Building an Independent Knowledge System for Chinese Philosophy and Social Sciences by Upholding the Two Integrations

Philosophy and social sciences are a vital force driving historical development and social progress, occupying an irreplaceable position in advancing the building of a strong country and the rejuvenation of the nation. General Secretary Xi Jinping has pointed out: “Accelerating the construction of philosophy and social sciences with Chinese characteristics is, in the final analysis, about constructing China’s independent knowledge system.” [1]1 Xi Jinping, speech at a symposium on philosophy and social sciences, May 17, 2016. The Decision of the Third Plenary Session of the 20th Central Committee of the Party proposes “building an independent knowledge system for Chinese philosophy and social sciences,” [2]2 The Decision refers to the “Resolution of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China on Further Deepening Reform Comprehensively to Advance Chinese Modernization,” adopted at the Third Plenary Session of the 20th Central Committee in July 2024. making arrangements for the construction of philosophy and social sciences in the New Era. Upholding the integration of the basic tenets of Marxism with China’s specific realities and with the best of traditional Chinese culture provides scientific methodological guidance for developing philosophy and social sciences with Chinese characteristics and opens up a fundamental pathway for building an independent knowledge system for Chinese philosophy and social sciences.

哲学社会科学是推动历史发展和社会进步的重要力量，在推进强国建设、民族复兴中具有不可替代的地位。习近平总书记指出：“加快构建中国特色哲学社会科学，归根结底是建构中国自主的知识体系。”党的二十届三中全会《决定》提出：“构建中国哲学社会科学自主知识体系”，对新时代哲学社会科学建设作出部署。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，为发展中国特色哲学社会科学提供了科学方法论指引，为构建中国哲学社会科学自主知识体系开辟了根本途径。

Deeply Grasping the Fundamental Pathway for Building an Independent Knowledge System for Chinese Philosophy and Social Sciences

深刻把握构建中国哲学社会科学自主知识体系的根本途径

As an important tool for people to understand and transform the world, philosophy and social sciences possess distinct practical and historical characteristics. Upholding the Two Integrations embodies a profound grasp of the laws governing the development of philosophy and social sciences with Chinese characteristics and points out the fundamental pathway for building an independent knowledge system for Chinese philosophy and social sciences.

作为人们认识世界、改造世界的重要工具，哲学社会科学具有鲜明的实践性、历史性特征。坚持“两个结合”体现了对中国特色哲学社会科学发展规律的深刻把握，为构建中国哲学社会科学自主知识体系指明了根本途径。

Upholding the integration of the basic tenets of Marxism with China’s specific realities requires taking root in the country’s actual conditions. Marx and Engels pointed out: “The real content of all epoch-making systems arises from the needs of the period in which they are produced.” [3]3 Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels, *The German Ideology* (1845-1846). Upholding integration with China’s specific realities clearly marks the logical starting point and ultimate goal of building an independent knowledge system for Chinese philosophy and social sciences. Only by centering on what we are doing, extracting new materials, discovering new problems, proposing new viewpoints, and constructing new theories from China’s reform and development practices, and by basing ourselves on China’s national conditions, solving China’s problems, and engaging in Chinese creation, can we truly grasp the historical context, reveal the laws of development, and promote theoretical innovation. Contemporary China is undergoing the most grand and unique practical innovation in human history, raising a large number of theoretical and practical questions that urgently need answers. To build an independent knowledge system for Chinese philosophy and social sciences, we must adhere to the guidance of Marxism, base ourselves on China’s specific national conditions, specific realities, and specific practices, and construct knowledge, concepts, categories, methods, propositions, and theories that are subjective, autonomous, and original. This will form an independent knowledge system that conforms to laws and keeps pace with the times, using philosophy and social sciences with Chinese characteristics to respond to the new tasks, new challenges, and new problems raised by the new realities and new practices of the New Era, thereby providing systematic and theoretical support for advancing the building of a strong country and the rejuvenation of the nation.

