The Theoretical Connotations and Contemporary Value of the "Speech at the Forum on Literature and Art Work"

On October 15, 2014, General Secretary Xi Jinping presided over the Forum on Literature and Art Work and delivered an important speech. The "Speech at the Forum on Literature and Art Work" (hereinafter referred to as the "Speech") applies Marxist positions and methods, bases itself on the realities of contemporary literary and artistic work, and focuses on the overall situation of the Party and the nation's undertakings. From the strategic height of building the modern civilization of the Chinese nation and advancing Chinese-path modernization, it systematically elaborates on the historical mission, contemporary orientation, fundamental nature, cultural connotations, and development path of contemporary Chinese literature and art around five topics: "the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation requires the flourishing and prosperity of Chinese culture," "creating outstanding works worthy of the times," "adhering to a people-centered creative orientation," "the Chinese spirit is the soul of socialist literature and art," and "strengthening and improving the Party's leadership over literary and artistic work." It analyzes in a factual manner the new situations, new circumstances, and new problems facing China's literary and artistic field, creatively answers a series of fundamental and directional questions such as "why achieve literary and artistic development," "what kind of literary and artistic development to achieve," and "how to achieve literary and artistic development" under new historical conditions, and puts forward many innovative viewpoints and propositions. As an important component of Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era, especially Xi Jinping Thought on Culture, the "Speech" has had a profound impact on the development of the Sinicization of Marxist literary theory over the past decade, the flourishing of literary and artistic creation, the construction of a socialist cultural power, and the advancement of the overall cause of the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation. The "Speech" both shines with the brilliance of Marxist thought and possesses distinct contemporary characteristics. It is another important document in the Party's history, following Comrade Mao Zedong's "Talks at the Yan'an Forum on Literature and Art," that will guide literary and artistic work and cultural construction for a long time to come.

2014年10月15日，习近平总书记主持召开文艺工作座谈会并发表重要讲话。《在文艺工作座谈会上的讲话》（以下简称《讲话》）运用马克思主义的立场与方法，立足当代文艺工作实际，着眼党和国家事业发展全局，从建设中华民族现代文明、推进中国式现代化建设的战略高度，围绕“实现中华民族伟大复兴需要中华文化繁荣兴盛”“创作无愧于时代的优秀作品”“坚持以人民为中心的创作导向”“中国精神是社会主义文艺的灵魂”“加强和改进党对文艺工作的领导”五个论题，对当代中国文艺的历史使命、时代方位、根本性质、文化内涵、发展道路进行了系统阐述，实事求是地分析了我国文艺领域面临的新形势、新情况、新问题，创造性地回答了在新的历史条件下“为什么要实现文艺发展”“实现什么样的文艺发展”“怎样实现文艺发展”等一系列根本性、方向性问题，提出了许多富有新意的观点和命题。作为习近平新时代中国特色社会主义思想，特别是习近平文化思想的重要组成部分，《讲话》对十年来马克思主义文艺理论中国化的发展、文艺创作的繁荣、社会主义文化强国建设以及中华民族伟大复兴整体事业的推进，都产生了深刻影响。《讲话》既闪耀着马克思主义的思想光辉，又具有鲜明的时代特征，是党的历史上继毛泽东同志《在延安文艺座谈会上的讲话》之后，又一篇长期指导文艺工作与文化建设的重要文献。

Over the past decade, a broad range of theoretical workers have continuously conducted in-depth research and interpretation of the "Speech" from various angles, delving into its ideological connotations and theoretical value, and have achieved fruitful results. Today, many new changes have occurred in both the international situation and China's own social conditions. Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era has also been continuously enriched and developed in practice. In particular, the further unfolding of Xi Jinping Thought on Culture provides us with new theoretical support for understanding the "Speech." By revisiting the "Speech" against the new historical and theoretical background, we can more accurately grasp its theoretical connotations, more clearly recognize its practical effects and contemporary value, and more deeply perceive its ideological power.

