一群乌合之众，“人民就是不知道自己需要什么的那一部分人”；另一方面，人民需要服从英雄人物，因为后者是“向前进展的‘精神’”，所以需要他们把人民群众“带到自觉”。

In contrast, Marx adhered to a conception of history centered on the masses, holding that the masses of the people are the true actual subject of history: “Historical activity is the activity of the masses, and with the deepening of historical activity, the scale of the masses will inevitably expand.” [18]18 Marx and Engels, *The Holy Family*. In modern capitalist society, the representative of the masses of the people is the proletariat. On the one hand, the proletariat is the most revolutionary class formed under the capitalist mode of production: “Only the proletariat is a truly revolutionary class. The other classes decay and perish with the development of large-scale industry; the proletariat is the product of large-scale industry itself.” [19]19 Marx and Engels, *Manifesto of the Communist Party*. On the other hand, the proletariat “can only exist in a world-historical sense.” [20]20 Marx and Engels, *The German Ideology*. Because under capitalist conditions, with the emergence of machine-based large-scale industry and the formation of universal intercourse, localized individuals can no longer exist; they must necessarily transform into “world-historical, empirically universal individuals,” that is, the “‘propertyless’ mass” or the proletariat. [21]21 Ibid.

与此相对，马克思坚持的是一种群众史观，认为人民群众才是历史的真正现实主体，“历史活动是群众的活动，随着历史活动的深入，必将是群众队伍的扩大”。在现代资本主义社会，人民群众的代表是无产阶级。一方面，无产阶级是资本主义生产方式下形成的最革命的阶级，“只有无产阶级是真正革命的阶级。其余的阶级都随着大工业的发展而日趋没落和灭亡，无产阶级却是大工业本身的产物”。另一方面，无产阶级“只有在世界历史意义上才能存在”。因为在资本主义条件下，随着机器大工业的出现和普遍交往的形成，地域性的个人已经不能存在，它必然要转变为“世界历史性的、经验性的东西”，即“‘没有财产的’群众”或无产阶级。

Finally, Hegel regarded Germanic society as representing the highest stage of development of human civilization, while Marx considered the ultimate trend of social historical development to be the movement toward communism. As mentioned above, Hegel distinguished different stages of world historical development based on the number of people capable of possessing the right to “freedom,” ultimately regarding Germanic society, where “everyone is free,” as the highest stage of world history. [22]22 Hegel, *Lectures on the Philosophy of World History*.

最后，黑格尔认为日耳曼社会代表着人类文明发展的最高阶段，马克思则认为社会历史发展的最终趋势是走向共产主义。正如前文所述，黑格尔根据能够具有“自由”权利的人数的多寡来区分世界历史发展的不同阶段，最终把“人人是自由的”日耳曼社会视为世界历史的最高阶段。

Marx believed that Hegel’s philosophy of history ultimately turned actual “human history into the history of abstract spirit, and thus into the history of a transcendent spirit divorced from actual human beings.” According to historical materialism, the highest stage of human social development is communism, but communism can be truly realized only on the premise of world history. Because the liberation and development of productive forces in capitalist society gave rise to world intercourse, and “any extension of intercourse will abolish local communism,” therefore “communism — its cause — can be realized only as a ‘world-historical’ existence.” Only communism can “replace the old bourgeois society with its classes and class antagonisms,” and only under the condition of the supersession of private property can “the free development of each be the condition for the free development of all.” Marx pointed out that the second stage, characterized by “universal social metabolism, comprehensive relations, manifold needs, and a system of comprehensive capacities,” creates the conditions for the third stage, i.e., the future communist society: only on the premise of world history can human beings achieve all-round development and realize their free individuality.

马克思认为，黑格尔的历史哲学最终把现实的“人类的历史变成了抽象精神的历史，因而也就变成了同现实的人相脱离的人类彼岸精神的历史”。根据唯物史观，人类社会发展的最高阶段是共产主义，但只有在世界历史前提下才能真正实现共产主义。因为生产力在资本主义社会的解放和发展导致了世界交往，而“交往的任何扩大都会消灭地域性的共产主义”，因此“共产主义——它的事业——只有作为‘世界历史性的’存在才有可能实现”。只有共产主义才能够“代替那存在着阶级和阶级对立的资产阶级旧社会”，也只有在扬弃了私有制的条件下，“每个人的自由发展是一切人的自由发展的条件”。马克思指出，以“普遍的社会物质变换、全面的关系、多方面的需要以及全面的能力的体系”为特征的第二个阶段为第三个阶段即未来共产主义社会创造了条件，即只有在世界历史的前提下，人才能得到全面发展，其自由个性才能得以实现。

In short, although Hegel systematically expounded a theory of world history, its idealist essence could only “interpret the world,” not “change the world,” and still less guide social practice. On the basis of “inverting” the idealism of Hegel’s philosophy of history, Marx formed a new theory of world history grounded in historical materialism. This not only comprehensively surpassed Hegel but also put forward a scientific theory of world history, thereby laying a solid theoretical foundation for the development of socialism from theory to practice and from one country to many countries.

