The Five Dimensions of Common Prosperity

Common prosperity is an essential feature of socialism with Chinese characteristics. In terms of its subject, it emphasizes universality; in terms of its content, it emphasizes comprehensiveness; in terms of its process, it emphasizes gradualism. The key to common prosperity lies in its “commonality.” Commonality is the basic qualification of prosperity; what it advocates or pursues is the universality of the subject of prosperity and the comprehensiveness of the content of prosperity. General Secretary Xi Jinping has pointed out: “On the whole, I believe that, just like building a moderately prosperous society in all respects, common prosperity for all the people is an overarching concept, one that applies to the whole of society.” [1]1 Xi Jinping, “Speech at the Central Conference on Financial and Economic Affairs,” August 17, 2021. The commonality or totality of common prosperity is concretely manifested in five aspects, embodying five dimensions, namely, co-existence, consensus, co-action, co-benefit, and co-empathy. For the realization of common prosperity, these five aspects are indispensable; they are the basic aspects for our accurate understanding and effective promotion of common prosperity.

共同富裕是中国特色社会主义的本质特征，其在主体上强调的是全民性，在内容上强调的是全面性，在过程上强调的是渐进性。共同富裕的关键在于“共同性”上，共同性是对富裕的基本限定，所倡导或追求的是富裕主体的全民性和富裕内容的全面性。习近平总书记指出：“我总的认为，像全面建成小康社会一样，全体人民共同富裕是一个总体概念，是对全社会而言的。”共同富裕之共同性或总体性具体表现在五个方面，体现着五重维度，即共生、共识、共行、共利和共情。对于共同富裕的实现而言，这五个方面缺一不可，是我们准确理解和有效推进共同富裕的基本方面。

The Dimension of Co-existence

共生的维度

The dimension of co-existence focuses on revealing, from a geographical-spatial perspective, the objective fact that all Chinese sons and daughters, or people of all ethnic groups, live and multiply together on the same land. Co-existence is the universal state and basic mode of existence and development of all things. Different things depend on each other for survival within a certain spatial structure, maintaining their own existence while also taking into account the survival of others, achieving mutual development and mutual benefit. This is, in fact, the fundamental law of the existence and development of all things in the world. A large number of co-existence phenomena also exist in the social sphere. Human society itself is a huge “co-existence entity.” This co-existence entity indicates that there are mutually beneficial and co-existing relationships between people and people, people and society, and people and nature. The “co-existence entity” of human society has different levels of structure, such as the human co-existence entity, the national co-existence entity, and organizational co-existence entities like the family co-existence entity. The Chinese nation is a community with a shared future. The people of all ethnic groups across the country are a “co-existence entity” with interconnected destinies, sharing weal and woe, and inseparable from one another. We share a common history and culture, having lived and multiplied since ancient times on this vast eastern land. It is precisely because the people of the whole country possess co-existence or co-habitation that this provides the fundamental objective basis for our promotion of common prosperity.

共生维度着重从地理空间角度揭示了全体中华儿女或各族人民共同繁衍生息在同一片国土上的客观事实。共生是万事万物存在和发展的普遍状态和基本方式。不同的事物在一定的空间结构内相依共存，在保持“自生”的同时也兼顾他物的生存，实现各自发展又相互补益，这实际上是世界万物存在和发展的根本法则。在社会领域也存在着大量的共生现象。人类社会本身就是一个巨大的“共生体”，这种共生体表明在人与人、人与社会、人与自然之间存在着互惠共存的关系。人类社会的“共生体”存在着不同的层次结构，如可分为人类共生体、国家共生体、组织共生体如家庭共生体，等等。中华民族是一个命运共同体，全国各族人民是一个命运相连、休戚与共、谁也离不开谁的“共生体”，我们有着共同的历史和文化，自古繁衍生息在东方这片广袤的国土上。正是由于全国人民具有共生性或共存性，这为我们推进共同富裕提供了根本的客观依据。

The Dimension of Consensus

共识的维度

Realizing common prosperity for all the people is the unity of practice and theory. This indicates that common prosperity is not merely an action oriented toward practice; it also contains elements of spiritual concept. To accomplish a task and achieve a goal, a certain conceptual understanding generally must first be formed, thereby creating a consensus oriented toward the majority of people. As a social systemic project with long-term, arduous, and complex characteristics, the realization of common prosperity requires mobilizing the strength of the whole society. For this reason, a common conception regarding what common prosperity is, why it is pursued, and how it is to be achieved must be reached throughout society. General Secretary Xi Jinping emphasized: “We need to strengthen public opinion guidance on promoting common prosperity, clarify various vague understandings, prevent impatience for quick results and fear of difficulties, and provide a favorable public opinion environment for promoting common prosperity.” [2]2 Xi Jinping, “Speech at the Central Conference on Financial and Economic Affairs,” August 17, 2021. Consensus concentrates the cognition, aspirations, and will of the people of the whole country regarding common prosperity. After reform and opening up, we initially formed a consensus that poverty is not socialism and that some people and some regions could become prosperous first. Since entering the New Era, adapting to the changes in the principal contradiction in our society, we have formed a new consensus that to better meet the people’s ever-growing needs for a better life, promoting common prosperity for all the people must be made the focal point of working for the people’s well-being. Only by forming a unified concept and discourse on common prosperity can we generate synergy and achieve results in the process of realizing common prosperity. Within this consensus, General Secretary Xi Jinping’s important discourses on common prosperity constitute the basic theoretical guidance for our promotion of common prosperity.