十年来，广大理论工作者从各个角度对《讲话》不断进行深入研究与阐释，对其思想内涵与理论价值进行深入发掘，取得了丰硕成果。今天，无论是国际局势，还是中国自身的社会状况，都发生了许多新的变化，习近平新时代中国特色社会主义思想也在实践中不断得到丰富发展，尤其是习近平文化思想的进一步展开，为我们理解《讲话》提供了新的理论依托。在新的时代背景、理论背景下重温《讲话》，我们能够更加准确地把握其理论内涵，更加清楚地认识其实践效果与时代价值，更加深刻地感悟其思想伟力。

I. The "Speech" Consolidates the Guiding Position of Marxism in the Literary and Artistic Field through Theoretical Innovation

一、《讲话》以理论创新巩固了马克思主义在文艺领域的指导地位

General Secretary Xi Jinping points out: "Adhering to the guidance of Marxism is the fundamental hallmark that distinguishes philosophy and social sciences with Chinese characteristics from other philosophy and social sciences." The "Speech" creatively upholds and develops Marxism, including Marxist literary theory, analyzes in a factual manner many major issues facing the contemporary Chinese literary and artistic field, demonstrates the explanatory power and vigorous vitality of the basic principles of Marxism for contemporary China, promotes a historic leap in the Sinicization of Marxist literary theory, and consolidates the dominant position of Marxist literary theory in contemporary China.

习近平总书记指出：“坚持以马克思主义为指导，是当代中国哲学社会科学区别于其他哲学社会科学的根本标志”。《讲话》创造性地坚持和发展了马克思主义,包括马克思主义文艺理论，实事求是地分析当代中国文艺领域面临的许多重大问题，彰显了马克思主义基本原理对当代中国的阐释力及其旺盛的生命力，推动马克思主义文艺理论中国化实现了历史性飞跃，巩固了马克思主义文艺理论在当代中国的主导地位。

The dissemination and development of Marxist literary theory in China have complemented and reinforced the rise of modern literature and art represented by vernacular literature in the 20th century. In the process of integrating with literary and artistic practice, integrating with fine traditional Chinese culture, and striving to respond to the practical problems faced by Chinese society in different periods, Marxist literary theory has increasingly demonstrated its distinct theoretical stance and value orientation. In the first half of the 20th century, Marxist literary theory once showed its powerful intellectual force in competition with various other literary and artistic trends, deeply intervening in the shaping of modern Chinese literary and art history. After the founding of New China, Marxist literary theory, as a theoretical discourse compatible with the mainstream ideology of the state, played a leading role in all aspects of literary and artistic production. From the 1980s onward, various Western modernist and postmodernist literary and artistic trends began to enter China. Although these trends played a positive role in enlivening thought and broadening theoretical horizons in the field of literary theory, some are based on irrationalist philosophy, some on a nihilist view of history, some propagate absurdity as the essence of humanity and the world, and some emphasize the individual in opposition to society or even all of humanity. They are often at odds with Marxist philosophy, historical views, and literary views, and need to be critically absorbed from a Marxist standpoint. However, driven by the prevailing psychology of seeking novelty and change in the theoretical circles at the time, many trends were often blindly embraced as new directions for theoretical development without critical scrutiny, to the extent that the field of literary theory also experienced, to a certain degree, the situation criticized by General Secretary Xi Jinping