总之，黑格尔尽管较为系统地论述了世界历史理论，但其唯心主义本质只能“解释世界”，不能“改造世界”，更不能用于指导社会实践。马克思在“颠倒”黑格尔历史哲学的唯心主义基础上形成了基于唯物史观的新的世界历史理论，不但全面超越了黑格尔，而且提出了科学的世界历史理论，从而为社会主义从理论走向实践、从一国到多国的发展奠定了坚实的理论基础。

II. The New Form of Human Civilization: The Realization of Marx’s Theory of World History

二、人类文明新形态：马克思世界历史理论的现实化

In the history of socialist development, there are two important leaps: one is the “historic leap” from utopian socialism to scientific socialism, and the other is the “epoch-making leap” from theory to practice. Marx’s historical materialism, especially his theory of world history, superseded the utopian socialism of Britain and France and the philosophical communism of Hess and others, achieving “the development of socialism from utopia to science.” The victory of the October Revolution in Russia turned the theory of scientific socialism into reality, but the great achievements of socialism with Chinese characteristics have developed the concrete practice of socialism to a new level and a new stage. One of the most important manifestations of this is the new form of human civilization it has created. Therefore, how to theoretically demonstrate the historical inevitability of the new form of human civilization and how it achieves the unity of conformity to law and conformity to purpose has become a top priority in the theoretical research on socialism with Chinese characteristics.

社会主义发展史上存在两个重要的跨越，一是从空想到科学的“历史性跨越”，二是从理论到实践的“划时代跨越”。马克思创立的唯物史观，尤其是他的世界历史理论，扬弃了英法空想社会主义和赫斯等人的哲学共产主义，实现了“社会主义从空想到科学的发展”。俄国十月革命的胜利把科学社会主义理论变成了现实，但中国特色社会主义取得的伟大成就把社会主义具体实践发展到了一个新层次、新阶段，其中最重要的表现之一是它创造的人类文明新形态。因此，我们究竟如何从理论上论证人类文明新形态的历史必然性，其如何实现了合规律性和合目的性的统一，成为中国特色社会主义理论研究的重中之重。

For the new form of human civilization, it can be understood more deeply and reasonably only from the height of world history. The new form of human civilization is a product of adapting Marxism to the Chinese context and the needs of the times, and even more so the realization of Marx’s theory of world history. At the theoretical level, the new form of human civilization is a development of Marx’s theory of world history; at the practical level, it is a concrete application and practical verification of Marx’s theory of world history, embodying the unity of history and logic, and of theory and practice.

对于人类文明新形态而言，只有在世界历史的高度才能够对它形成更深刻和更合理的认识。人类文明新形态是马克思主义中国化时代化的产物，更是马克思世界历史理论的现实化。在理论层面，人类文明新形态是对马克思世界历史理论的发展；在实践层面，人类文明新形态是对马克思世界历史理论的具体应用和实践证明，体现了历史和逻辑的统一、理论和实践的一致。

The new form of human civilization is the practical achievement of the Communist Party of China (CPC) in adhering to the “integration of the basic tenets of Marxism with China’s specific realities and with the best of traditional Chinese culture.” It is a form of civilization endogenously generated in the process of creating the path of Chinese-path modernization on the basis of upholding socialism with Chinese characteristics. Its theoretical foundation is Marx’s theory of world history, which he proposed and developed on the basis of superseding and criticizing Hegel’s philosophy of history. This theory encompasses a social dynamic based on the dialectical contradiction between productive forces and relations of production, a view of history that takes the masses as the subject of history, and a view of social development that takes the realization of socialism and communism as its fundamental goal. Therefore, the new form of human civilization verifies and develops Marx’s theory of world history at both the theoretical and practical levels.