坚持把马克思主义基本原理同中国具体实际相结合，要求立足国情实际。马克思、恩格斯指出：“一切划时代的体系的真正的内容都是由于产生这些体系的那个时期的需要而形成起来的。”坚持同中国具体实际相结合，鲜明标注了构建中国哲学社会科学自主知识体系的逻辑起点和落脚点。只有以我们正在做的事情为中心，从我国改革发展的实践中挖掘新材料、发现新问题、提出新观点、构建新理论，立足中国国情、解决中国问题、进行中国创造，才能真正把握历史脉络、揭示发展规律、推动理论创新。当代中国正在经历人类历史上最为宏大而独特的实践创新，提出了大量亟待回答的理论和实践课题。构建中国哲学社会科学自主知识体系，必须坚持以马克思主义为指导，立足中国具体国情、具体实际和具体实践，建构具有主体性、自主性、原创性的知识、观念、概念、方法、命题、理论等，形成符合规律、与时俱进的自主知识体系，用中国特色哲学社会科学回应新时代新实际新实践提出的新任务新挑战新问题，为推进强国建设、民族复兴提供体系化、学理化支撑。

Upholding the integration of the basic tenets of Marxism with the best of traditional Chinese culture requires holding fast to the soul and the roots. The independent knowledge system for Chinese philosophy and social sciences is a theoretical achievement of upholding the Two Integrations. Marxism profoundly reveals the universal laws of the development of nature, human society, and human thought, and is the fundamental guiding ideology for our Party’s founding and governance, and for the country’s prosperity and strength. In building an independent knowledge system for Chinese philosophy and social sciences, we must never discard the soul of Marxism; we must uphold and consolidate the guiding position of Marxism, and most importantly, uphold and consolidate the guiding position of Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era. Historically, the Chinese nation has successively experienced periods of academic flourishing such as the pre-Qin schools of thought, the classical studies of the Han dynasty, the Neo-Daoism of the Wei and Jin dynasties, the Buddhist studies of the Sui and Tang dynasties, the fusion of Confucianism, Buddhism, and Daoism, and the Neo-Confucianism of the Song and Ming dynasties. It produced various schools of thought including Confucianism, Buddhism, Daoism, Mohism, the School of Names, Legalism, the School of Yin-Yang, the School of Agriculture, the School of Miscellaneous, and the School of Military Strategy, containing rich philosophical and social scientific content. The cultural subjectivity and the ideological implications of independence, self-reliance, and ceaseless self-improvement running through them embody the knowledge, wisdom, and rational speculation of the Chinese people, reflect the unique ideological culture, social structure, lifestyle, and customs of the Chinese nation, and constitute the roots of the independent knowledge system for Chinese philosophy and social sciences. In building an independent knowledge system for Chinese philosophy and social sciences, we must never discard the roots of the best of traditional Chinese culture; we must integrate the essence of Marxist thought with the essence of the best of traditional Chinese culture, use new perspectives, new thinking, and new methods to continuously stimulate the vitality of the inheritance and development of Chinese civilization, and provide powerful, abundant, and lasting spiritual motivation and ideological resources for building an independent knowledge system for Chinese philosophy and social sciences.

坚持把马克思主义基本原理同中华优秀传统文化相结合，要求坚守魂脉和根脉。中国哲学社会科学自主知识体系是坚持“两个结合”的理论成果。马克思主义深刻揭示了自然界、人类社会、人类思维发展的普遍规律，是我们立党立国、兴党兴国的根本指导思想。构建中国哲学社会科学自主知识体系，决不能抛弃马克思主义这个魂脉，必须坚持和巩固马克思主义指导地位，最重要的是坚持和巩固习近平新时代中国特色社会主义思想指导地位。历史上，中华民族先后经历了先秦子学、两汉经学、魏晋玄学、隋唐佛学、儒释道合流、宋明理学等学术繁荣时期，产生了儒、释、道、墨、名、法、阴阳、农、杂、兵等各家学说，包含丰富的哲学社会科学内容，贯穿其中的文化主体性和独立自主、自强不息的思想意蕴，体现了中国人的知识智慧与理性思辨，反映出中华民族独树一帜的思想文化、社会结构、生活方式与风俗习惯等，成为中国哲学社会科学自主知识体系的根脉。构建中国哲学社会科学自主知识体系，决不能抛弃中华优秀传统文化这个根脉，必须把马克思主义思想精髓同中华优秀传统文化精华贯通起来，运用新视角、新思维、新方法持续激发中华文明传承发展的活力，为构建中国哲学社会科学自主知识体系提供强大、丰沛、持久的精神动力与思想资源。