实现全体人民的共同富裕是实践和理论的统一。这表明，共同富裕不仅仅是一种面向实践的行动，它自身还包含着精神理念的因素。要完成一件事情，达到一个目的，一般总要先形成某种理念认知，从而形成一种面向大多数人的共识。作为一项具有长期性、艰巨性、复杂性的社会系统工程，共同富裕的实现需要动员全社会的力量，为此必须在全社会达成关于共同富裕是什么、为什么和怎么样等问题的共同观念。习近平总书记强调：“要加强促进共同富裕舆论引导，澄清各种模糊认识，防止急于求成和畏难情绪，为促进共同富裕提供良好舆论环境。”共识集中了全国人民关于共同富裕的认知、愿望和意志。改革开放以后，我们一开始形成了贫穷不是社会主义，允许一部分人、一部分地区先富起来的共识。进入新时代以来，适应我国社会主要矛盾的变化，我们又形成了要更好满足人民日益增长的美好生活需要，就必须把促进全体人民共同富裕作为为人民谋幸福的着力点的共识。只有形成关于共同富裕的统一的理念和话语，才能在实现共同富裕的进程中产生合力、取得成效。在共识中，习近平总书记关于共同富裕的重要论述是我们推进共同富裕的基本理论遵循。

The Dimension of Co-action

共行的维度

The dimension of co-action refers to a dimension in which, under the comprehensive leadership of the Party, we realize common prosperity through unified, directly realistic social practical activities. It reveals the issue of the path to realizing common prosperity. As is well known, socialism is built through hard work, and common prosperity is also achieved through hard work. Common prosperity does not emerge spontaneously; it must be built on the basis of the common practice or co-action of all the people. Co-action requires that everyone obtain prosperity and happiness through honest and lawful labor, opposing the phenomenon of some people reaping without sowing or becoming prosperous without labor. General Secretary Xi Jinping emphasized: “A happy life is achieved through struggle, and common prosperity must be created through diligence and wisdom.” [3]3 Xi Jinping, “Speech at the Central Conference on Financial and Economic Affairs,” August 17, 2021. He called for “creating more opportunities for people to become prosperous and forming a development environment in which everyone participates.” [4]4 Xi Jinping, “Speech at the Central Conference on Financial and Economic Affairs,” August 17, 2021. It can be seen that the core essence of the dimension of co-action is to fully promote democracy, extensively pool the wisdom of the people, maximally stimulate the people’s strength, and form a vibrant situation in which everyone participates, everyone does their utmost, everyone has a sense of achievement, and everyone can live a prosperous and happy life.

共行维度是指在党的全面领导下，我们以统一的、直接现实的社会实践活动实现共同富裕的一种向度，揭示的是共同富裕实现的路径问题。众所周知，社会主义是干出来的，共同富裕也是干出来的，共同富裕并非自发出现，它要建立在全体人民共同实践或共同行动的基础之上。共行要求每个人都要通过诚实合法劳动来获得富裕和幸福，反对部分人的不劳而获或不劳而富的现象。习近平总书记强调：“幸福生活都是奋斗出来的，共同富裕要靠勤劳智慧来创造。”要求“给更多人创造致富机会，形成人人参与的发展环境”。可见，共行维度的核心要义在于要充分发扬民主，广泛汇聚民智，最大激发民力，形成人人参与、人人尽力、人人都有成就感、人人都能过上富裕幸福日子的生动局面。

The Dimension of Co-benefit

共利的维度

The dimension of co-benefit grasps common prosperity from the perspective of interests, expressing the issue of the realistic representation or intrinsic measure of common prosperity. In a certain sense, common prosperity embodies the pursuit of common and comprehensive interests by all the people. The co-existence entity or community formed by all the people on the basis of co-existence and co-action, guided by consensus, is in fact a community of interests. Since it is a community of interests, it requires pursuing and realizing these common interests in the form of common prosperity. On the one hand, co-benefit and common prosperity are different. Benefit is a comprehensive concept with an abstract meaning, while prosperity is a specific concept with a consequential meaning. On the other hand, in terms of their unity, common prosperity is not only prosperity for all the people but also comprehensive prosperity, which is highly consistent or coincident with common interests. Interests are the premise; prosperity is the result. Co-benefit defines common prosperity; common prosperity implements co-benefit. Co-benefit provides the value basis and basic practical direction and principles for common prosperity. Viewing common prosperity through the lens of co-benefit, common prosperity is not merely material prosperity; it also includes prosperity in people’s spiritual aspects and interpersonal relations. It is the unity of people’s material prosperity and spiritual prosperity, the unity of people’s immediate prosperity and long-term prosperity. It can be seen that interpreting common prosperity through co-benefit enables us to have a more comprehensive and accurate understanding of common prosperity and can also more effectively guide our actions to realize common prosperity.