人类文明新形态是中国共产党坚持把“马克思主义基本原理同中国具体实际相结合、同中华优秀传统文化相结合”的实践成果，是在坚持中国特色社会主义基础上创造中国式现代化道路的过程中内生出来的一种文明形态。它的理论基础是马克思在扬弃和批判黑格尔历史哲学的基础上提出并发展了自己的世界历史理论，涵盖了以生产力和生产关系的辩证矛盾为基础的社会动力论，以人民群众为历史主体的群众史观，以及以实现社会主义和共产主义为根本目标的社会发展观。因此，人类文明新形态在理论和实践层面验证和发展了马克思的世界历史理论。

First, the new form of human civilization is a concrete application of Marx’s theory of world history and even of the materialist conception of history. In terms of content, the new form of human civilization covers material civilization, political civilization, cultural-ethical progress, social civilization, and ecological civilization, among other aspects, with material civilization based on productive forces serving as the foundation for the others. In terms of its formation, the new form of human civilization is the practical result of socialism with Chinese characteristics liberating and developing productive forces. It should be said that from China’s standing up, growing rich, to becoming strong, every link in the CPC’s leadership of the people in creating the new form of human civilization has been based on the development of productive forces. Without the development of productive forces, China’s economic level could not have been greatly improved, and it would have been impossible to lay a solid material foundation for the new form of human civilization. In particular, reform and opening up was a key measure for the Chinese nation to actively enter world history. On the one hand, it liberated and developed productive forces, promoting the creation of the new form of human civilization; on the other hand, it also enabled the Chinese economy to increasingly integrate into the world economy, thereby enabling China to stand proudly among the nations of the world.

首先，人类文明新形态是对马克思世界历史理论乃至唯物主义历史观的具体应用。从内容来看，人类文明新形态涵盖物质文明、政治文明、精神文明、社会文明、生态文明等多方面内容，以生产力为基础的物质文明是其他文明的基础。从其形成来看，人类文明新形态是中国特色社会主义解放和发展生产力的实践结果。应该说，我国从站起来、富起来到强起来，中国共产党带领人民创造人类文明新形态的每一个环节，都是以生产力的发展为基础的。没有生产力的发展，我国经济水平得不到极大提高，就不可能为人类文明新形态奠定坚实的物质基础。尤其是，改革开放是中华民族主动进入世界历史的关键举措，一方面解放和发展了生产力，推动了人类文明新形态的创造；另一方面也让中国经济日益融入世界经济，从而能够屹立于世界民族之林。

Second, the new form of human civilization is a form of civilization created on the basis of socialism with Chinese characteristics. To accurately understand the new form of human civilization, one must firmly grasp its relationship with socialism. Marx believed that world history includes two types: world history of a capitalist nature and world history of communism. Marx was generally critical of the former, holding that although it eliminated feudal privileges and greatly promoted the development of productive forces, it was merely a historical mechanism in which capital roams the globe to realize its own self-valorization, thereby creating universal slavery. Therefore, the form of civilization it created was essentially “old.” The world history of communism is the history in which the proletariat, as a universal class, liberates all of humanity while liberating itself. Socialism with Chinese characteristics, which creates the new form of human civilization, belongs to the primary stage of socialism. It provides an institutional guarantee for the new form of human civilization. Therefore, the new form of human civilization is truly a “new” form. Adhering to the path of peaceful development and promoting world peace all practically verify Marx’s theory of world history.

其次，人类文明新形态是在中国特色社会主义基础上创造出来的文明形态。要想准确理解人类文明新形态，就应该紧紧把握其与社会主义之间的关系。马克思认为，世界历史包含两种类型，即资本主义性质的世界历史和共产主义的世界历史。马克思对前者整体持批判态度，认为它尽管消除了封建特权，促进了生产力的极大发展，但只是资本为实现自身增殖而游走全球，进而造成普遍奴隶制的历史机制，因此其创造的文明形态本质上仍是“旧”的。共产主义的世界历史则是无产阶级作为普遍阶级在解放自身的同时解放全人类的历史。创造人类文明新形态的中国特色社会主义属于社会主义的初级阶段，它为人类文明新形态提供了制度保障，因此，人类文明新形态才是真正的“新”形态，坚持走和平发展之路，促进世界和平，这都在实践上验证了马克思的世界历史理论。

Third, in terms of its value orientation, the new form of human civilization adheres to a people-centered approach, implementing and carrying out the mass view of history in Marx’s theory of world history. The mass view of history profoundly reveals the subjectivity of the masses, holding that the masses are the creators of history. The CPC is a proletarian party that has always adhered to Marx’s mass view of history. It is precisely the CPC that has led the people in revolution, construction, and reform, established and improved the basic socialist system, and created the new form of human civilization. General Secretary Xi Jinping pointed out: “Only by adhering to the people-centered development philosophy, insisting that development is for the people, development relies on the people, and the fruits of development are shared by the people, can there be a correct view of development and a correct view of modernization.” The new form of human civilization emphasizes the people-centered mass view, holding that “development relies on the people,” thereby highlighting the principal position of the masses in social history; it emphasizes that “development is for the people,” and the CPC, as a political party with no special interests of its own, has as its development purpose to seek happiness for the people and rejuvenation for the nation; it emphasizes that “the fruits of development are shared by the people,” reflecting that the ultimate goal of economic development, political clarity, and confidence in the theory is to meet the people’s needs for a better life.