For over 100 years, our Party has always inscribed Marxism on its banner. In the historical process of advancing the Two Integrations, across different historical periods of revolution, construction, and reform, we have vigorously promoted theoretical innovation on the basis of practice, drawn nourishment from the best of traditional Chinese culture, achieved fruitful results in adapting Marxism to the Chinese context and the needs of the times, and led the construction of an independent knowledge system for Chinese philosophy and social sciences. For example, “seeking truth from facts” was used to scientifically summarize the essence of Marxism, “On Contradiction” was used to theoretically sublimate materialist dialectics, and “On Practice” was used to scientifically abstract Marxist epistemology… [4]4 “Seeking truth from facts” (*shishi qiushi*), “On Contradiction” (*Maodun Lun*), and “On Practice” (*Shijian Lun*) are classic works by Mao Zedong that creatively apply and develop Marxist philosophy in the Chinese context. Especially since entering the New Era, our Party, in advancing the Two Integrations, has proposed a series of epochal, original, and explanatory iconic concepts and key categories such as the Chinese Dream, Chinese-path modernization, a new form of human civilization, and whole-process people’s democracy, laying a solid foundation for building an independent knowledge system for Chinese philosophy and social sciences.

100多年来，我们党始终把马克思主义写在自己的旗帜上，在推进“两个结合”的历史进程中，在革命、建设、改革不同历史时期，大力推进实践基础上的理论创新，从中华优秀传统文化中汲取营养，推动马克思主义中国化时代化取得丰硕成果，引领构建中国哲学社会科学自主知识体系。比如，用“实事求是”对马克思主义的精髓进行科学概括、用“矛盾论”对唯物辩证法进行理论升华，用“实践论”对马克思主义认识论进行科学抽象……特别是进入新时代，我们党在推进“两个结合”中提出中国梦、中国式现代化、人类文明新形态、全过程人民民主等一系列具有时代性、原创性、解释力的标识性概念、关键性范畴，为构建中国哲学社会科学自主知识体系奠定了坚实基础。

Deeply Grasping the Focal Points for Building an Independent Knowledge System for Chinese Philosophy and Social Sciences

深刻把握构建中国哲学社会科学自主知识体系的着力点

The development of philosophy and social sciences has inherent laws. The independent knowledge system for Chinese philosophy and social sciences is a product of philosophy and social sciences with Chinese characteristics reaching a certain stage and a certain degree of development. Building the disciplinary system, academic system, and discourse system of philosophy and social sciences with Chinese characteristics by upholding the Two Integrations is the focal point and key lever for constructing an independent knowledge system for Chinese philosophy and social sciences.

哲学社会科学发展有内在规律，中国哲学社会科学自主知识体系是中国特色哲学社会科学发展到一定阶段和一定程度的产物。在坚持“两个结合”中构建中国特色哲学社会科学学科体系、学术体系、话语体系，是构建中国哲学社会科学自主知识体系的着力点和重要抓手。

Building a disciplinary system for philosophy and social sciences with Chinese characteristics. Disciplines are the classification of knowledge. General Secretary Xi Jinping emphasized: “Philosophy and social sciences with Chinese characteristics should cover various fields including history, economics, politics, culture, society, ecology, military affairs, and Party building, encompassing many disciplines such as traditional disciplines, emerging disciplines, frontier disciplines, interdisciplinary disciplines, and niche disciplines.” [5]5 Xi Jinping, speech at a symposium on philosophy and social sciences, May 17, 2016. A basic direction for building an independent knowledge system for Chinese philosophy and social sciences is to take the era and China as the frame of reference, and to carry out disciplinary integration and theoretical interpretation of the important experiences, important achievements, important thoughts, and important viewpoints from the great practice of Chinese-path modernization. This requires upholding the Two Integrations, promoting the establishment and adjustment of disciplines in conjunction with economic and social development, strengthening the construction of Marxist disciplines, accelerating the improvement of disciplines that provide support for philosophy and social sciences, and focusing on developing advantageous key disciplines. On this basis, with an eye to the major strategic needs of the Party and the state, we should vigorously develop interdisciplinary, comprehensive, emerging, systematic, and cross-cutting disciplines; with an eye to the continuation of the Chinese cultural lineage, we should support the development of niche and esoteric disciplines such as oracle bone studies, bamboo and silk manuscript studies, Dunhuang studies, and ancient Chinese character studies, thereby creating a disciplinary system that strongly supports the construction of an independent knowledge system for Chinese philosophy and social sciences.