马克思主义文艺理论在中国的传播和发展与20世纪以白话文学为代表的现代文艺的勃兴相辅相成，在与文艺实践相结合，与中华优秀传统文化相结合，努力回应中国社会不同时期面临的现实问题的过程中，马克思主义文艺理论越发彰显其鲜明的理论立场与价值取向。在20世纪上半叶，马克思主义文艺理论就曾经在与其他各种文艺思潮的竞争中显示出强大的思想力量，深深地介入了中国现代文艺历史的塑造。新中国成立后，马克思主义文艺理论更是作为一种与国家主流意识形态相适应的理论话语，在文艺生产的各个环节发挥着主导作用。20世纪80年代以降，西方各种现代主义、后现代主义文艺思潮开始进入中国。这些文艺思潮虽然对文艺理论界活跃思想、开阔理论视野发挥了一些积极作用，但是，它们有的以非理性主义哲学作为立论基础，有的建立在虚无主义历史观之上，有的把荒诞作为人与世界的本质加以宣扬，有的把个体放在与社会甚至与整个人类对立的位置上加以强调，与马克思主义的哲学观、历史观、文艺观多有抵牾，需要站在马克思主义的立场上批判地加以吸收。然而，在当时理论界求新求变心理的驱动下，许多思潮常常被作为理论发展的新方向，不加批判地盲目追捧，以至于文艺理论领域也在一定程度上出现了习近平总书记所批评的“马克思主义被边缘化、空泛化、标签化”的情况。造成这种状况的原因是多方面的，但缺乏足够的理论自信是最为重要的原因。《讲话》始终坚持用马克思主义的哲学观、文艺观分析各种文艺现象，对文艺创作、文艺批评与文艺理论研究中“以洋为尊”“以洋为美”“唯洋是从”的不自信心态进行了尖锐的批评，明确指出对现代西方文艺理论要采取批判借鉴的态度，大力倡导马克思主义文艺理论的基本原则，如要求文艺要植根现实生活、反映时代进步要求、坚持以人民为中心的创作导向、将现实主义与浪漫主义精神相结合等，并在分析复杂的文艺现象时，始终将辩证思维贯穿其中，在一些重大理论问题上起到了正本清源的效果，澄清了许多模糊的认识。

What is advocated and what is opposed on questions of literature and art is often related to specific modes of thought and philosophical positions. Marx pointed out: "In judging such a period of transformation we must not judge by its own consciousness; on the contrary, this consciousness must be explained rather from the contradictions of material life, from the existing conflict between the social productive forces and the relations of production." It is precisely from this principle of historical materialism that Marxist literary theory emphasizes grasping literary and artistic phenomena within the concrete socio-historical process, thereby forming a complete discourse of realist literary theory. At the level of ontology, this discourse holds that literature and art, as ideology, are reflections of specific social realities generated under particular historical conditions; to understand literature and art, one "must re-study all of history, must study in detail the conditions of existence of the various social formations." At the level of creative theory, it holds that "the main characteristic of great realist artists is their unremitting, tireless effort to grasp and reproduce reality according to its objective essence," requiring literary and artistic workers to fully experience the richness and concreteness of life and to grasp the pulse of the times and the trends of historical development. At the level of axiology, it demands that the main characters in literary and artistic works become "representatives of a definite class and tendency, and hence of definite ideas of their time," while the success or failure of a literary or artistic work is closely related to the depth and breadth of its reflection of reality. At the same time, proceeding from the standpoint of dialectical materialism, realist literary theory also emphasizes that literature and art should bear the mission of transforming society and promoting the development of human history, stressing that realist literature and art cannot be "reduced merely to criticizing the old reality and exposing the infectiousness of the old reality's vices"; the artist's task also includes "studying, embodying, depicting, and thereby affirming the new reality," giving play to the spiritual encouragement and inspirational role of literature.

在文艺问题上提倡什么，反对什么，往往与特定的思想方法与哲学立场有关。马克思指出：“我们判断一个人不能以他对自己的看法为根据，同样，我们判断这样一个变革时代也不能以它的意识为根据；相反，这个意识必须从物质生活的矛盾中，从社会生产力和生产关系之间的现存冲突中去解释。”正是从这一历史唯物主义原则出发，马克思主义文艺理论强调把文学艺术现象放在具体的社会历史过程中进行把握，从而形成一套完整的现实主义文艺理论话语。这套文论话语在本质论的层面，认为文学艺术作为意识形态，是在特定历史条件下生成的特定社会现实生活的反映，要理解文学艺术，就“必须重新研究全部历史，必须详细研究各种社会形态的存在条件”；在创作论的层面，认为“伟大的现实主义艺术家的主要特征就是他们的千方百计、废寝忘食地按照其客观本质去掌握并再现现实”，要求文学艺术家充分感受生活的丰富性与具体性，把握时代脉搏与历史发展趋势；在价值论的层面，要求文艺作品中的主要人物能够成为“一定的阶级和倾向的代表，因而也是他们时代的一定思想的代表”，而一部文艺作品的成功与否，则与其反映现实的深度与广度密切相关。与此同时，从辩证唯物论的立场出发，现实主义文艺理论也强调文艺应当承担改造社会、推动人类历史发展的使命，强调不能把现实主义文艺“归结为仅仅是批判旧的现实，揭露旧现实的恶习的感染性”，艺术家的任务还包括“研究、体现、描写，并从而肯定新的现实”，发挥文学的精神鼓舞与激励作用。