再次，人类文明新形态在价值旨归上坚持以人民为中心，贯彻和落实了马克思世界历史理论的群众史观。群众史观深刻揭示了人民群众的主体性，认为人民群众是历史的创造者。中国共产党是无产阶级政党，始终坚持马克思的群众史观。正是中国共产党带领人民进行革命、建设和改革，建立和完善了社会主义基本制度，创造了人类文明新形态。习近平总书记指出：“只有坚持以人民为中心的发展思想，坚持发展为了人民、发展依靠人民、发展成果由人民共享，才会有正确的发展观、现代化观。”人类文明新形态强调“以人民为中心”的群众观，认为“发展依靠人民”，因而突出了人民群众在社会历史中的主体地位；强调“发展为了人民”，中国共产党作为一个没有自身特殊利益的政党，其发展旨要就是为人民谋幸福、为民族谋复兴；强调“发展成果由人民共享”，体现经济发展、政治清明和文化自信的最终目的是要满足人民对美好生活的需要。

Finally, the new form of human civilization is a form of civilization based on a grand historical perspective, encompassing the form of civilization in the primary stage of socialism, and capable of ultimately pointing toward future communism through continuous self-improvement and development. The new form of human civilization, for which socialism with Chinese characteristics provides the social foundation and institutional guarantee, will certainly develop continuously under the leadership of the Communist Party of China, ultimately moving toward a form of civilization suited to communist society. Although the new form of human civilization has milestone significance in the process of China's social development, one cannot overlook the objective fact that it remains in the primary stage of socialism. On the one hand, the creation and development of the new form of human civilization is precisely the result of actively integrating into and even leading the development of world history, a historical necessity of fully unleashing the superiority of the socialist system, and at the same time an inherent requirement for the new form of human civilization to continuously transcend itself. On the other hand, the new form of human civilization created by socialism with Chinese characteristics is the inevitable outcome of the process of modern Chinese civilization; this is not the endpoint of historical development, but a new starting point. Marx and Engels pointed out in *The German Ideology*: "Communism is for us not a state of affairs which is to be established, an ideal to which reality [will] have to adjust itself. We call communism the real movement which abolishes the present state of things. The conditions of this movement result from the premises now in existence." [24]24 "Clash of civilizations" (文明冲突论): A theory proposed by Samuel Huntington arguing that cultural and religious identities will be the primary source of conflict in the post-Cold War world. Similarly, the new form of human civilization is a form of civilization in the primary stage of socialism, but like communism, it must by no means be understood as an already realized "state of affairs which is to be established" existing in a transcendent realm; rather, it is more a "real movement" that constantly abolishes and sublates the existing state of things. Only through continuous "self-revolution" can it break out of the historical cycle, [25]25 "End of history" (历史终结论): A thesis by Francis Fukuyama asserting that liberal democracy represents the endpoint of humanity's sociocultural evolution and the final form of human government. enter world history and lead world history, and move toward the future communist society.

最后，人类文明新形态是一种基于大历史观的文明形态，涵盖社会主义初级阶段的文明形态，并能通过不断自我完善和发展，最终指向未来共产主义。中国特色社会主义提供社会基础和制度保障的人类文明新形态，一定会在中国共产党的领导下不断发展，最终走向适应共产主义社会的文明形态。尽管人类文明新形态在我国社会发展过程中具有里程碑的意义，但不能忽视它仍处在社会主义初级阶段的客观事实。一方面，人类文明新形态的创造和发展正是主动融入乃至引领世界历史发展的结果，是充分发挥社会主义制度优越性的历史必然，同时也是让人类文明新形态不断超越自身的内在要求；另一方面，中国特色社会主义创造的人类文明新形态是中国现代文明进程的必然结果，这并非历史发展的终点，而是新的起点。马克思恩格斯在《德意志意识形态》中指出：“共产主义对我们来说不是应当确立的状况，不是现实应当与之相适应的理想。我们所称为共产主义的是那种消灭现存状况的现实的运动。这个运动的条件是由现有的前提产生的。”同样，人类文明新形态是社会主义初级阶段的一个文明形态，但它就像共产主义一样，决不能被理解为处在彼岸世界的那种已经实现了的“应当确立的状况”，毋宁说，它更是一种不断消灭和扬弃现存状况的“现实的运动”，只有通过不断的“自我革命”，才能够跳出历史周期率，进入世界历史并引领世界历史，走向未来共产主义社会。