构建中国特色哲学社会科学学科体系。学科是知识的分门别类。习近平总书记强调：“中国特色哲学社会科学应该涵盖历史、经济、政治、文化、社会、生态、军事、党建等各领域，囊括传统学科、新兴学科、前沿学科、交叉学科、冷门学科等诸多学科”。构建中国哲学社会科学自主知识体系，一个基本指向就是以时代和中国为观照，对中国式现代化伟大实践中的重要经验、重要成就、重要思想、重要观点等进行学科化整合、学理化阐释。这就需要坚持“两个结合”，在与经济社会发展联动中推进学科设置与调整，加强马克思主义学科建设，加快完善对哲学社会科学具有支撑作用的学科，注重发展优势重点学科。在此基础上，着眼于党和国家重大战略需求，大力发展交叉学科、综合学科、新兴学科、系统学科、横断学科；着眼于中华文脉赓续，支持甲骨学、简牍学、敦煌学、古文字学等冷门绝学学科发展，打造有力支撑中国哲学社会科学自主知识体系构建的学科体系。

Building an academic system for philosophy and social sciences with Chinese characteristics. A key question in building an independent knowledge system for Chinese philosophy and social sciences is how to improve the capacity and level of constructing the academic system, focusing on building an overall and sub-field academic system for philosophy and social sciences with Chinese characteristics. To achieve this goal, it is necessary, by upholding the Two Integrations, to continuously deepen research in areas such as socialist economic construction, political construction, cultural construction, social construction, ecological civilization construction, and the construction of the Party’s governance capacity, to promote the mutual reinforcement of basic research and applied research, and the mutual promotion of academic research and the application of results. From different fields of practice in the New Era, we should refine and elucidate concepts, thoughts, theories, viewpoints, doctrines, knowledge, and principles with Chinese characteristics and universal significance. Under the premise of following the laws of development of philosophy and social sciences, we should boldly innovate academic propositions, academic thoughts, and academic viewpoints in a professional, theoretical, and systematic manner, embody cultural confidence in the construction of the academic system of philosophy and social sciences with Chinese characteristics, integrate it into the cultivation of the spiritual temperament and cultural character of the entire nation, and build an independent knowledge system for Chinese philosophy and social sciences with a more proactive spiritual force.

构建中国特色哲学社会科学学术体系。构建中国哲学社会科学自主知识体系，一个必答题是如何提高学术体系的建设能力与水平，着力构建中国特色哲学社会科学的总体性和分领域学术体系。实现这一目标，需要在坚持“两个结合”中不断深化对社会主义经济建设、政治建设、文化建设、社会建设、生态文明建设以及党的执政能力建设等领域的研究，推动基础研究和应用研究相辅相成、学术研究和成果应用相互促进，从新时代实践的不同领域提炼和阐释具有中国特色和普遍意义的概念、思想、理论、观点、学说、知识、原理等，在遵循哲学社会科学发展规律的前提下，以专业化、学理化、体系化方式，大胆创新学术命题、学术思想、学术观点，把文化自信体现到中国特色哲学社会科学学术体系构建中，融入全民族精神气质与文化品格涵养中，以更为主动的精神力量构建中国哲学社会科学自主知识体系。