Understanding the content, motivation, function, and value of literature and art from the relationship between literature and art and the era is a very important perspective of the "Speech." In the "Speech," General Secretary Xi Jinping examined the history of the development of Chinese and foreign literature and art, believing that great artists and works of art are products of their era: "If Cao Xueqin had not made a panoramic observation and microscopic analysis of the social life of his time, he could not have completed the encyclopedic masterpiece *Dream of the Red Chamber*. If Lu Xun had not been familiar with the circumstances and feelings of the底层 people [1]1 The *Speech at the Forum on Literature and Art Work* refers to Xi Jinping’s speech delivered at a forum convened by the CPC Central Committee in Beijing on October 15, 2014. around the time of the Revolution of 1911, he could not have created such vivid characters as Xianglin Sao, Runtu, Ah Q, and Kong Yiji." [2]2 The *Talks at the Yan’an Forum on Literature and Art* refers to Mao Zedong’s speeches delivered in May 1942 at forums in Yan’an, which became foundational texts for CPC cultural policy. On the one hand, the "Speech" repeatedly emphasizes that literature and art must take root in real life and keep pace with the trends of the era; on the other hand, it places special importance on the guiding role of literature and art for the era, requiring literary and artistic workers to become the first to perceive, the first to act upon, and the first to advocate for the spirit of the times, inspiring people with the beauty of faith and the beauty of sublimity in literary and artistic works. This reflects a profound foundation in Marxist philosophy and a high level of theoretical attainment in literature and art.

从文艺与时代的关系出发理解文艺的内容、动因、功能、价值，正是《讲话》十分重要的视角。在《讲话》中，习近平总书记对中外文艺发展的历史进行了考察，认为伟大的艺术家与艺术品都是时代的产物，“曹雪芹如果没对当时的社会生活做过全景式的观察和显微镜式的剖析，就不可能完成《红楼梦》这种百科全书式巨著的写作。鲁迅如果不熟悉辛亥革命前后底层民众的处境和心情，就不可能塑造出祥林嫂、闰土、阿Q、孔乙己等那些栩栩如生的人物”。《讲话》一方面反复强调文艺要植根现实生活、紧跟时代潮流，另一方面又特别重视文艺对时代的引领作用，要求文学艺术家要成为时代风气的先觉者、先行者、先倡者，用文艺作品的信仰之美、崇高之美鼓舞人，体现出深厚的马克思主义哲学根基与文艺理论素养。

Proceeding from the principle of realist literary and artistic creation, the "Speech" criticizes the creative trend that is detached from the masses and from reality, calling on artists to step out of their narrow personal worlds, to start from the most genuine life, to discover greatness in the ordinary, to find sublimity in simplicity, to profoundly refine life, to vividly express life, and to panoramically present life. In the "Speech at the Opening Ceremony of the Tenth National Congress of the China Federation of Literary and Art Circles and the Ninth National Congress of the China Writers Association," General Secretary Xi Jinping also emphasized the creation of typical characters, stating

从现实主义文艺创作原则出发，《讲话》对脱离大众、脱离现实的文艺创作风气提出了批评，号召艺术家走出个人的狭小天地，从最真实的生活出发，从平凡中发现伟大，从质朴中发现崇高，深刻提炼生活、生动表达生活、全景展现生活。《在中国文联十大、中国作协九大开幕式上的讲话》中，习近平总书记还强调了典型人物的塑造，认为“典型人物所达到的高度，就是文艺作品的高度，也是时代的艺术高度。只有创作出典型人物，文艺作品才能有吸引力、感染力、生命力”。