The development of Marx's theory of world history by the new form of human civilization is mainly manifested in the following aspects. First, in terms of material civilization, the new form of human civilization has established "the basic socialist economic systems, including the system in which public ownership is the mainstay and multiple forms of ownership develop together, the system in which distribution according to work is the mainstay and multiple forms of distribution coexist, and the socialist market economy system." [26]26 "Weapon of critique" (批判的武器): A reference to Marx's phrase in *Critique of Hegel's Philosophy of Right* (1843), where he distinguishes between the "weapon of critique" (theoretical criticism) and the "critique of weapons" (material force). This basic economic system has been gradually established by socialism with Chinese characteristics after crossing the "Caudine Forks," [27]27 Marx, “The Future Results of British Rule in India,” *Marx and Engels Collected Works*, vol. 12, p. 221. and possesses a certain particularity in the process of world history. Therefore, the new form of human civilization embodies the stage-like and transitional nature of socialism in the development of world history. The economic system of socialism with Chinese characteristics adopts the strategy of "unswervingly consolidating and developing the public economy, and unswervingly encouraging, supporting, and guiding the development of the non-public economy," [28]28 Marx and Engels, *Manifesto of the Communist Party*, *Marx and Engels Collected Works*, vol. 6, p. 488. which makes its rationality all the more prominent. Socialism restricts private ownership, depriving capital of the space for savage expansion and stripping the political system that oppresses and dominates the masses of its economic foundation; at the same time, it allows multiple forms of ownership to coexist, thereby theoretically developing Marx's theory of world history and socialist thought. Second, the new form of human civilization, including whole-process people's democracy and the socialist rule-of-law system with Chinese characteristics, enriches and develops Marx's theory of world history at the political level. Objectively speaking, Marx mainly discussed politics and law at a macro level, with less discussion of the specific political and legal systems of socialism. The political civilization and other elements contained in the new form of human civilization have, to a certain extent, enriched Marx's theory of world history. Third, the ideas and concepts of a harmonious society and the promotion of people's free and comprehensive development, as well as the pursuit of a better life for humanity, which are embedded in the new form of human civilization, have also promoted the coordinated development of people and society, enriched the content and levels of the forms of human civilization development, and made Marx's theory of world history more concrete. Finally, the new form of human civilization emphasizes the harmonious unity of humanity and nature, requiring that "economic and social development must be planned from the height of harmonious coexistence between humanity and nature," [29] opposing the abnormal material exchange between humanity and nature caused by capital expansion, thereby enabling the genuine realization of ecological civilization and fundamentally addressing the relationship between humanity and nature. This has also become an organic component of Marx's theory of world history.

人类文明新形态对马克思的世界历史理论的发展主要体现在，首先，人类文明新形态在物质文明方面确定了“公有制为主体、多种所有制经济共同发展，按劳分配为主体、多种分配方式并存，社会主义市场经济体制等社会主义基本经济制度”，这种基本经济制度是中国特色社会主义在跨越“卡夫丁峡谷”后逐步确立起来的，在世界历史进程中具有一定的特殊性，所以人类文明新形态体现了社会主义在世界历史发展中的阶段性和过渡性，中国特色社会主义经济制度采取“毫不动摇巩固和发展公有制经济，毫不动摇鼓励、支持、引导非公有制经济发展”的策略才更凸显其合理性。社会主义限制私有制，让资本失去了野蛮生长的空间，让统治和压迫人民群众的政治制度失去经济基础；同时它又允许多种所有制形式并存，这就在理论上发展了马克思的世界历史理论和社会主义思想。其次，人类文明新形态包含的全过程人民民主和中国特色社会主义法治体系等在政治层面丰富和发展了马克思世界历史理论。客观上讲，马克思主要从宏观层面论述政治和法律，较少讨论社会主义的具体政治和法律制度，人类文明新形态蕴含的政治文明等内容在一定程度上丰富了马克思世界历史理论。再次，人类文明新形态蕴含的和谐社会与促进人的自由全面发展的思想理念，对人类美好生活的追求，也推动了人与社会的协调发展，丰富了人类文明发展形态的内容和层次，让马克思的世界历史理论更加具体。最后，人类文明新形态强调人与自然的和谐统一，要求“必须站在人与自然和谐共生的高度来谋划经济社会发展”，反对因资本扩张所导致的人与自然之间异常的物质变换，从而能够真正实现生态文明，从根本上处理人与自然的关系，这也成为马克思世界历史理论的有机组成部分。