Constructing a discourse system for philosophy and social sciences with Chinese characteristics. The discourse system is the external reflection of a nation’s and a people’s theoretical innovation and theoretical creation. Constructing a discourse system for philosophy and social sciences with Chinese characteristics is an important means, carrier, and bridge for embodying, expressing, and disseminating the independent knowledge system of Chinese philosophy and social sciences. General Secretary Xi Jinping has emphasized: “We must accelerate the construction of a Chinese discourse and Chinese narrative system, using Chinese theories to explain Chinese practice, and using Chinese practice to elevate Chinese theories.” [6]6 Xi Jinping, “Speech at a Symposium on Philosophy and Social Sciences,” May 17, 2016. Achieving this important goal also requires continuously promoting the scholarly research and interpretation of political discourse by upholding the Two Integrations, elucidating the profound cultural foundation of the Party’s innovative theories with the unique concepts, wisdom, spirit, and charm of Chinese culture. At the same time, attention should be paid to promoting the popularization of academic discourse and the internationalization of Chinese discourse by upholding the Two Integrations. On the one hand, we should seek breakthrough points for research from the lives of the masses, skillfully use the wisdom of the masses to open up research ideas, focus on speaking in a language that the masses can understand and are willing to listen to, and use popularized expressions, visualized presentations, and mass-oriented displays to promote the Party’s innovative theories to penetrate the grassroots and take root in people’s hearts. On the other hand, we should adhere to the stance of Chinese culture, break free from dependence on Western discourse, innovate discourse methods, enhance discourse confidence, promote discourse dissemination, and master discourse power, so that the world knows “China in academia,” “China in theory,” and “China in philosophy and social sciences.”

构建中国特色哲学社会科学话语体系。话语体系是一个民族和国家理论创新、理论创造的外在反映。构建中国特色哲学社会科学话语体系，是体现、表达、传播中国哲学社会科学自主知识体系的重要方式、载体和桥梁纽带。习近平总书记强调：“要加快构建中国话语和中国叙事体系，用中国理论阐释中国实践，用中国实践升华中国理论”。实现这一重要目标，同样需要在坚持“两个结合”中不断推动政治话语学理化研究阐释，以中华文化独有的理念、智慧、气度、神韵阐明党的创新理论的深厚文化底蕴。同时，注重在坚持“两个结合”中推动学术话语大众化，推动中国话语国际化。一方面，从群众生活中找寻研究的破题点，善用群众智慧打开研究思路，注重讲人民群众听得懂、听得进的话语，以通俗化表达、形象化展示、大众化呈现，推动党的创新理论深入基层、深入人心。另一方面，坚守中华文化立场，摆脱西方话语依赖，创新话语方式、增强话语自信、推动话语传播、掌握话语权力，让世界知道“学术中的中国”“理论中的中国”“哲学社会科学中的中国”。

Providing strong support for building an independent knowledge system for Chinese philosophy and social sciences

为构建中国哲学社会科学自主知识体系提供有力支撑

General Secretary Xi Jinping has pointed out: “In our country, if we do not adhere to the guidance of Marxism, philosophy and social sciences will lose their soul, lose their direction, and ultimately fail to play their due role.” [7]7 Xi Jinping, “Speech at a Symposium on Philosophy and Social Sciences,” May 17, 2016. To build an independent knowledge system for Chinese philosophy and social sciences, we must always adhere to the guidance of Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era, which is the Marxism of contemporary China and the Marxism of the 21st century, firmly uphold the Two Integrations, lead and promote research in Chinese philosophy and social sciences to closely integrate with China’s specific realities, deeply root itself in fine traditional Chinese culture, and construct an independent knowledge system with distinct Chinese characteristics and the connotations of the times.

习近平总书记指出：“在我国，不坚持以马克思主义为指导，哲学社会科学就会失去灵魂、迷失方向，最终也不能发挥应有作用。”构建中国哲学社会科学自主知识体系，必须始终坚持以习近平新时代中国特色社会主义思想这一当代中国马克思主义、21世纪马克思主义为指导，牢牢坚持“两个结合”，引领和推动中国哲学社会科学研究紧密结合中国具体实际，深深植根中华优秀传统文化，构建具有鲜明中国特色和时代内涵的自主知识体系。