Because many schools of modernist and postmodernist literary and artistic theory regard realism as a backward, outdated method of literary and artistic creation and reject it, the status of realism in China was also challenged for a time. The *Speech*’s adherence to the spirit of realist literature and its advocacy of the principles of realist creation have not only brought realist theory back to the center of contemporary Chinese literary and artistic theoretical discourse, but have also directly spurred the formation of a domestic realist creative trend in recent years. Award-winning works of the Mao Dun Literature Prize and the “Five-One Project” for cultural-ethical progress following the *Speech*—such as the novels *A Lifelong Journey*, *Baoshui*, *Snowy Mountains and the Great Earth*, and *Through the Sea of Mountains*, and the TV series *The Stage* and *Minning Town*—are all rooted in life, embrace the era, and possess a strong realist style. The “New Era Great Changes in the Countryside Creation Plan” launched by the Chinese Writers Association has produced a batch of outstanding literary works; a series of excellent rural-themed TV dramas and other fine literary and artistic works produced during the process of “poverty alleviation” have pushed the realist tradition of contemporary Chinese literature and art to a new height. Chinese online literature, which previously focused mainly on female-oriented historical romance, fantasy time-travel, and urban romance, has also broken through old writing formulas, and works reflecting social reality and recording the changes in contemporary Chinese society—such as *The Road to Revival*, *National Heavy Industry*, and *Chaoyang Police Story*—have emerged as the times require.

由于许多现代主义、后现代主义文艺理论流派把现实主义看成一种落后的、过时的文艺创作方法加以排斥，现实主义的地位在我国也一度受到挑战。《讲话》对现实主义文学精神的坚守，对现实主义创作原则的提倡，不仅使得现实主义理论重新回到我国当代文艺理论话语的中心地带，而且直接推动了近年来国内现实主义创作热潮的形成。《讲话》之后的茅盾文学奖获奖作品、精神文明建设“五个一工程”获奖作品，如长篇小说《人世间》《宝水》《雪山大地》《经山海》，电视剧《装台》《山海情》等，都扎根生活、拥抱时代，具有浓郁的现实主义风格。中国作协推出的“新时代山乡巨变创作计划”所形成的一批优秀文学作品，在“脱贫攻坚”过程中产生的一系列农村题材的优秀电视剧及其他一些文艺精品，将中国当代文艺的现实主义传统推向一个新的高度。以往以女频古言、玄幻穿越、都市言情等为主的中国网络文学也突破了旧有的写作套路，《复兴之路》《大国重工》《朝阳警事》等一批反映社会现实、记录当代中国社会变迁的作品应运而生。

Besides the relationship between literature and art and the era, “adhering to a people-centered creative orientation” is another core proposition of the *Speech*, and the emphasis on the people’s character of literature and art also embodies the philosophical stance of Marxist historical materialism.

除文艺与时代的关系外，“坚持以人民为中心的创作导向”是《讲话》的另一个核心命题，而对文艺人民性的强调，也体现着马克思主义历史唯物论的哲学立场。习近平总书记指出，“人民性是马克思主义最鲜明的品格”。马克思主义经典作家认为，“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”，强调人民群众不仅创造了物质财富，同时也创造了精神财富，是推动社会历史前进的决定性力量。正是基于马克思主义的人民性立场，《讲话》明确指出，“社会主义文艺，从本质上讲，就是人民的文艺”，并把“以人民为中心”看作马克思主义文艺观的重要标志。

The people-centered character is not only a basic stance upheld by Marxist classical writers when considering issues of literature and art, but also a core proposition of Chinese Marxist literary and art theory deeply influenced by the tradition of people-oriented governance, occupying a pivotal position in the construction of literary and art theory and literary and art practice in 20th-century China. Consistently raising high the banner of people's literature and art is an important feature of the sinicized Marxist theory of literature and art. The *Speech*, centering on the thesis of "adhering to a people-centered creative orientation," elucidates the people-centered stance of literature and art from various perspectives, including the essence of literature and art, the driving force and source of artistic creation, the objects of literary and artistic expression and service, and the subject of judging literature and art. It emphasizes that the people are both the creators of history and its witnesses, both the "characters in the play" and the "playwrights" of history. It requires literary and art workers to learn humbly from the people and draw nourishment from the people's great practice and rich and varied life, thereby making the people-centered view of sinicized Marxist literary and art theory more systematic.