In summary, due to the establishment of the socialist system, the Chinese nation has begun to actively integrate into world history, thereby being able to truly liberate and develop the productive forces, attend to people's material and spiritual needs, fundamentally resolve the principal contradiction in the New Era between "the people's ever-growing needs for a better life and unbalanced and inadequate development," [30] and create the new form of human civilization. As a socialist country, the Communist Party of China has, both theoretically and practically, demonstrated and practiced the new form of human civilization from the perspective of world history. Especially at the practical level, the new form of human civilization opposes oppression and exploitation between nations and classes, and opposes the unequal international relations of "the East being subordinate to the West." [31] Therefore, it can work with countries around the world to build a community with a shared future for mankind, safeguard the two major themes of world peace and development, and achieve mutual verification with Marx's theory of world history.

总之，由于社会主义制度的确立，中华民族开始主动融入世界历史，因而能够真正解放和发展生产力，关注人们的物质和精神需求，从根本上解决新时代“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”，创造出人类文明新形态。作为社会主义国家，中国共产党无论在理论上还是在实践上，都从世界历史层面论证和实践了人类文明新形态。尤其是在实践层面，人类文明新形态反对民族之间、阶级之间的压迫和剥削，反对“东方从属于西方”的不平等国际关系，因而能够与世界各国共同构建人类命运共同体，维护了世界和平与发展两大主题，与马克思世界历史理论实现了互证。

III. The World-Historical Significance of the New Form of Human Civilization

三、人类文明新形态的世界历史意义

Marx's theory of world history can provide guidance for the healthy development of human society, and the new form of human civilization has proven the scientific nature of Marx's theory of world history in practice. However, the struggle in the ideological sphere remains very complex, and the capitalist system is still "fully" defended by many Western theories. For the progress of human civilization and the free and comprehensive development of people, since the 18th National Congress of the CPC, [32] General Secretary Xi Jinping has repeatedly emphasized the need to establish a

马克思的世界历史理论能够为人类社会的健康发展提供指导，人类文明新形态在实践上证明了马克思世界历史理论的科学性。但是，意识形态领域的斗争仍然非常复杂，资本主义制度仍然得到了很多西方理论的“充分”辩护。为了人类文明的进步和人的自由全面发展，党的十八大以来，习近平总书记多次强调要树立“大历史观”，要“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”。在某种意义上，“大历史观”就是马克思世界历史理论的当代具体表征。

From the perspective of a grand view of history, the new form of human civilization can, on the one hand, serve as a model for backward countries and nations, inspiring other developing countries to diligently explore social forms and civilizational forms suitable for their own development; on the other hand, it can scientifically analyze and correctly diagnose various maladies emerging in the contemporary world. On a positive level, the new form of human civilization, relying on a community with a shared future for mankind, constructs a new social form that counterbalances the capitalist civilizational form dominated by the logic of capital, thereby offering other developing countries a completely new choice in selecting their own development paths. On a negative or critical level, the new form of human civilization serves as a powerful "weapon of critique" against erroneous trends of thought prevalent in the Western world, such as the "clash of civilizations" and the "end of history," thereby demonstrating the legitimacy of communist society as the ultimate tendency of world historical development. Through critical analysis and comparative study of various Western social trends, it can be seen that the new form of human civilization combines "destruction" and "construction," revealing to the world the scientific nature of its theory and the effectiveness of its practice.

从大历史观的视角来看人类文明新形态，一方面，它能够为落后国家和民族提供示范作用，激励其他发展中国家努力探索适合本国发展的社会形态和文明形态；另一方面，它能够科学分析、正确诊治当代世界出现的种种病症。从积极层面看，人类文明新形态以人类命运共同体为依托，构建了一种与资本逻辑主导的资本主义文明形态相抗衡的新型社会形态，从而为其他发展中国家选择自身的发展道路提供了一种全新的选择。从消极或批判层面看，人类文明新形态就是批判西方世界盛行的“文明冲突论”和“历史终结论”等错误思潮的有力的“批判的武器”，进而证明共产主义社会作为世界历史发展的最终趋向的正当性。通过对多种西方社会思潮的批判性分析和比较研究可知，人类文明新形态“破”“立”结合，向世人展示了其理论的科学性和实践的有效性。

First, the new form of human civilization powerfully refutes the "end of history" thesis. Francis Fukuyama, in *The End of History and the Last Man*, proposed the "end of history" thesis, arguing that human "history culminates in freedom," and that "liberal democracy may constitute the 'end point of mankind's ideological evolution' and 'the final form of human government,' and as such constitutes the 'end of history.'" The error of this theory lies not only in limiting the "end of history" to liberal democratic politics, but also in its claim that Marxism is essentially a form of "end of history" thesis. In his view, although Marx's philosophy of history emphasizes the evolution of human society, this evolution is not infinitely open; rather, "it ends after human society reaches a social form that can satisfy its deepest and most fundamental desires." For Marx, history ends with "communist society."