The independent knowledge system for Chinese philosophy and social sciences is an organic unity of the disciplinary system, the academic system, and the discourse system. The effectiveness of its construction is concentrated and concretely presented in the construction of the textbook system. An important aspect of building an independent knowledge system for Chinese philosophy and social sciences by upholding the Two Integrations lies in taking the holistic advancement of the textbook system as support, focusing on strengthening the status of textbook construction as a national affair, firmly grasping the correct political direction and value orientation, meticulously creating high-quality textbooks that cultivate roots and souls, enlighten wisdom and increase intelligence, and forming a textbook system for philosophy and social sciences that fully reflects the requirements of adapting Marxism to the Chinese context and the needs of the times, fully reflects Chinese characteristics, Chinese style, and Chinese manner, fully reflects the basic requirements of the Party and the state for talent cultivation in philosophy and social sciences, fully reflects the basic values of the nation and the people, and fully reflects the accumulation and innovative achievements of human cultural knowledge. This will fully demonstrate the pioneering, foundational, and strategic role of textbook construction, providing strong support for building an independent knowledge system for Chinese philosophy and social sciences.

中国哲学社会科学自主知识体系，是学科体系、学术体系、话语体系的有机统一，其建设成效集中凝结、具体呈现于教材体系建设之上。坚持“两个结合”构建中国哲学社会科学自主知识体系，一个重要方面在于以教材体系的整体性推进为支撑，着力强化教材建设国家事权地位，牢牢把握正确政治方向和价值导向，用心打造培根铸魂、启智增慧的精品教材，形成充分体现马克思主义中国化时代化要求，充分体现中国特色、中国风格、中国气派，充分体现党和国家对哲学社会科学人才培养基本要求，充分体现国家和民族基本价值观，充分体现人类文化知识积累和创新成果的哲学社会科学教材体系，充分彰显教材建设的先导性、基础性、战略性作用，为构建中国哲学社会科学自主知识体系提供有力支撑。

Building an independent knowledge system for Chinese philosophy and social sciences by upholding the Two Integrations is a systematic project covering multiple aspects, multiple fields, and multiple disciplines. It requires effort and exertion in many areas, including leadership, platforms, resources, subjects, methods, momentum, academic style, and overall structure. We must continuously strengthen and improve the Party’s leadership over work in philosophy and social sciences, fully leverage the important role of philosophy and social sciences in state governance, and fully utilize the roles of ideological and theoretical work platforms such as the Project of Marxist Theory Research and Construction, the Research Centers (Academies) for Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era, the Schools of Marxism, and the theoretical propaganda in newspapers, periodicals, and online media. We should adhere to the practical, historical, dialectical, and developmental perspectives to integrate the resources of Marxism, the resources of fine traditional Chinese culture, and the beneficial resources of foreign philosophy and social sciences, build and make good use of the “five main forces” in philosophy and social sciences, [8]8 The “five main forces” refer to the five key groups working in philosophy and social sciences in China: researchers in Party schools and cadre academies, researchers in institutions of higher learning, researchers in social science academies, researchers in Party and government research institutions, and researchers in military academies. implement an overall development strategy for philosophy and social sciences centered on educating and cultivating talent, promote the cross-integration and development of philosophy and social sciences with the natural sciences, and allow all sources conducive to the innovative development of philosophy and social sciences with Chinese characteristics to fully flow and continuously burst forth with vitality.

坚持“两个结合”构建中国哲学社会科学自主知识体系，是一项涵盖多方面、多领域、多学科的系统工程，需要从领导、平台、资源、主体、方法、动力、学风、格局等多方面用功用力，不断加强和改善党对哲学社会科学工作的领导，充分发挥哲学社会科学在治国理政中的重要作用，充分发挥马克思主义理论研究和建设工程、习近平新时代中国特色社会主义思想研究中心（院）、马克思主义学院、报刊网络理论宣传等思想理论工作平台的作用。应坚持以实践的观点、历史的观点、辩证的观点、发展的观点融通马克思主义的资源、中华优秀传统文化的资源、国外哲学社会科学的有益资源，建好用好哲学社会科学“五路大军”，实施以育人育才为中心的哲学社会科学整体发展战略，推动哲学社会科学与自然科学交叉融合发展，让一切有利于中国特色哲学社会科学创新发展的源泉充分涌流、活力持续迸发。

(Author: Zhang Zhengwen, President of the University of Chinese Academy of Social Sciences)

（作者：张政文，中国社会科学院大学校长）

Online Editor: You Heng

网络编辑：有恒