共利维度是从利益角度对共同富裕的把握，表达的是共同富裕的现实表征或内在尺度问题。在某种意义上说，共同富裕体现着全体人民对共同的、全面的利益的追求。全体人民在共生和共行基础上、在共识指引下所形成的共生体或共同体，其实就是一种利益共同体。既然是一个利益共同体，就要求以共同富裕的形式来追求和实现这种共同利益。一方面，共利和共富有所不同。利益是一个综合的带有抽象意义的概念，而富裕则是一个具体的带有结果意义的概念。另一方面，就它们的统一性来看，共同富裕既是全民的富裕，还是全面的富裕，这一点和共同利益高度一致或吻合。利益是前提，富裕是结果；共利规定着共富，共富落实着共利。共利为共富提供价值依据和基本的实践方向与原则。以共利看待共富，共富不仅仅是物质上的富裕，还包括人的精神方面、人际交往方面的富裕，它是人的物质富裕和精神富裕的统一，是人的眼前富裕和长远富裕的统一。可见，以共利来解读共富，能使我们对共富有一个更加全面和准确的了解，也能更有效地指导我们实现共同富裕的行动。

The Dimension of Co-empathy

共情的维度

The community or co-existence entity formed by all the people is not only a community of interests but also an emotional community. This requires us to grasp and view the practical actions of common prosperity from the emotional dimension. On the one hand, within the community composed of all the people, there exist deep feelings of compatriots and national sentiment among each other. It is a united, fraternal, and deeply affectionate big family. Therefore, from the emotional dimension, we must realize common prosperity, forming a situation where “not a single person is left behind” on the road to common prosperity. On the other hand, the practical actions of pursuing common prosperity can undoubtedly cultivate or strengthen the common emotions of all the people. In the historical process of promoting common prosperity, as all the people generally gain a sense of gain, happiness, and security, the broad masses of the people will naturally have an emotional response and expression. That is, deep in their hearts, they will sprout feelings of support, love, and endorsement for the Party and the state that organize and promote common prosperity, forming a widespread emotional identification with the nation, the state, and the path of socialism with Chinese characteristics. It can be seen that the emergence from realistic, tangible common prosperity to intangible co-empathy in the spiritual world is a transition and sublimation from factual cognition to emotional cognition. Co-empathy tests common prosperity. When co-empathy is generated, on the one hand, it reveals the actual effect of common prosperity, playing a role of measurement and testing; on the other hand, co-empathy generates a powerful cohesive and centripetal force, which will play a positive role in promoting subsequent development actions.

全体人民所形成的共同体或共生体既是利益共同体，还是情感共同体，这就需要我们从情感维度把握和看待共同富裕的实践行动。一方面，在由全体人民所构成的共同体中，彼此间存在着深深的同胞情、民族情，是一个团结友爱、情深意浓的大家庭，因而，从情感向度看，我们必须实现共同富裕，形成共富路上“一个都不能少”的局面。另一方面，追求共同富裕的实践行动，无疑能培养或强化全体人民的共同情感。全体人民在推进共同富裕的历史进程中，普遍拥有了获得感、幸福感和安全感，广大人民自然会有一种情感上的反应和表现，即在内心深处会萌生出一种对组织和推进共同富裕的党和国家的拥护、热爱、支持等情感，形成一种普遍的对民族、对国家、对中国特色社会主义道路在情感上的认同。可见，由现实的可感的共富到精神世界无形的共情的出现，这是人们由事实认知到情感认知的跃迁和升华。共情检验着共富，当共情生成之后，一方面揭示了共富的实际效果，具有衡量检验的作用；另一方面，共情又生成了强大的聚合力、向心力，会对后续的发展行动起着积极的促进作用。

The above five dimensions, in the practical process of common prosperity, are interdependent and interact with each other, jointly supporting the practical process of promoting the realization of common prosperity, enabling the people to truly feel that common prosperity is a visible, tangible, and genuinely perceptible reality.

上述五个维度，在共同富裕的实践进程中相互依存、相互作用，共同支撑着推进实现共同富裕的实践进程，让人民群众真真切切感受到共同富裕是看得见、摸得着、真实可感的事实。

Source: Guangming Daily, October 9, 2023

文章来源：《光明日报》2023年10月9日

Online Editor: Jing Mu

网络编辑：静穆