首先，人类文明新形态有力地反驳了“历史终结论”。弗朗西斯·福山在《历史的终结与最后的人》中提出了“历史终结论”，认为人类“历史在自由中达到顶峰”，“自由民主也许是‘人类意识形态演化的终点’和‘人类政体的最后形式’，并因此构成‘历史的终结’”。该理论的错误并不仅仅在于把“历史的终结”限定为自由民主政治，更在于它认为马克思主义本质上也是一种“历史终结论”。在他看来，马克思的历史哲学尽管强调人类社会的演化，但这种演化不是无限开放的，而是“在人类达成一个能满足其最深层、最基本的愿望的社会形式之后，它就会终结”。在马克思那里，历史终结于“共产主义社会”。

In fact, both Marx’s theory of communism and the new form of human civilization powerfully refute Fukuyama’s erroneous views. In Marx’s view, communism has a dual determination: on the one hand, communism, as a social formation, is the goal of the future development of human society; on the other hand, communism is a social movement of constant self-revolution. Marx’s dual determination of communism shows that future society cannot be a closed society, but an association open to the future. This association is in a process of constant sublation and development, aiming to “combine the soberness of the capitalist commercial company with the concern of the ancient association for the common social welfare, and thereby achieve its own ends.” [27]27 Marx, “The Future Results of British Rule in India,” *Marx and Engels Collected Works*, vol. 12, p. 221. As a civilizational form of socialism with Chinese characteristics, the new form of human civilization is itself contained within the communist movement; therefore, it does not claim to be the necessary path of development for other nation-states. In reality, every civilization should be respected, and every country and society can creatively develop its own civilizational form on the basis of its national conditions.

事实上，不管是马克思的共产主义理论还是人类文明新形态，都强有力地驳斥了福山的错误观点。在马克思看来，共产主义具有双重规定：一方面，共产主义作为一种社会形态，是人类社会未来发展的目标；另一方面，共产主义是一种不断自我革命的社会运动。马克思对共产主义的双重规定表明，未来社会不可能是一个封闭的社会，而是一个向未来敞开的联合体。这个联合体处在不断扬弃和发展的过程之中，以期实现把资本主义商业公司的“清醒同古代联合体对共同的社会福利的关心结合起来，并以此来达到自己的目的”。作为中国特色社会主义的文明形态，人类文明新形态本身包含于共产主义运动之中，因此，它并不声称自身是其他民族国家发展的必然途径。在现实中，任何文明都应该得到尊重，每个国家和社会都可以在立足本国国情的前提下，创造性发展自身的文明形态。

The error of the “end of history” thesis stems from Fukuyama’s ideological bias. In fact, Fukuyama’s “end of history” thesis is merely a reprint of Hegel’s philosophy of history. He himself frankly admits that Hegel had already set up the theory of the “end of history” with the liberal state as its endpoint. If Marx’s theory of world history and communist thought theoretically respond to Fukuyama’s questioning of Marxism, then the new form of human civilization reveals the absurdity and arbitrariness of the “end of history” thesis on both theoretical and practical levels.

“历史终结论”的错误源于福山的意识形态偏见。实际上，福山的“历史终结论”不过是黑格尔历史哲学的翻版。他本人直言不讳，承认黑格尔已经设定了以自由国家作为终点的“历史的终结”理论。如果说马克思的世界历史理论和共产主义思想从理论上回应了福山对马克思主义的质疑，那么人类文明新形态则在理论和实践两个层面揭示了“历史终结论”的荒谬和武断。

Second, the new form of human civilization also directly criticizes Huntington’s “clash of civilizations” thesis. Objectively speaking, Huntington did perceive the “multipolar and multicultural” character of the contemporary world, believing that “the clash of civilizations” between “peoples of different cultural entities” would become the dominant phenomenon of the contemporary world. However, on the one hand, he holds that the root cause of civilizational conflict lies in culture rather than economics; on the other hand, he believes that cultural conflict is inevitable. In fact, the “clash of civilizations” thesis is essentially a theoretical expression of Western-centrism, which, by concealing the economic causes behind civilizational conflict and downplaying the class attributes of contradictions between different nation-states, seeks to justify so-called Western democratic politics and great-power chauvinism.

其次，人类文明新形态还直接批判了亨廷顿的“文明冲突论”。客观而言，亨廷顿确实看到了当代世界的“多极的和多文化的”特征，认为“不同文化实体的人民之间”的“文明的冲突”会成为当代世界的主要现象。但是，他一方面认为文明冲突的根本原因在于文化而非经济，另一方面又认为文化冲突是不可避免的。事实上，“文明冲突论”本质上是西方中心主义的一种理论表现，它通过掩盖文明冲突背后的经济原因和淡化不同民族国家矛盾的阶级属性，来为所谓的西方民主政治和大国沙文主义辩护。

The new form of human civilization outlines a new world picture for other developing countries. For the nation-state itself, the new form of human civilization shows that only by continuously raising the level of development of its own productive forces can a country guarantee its independence and autonomy, fundamentally eliminating the world pattern in which “uncivilized and semi-civilized countries are subordinate to civilized countries, and peasant peoples are subordinate to bourgeois peoples.” [28]28 Marx and Engels, *Manifesto of the Communist Party*, *Marx and Engels Collected Works*, vol. 6, p. 488. As for the relations among human civilizations, all countries and nations should respect cultural differences and tolerate diverse civilizations. “Differences in history, culture, and social systems among countries have existed since ancient times and are an inherent attribute of human civilization. Without diversity, there would be no human civilization.” Only through mutual respect, seeking common ground while reserving differences, and common development can world peace be truly achieved. It is precisely for this reason that the Communist Party of China has actively explored and put forward the advanced concept of building a community with a shared future for mankind, responsibly offering a Chinese solution to world development, namely, building “a world of lasting peace, universal security, common prosperity, openness and inclusiveness, and clean and beautiful.”

人类文明新形态为其他发展中国家勾勒了一种新的世界图景。对民族国家自身来说，人类文明新形态表明：只有不断提高自身生产力发展水平，才能够保证国家的独立自主，从根本上消除“未开化和半开化的国家从属于文明的国家，使农民的民族从属于资产阶级的民族”的世界格局。就人类文明之间的关系而言，所有国家和民族都应该尊重文化差异，包容多样文明。“各国历史文化和社会制度差异自古就存在，是人类文明的内在属性。没有多样性，就没有人类文明。”只有相互尊重、求同存异、共同发展，才能真正实现世界和平。正因如此，中国共产党才积极探索并提出了构建人类命运共同体的先进理念，负责任地对世界发展提供了中国方案，那就是建立一个“持久和平、普遍安全、共同繁荣、开放包容、清洁美丽的世界”。

In sum, our discussion of the new form of human civilization in the context of Marx’s world history aims to clarify that it is in essence a theoretical achievement and practical exploration in active response to the “changes unseen in a century in the world”; at the same time, we have revealed that, as an important component of Chinese-path modernization, it realizes the critique of Western ideological currents and discourses and the transcendence of Western modernization on the basis of Marx’s theory of world history. Moreover, we need to base ourselves on the perspective of globalization or world history, and through the creative transformation and innovative development of fine traditional Chinese culture, promote the continuous development and improvement of the new form of human civilization.

总之，我们在马克思世界历史语境下讨论人类文明新形态，旨在阐明其实质上是对“世界百年未有之大变局”积极应对的理论成果和实践探索；同时，我们还揭示了它作为中国式现代化的重要内容，在马克思世界历史理论的基础上，实现对西方意识形态思潮和话语的批判，实现对西方现代化的超越。不仅如此，我们还需要立足全球化或世界历史视域，通过对中华优秀传统文化的创造性转化和创新性发展，推动人类文明新形态不断发展和完善。

(Author bios: Tian Yisong, Associate Professor, School of Marxism, Beijing Normal University; Chen Weici, Doctoral Candidate, Department of Philosophy, Peking University)

（作者简介：田毅松，北京师范大学马克思主义学院副教授；陈维慈，北京大学哲学系博士研究生）

(This article is a phased result of the National Social Science Fund Later-Stage Project “The Liquidation of Old Beliefs and the Elucidation of New Thought: A Study of *The Holy Family*” (Project No. 21FKSB042) and the Ministry of Education General Project for Research on Ideological and Political Theory Course Teachers in Higher Education “A Study on Integrating Marxist Classical Texts into Ideological and Political Theory Courses in Higher Education” (Project No. 22JDSZK054))

（本文系国家社会科学基金后期资助项目“旧信仰的清算与新思想的阐发：《神圣家族》研究”（项目号：21FKSB042）、教育部高校思想政治理论课教师研究专项一般项目“马克思主义经典原著融入高校思政课教学研究”（项目号：作者简介 22JDSZK054）的阶段性成果）

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