人民性不仅是马克思主义经典作家思考文艺问题时坚持的一个基本立场，而且也是深受民本传统影响的中国马克思主义文艺理论的一个核心命题，在20世纪中国的文艺理论建构与文艺实践中有着举足轻重的地位。始终高扬人民文艺的旗帜，是中国化马克思主义文艺理论的一个重要特征。《讲话》围绕“坚持以人民为中心的创作导向”这一论题，从文艺的本质、艺术家创作的动力与源泉、文艺表现与服务的对象、评判文艺的主体等各个角度阐释了文艺的人民性立场，强调人民既是历史的创造者，也是历史的见证者，既是历史的“剧中人”，也是历史的“剧作者”，要求文艺工作者虚心向人民学习，从人民的伟大实践和丰富多彩的生活中汲取营养，使得中国化马克思主义文艺理论的人民观更加系统化。

Scholars who previously studied Marxist literary and art theory tended to regard the people as a collective concept. In fact, Marxist classical writers had already discussed the value and significance of individuals in the historical process. Engels pointed out, "What is active in the sphere of social history are people who are endowed with consciousness, who act after deliberation or driven by passion, and who pursue certain goals." The *Speech* creatively integrates this idea of Marxist classical writers with ancient Chinese people-oriented thought, proposing that "the people are not abstract symbols, but concrete individuals, one by one, with flesh and blood, with emotions, with love and hate, with dreams, and also with inner conflicts and struggles." It requires artists to "always keep the people's warmth and cold, the people's happiness in their hearts, and pour the people's joys and sorrows into their pens," leading the people-centered stance of the sinicization of Marxist literary and art theory to a deeper and more solid level.

以往研究马克思主义文艺理论的学者，倾向于把人民当成一个群体性的概念。实际上，马克思主义经典作家已经谈到了在历史进程中个体的价值与意义。恩格斯指出，“在社会历史领域内进行活动的，是具有意识的、经过思虑或凭激情行动的、追求某种目的的人”。《讲话》创造性地把马克思主义经典作家的这一思想，与中国古代民本思想加以整合，提出“人民不是抽象的符号，而是一个一个具体的人，有血有肉，有情感，有爱恨，有梦想，也有内心的冲突和挣扎”，要求艺术家“始终把人民的冷暖、人民的幸福放在心中，把人民的喜怒哀乐倾注在自己的笔端”，把马克思主义文艺理论中国化的人民性立场引向一个更加深入、更加坚实的层面。

The people-centered stance advocated by the *Speech* received a positive response from literary and art artists. In terms of creation, as some critics have said when discussing the creation of novels in recent years, "a new form of people's aesthetics has gradually taken shape and has shown a magnificent literary atmosphere of the New Era; some powerful works of novels in the New Era have already possessed the artistic character of 'people's epic'." Meanwhile, artists, through various forms of literary and art volunteer service activities, have gone deep into the grassroots and made very positive efforts to enrich the spiritual and cultural life of the people.

《讲话》倡导的人民性立场，得到了文学艺术家的积极响应。在创作方面，正如有评论家在论及近年来长篇小说创作时所说的那样，“人民美学新形态已日渐形成，且展现出气势磅礴的新时代文学气象，有些新时代长篇小说力作已经具备了‘人民史诗’的艺术品格”；而艺术家们通过多种形式的文艺志愿者服务活动，深入基层，为丰富人民群众的精神文化生活作出了十分积极的努力。

The *Speech* not only demonstrates profound theoretical literacy when addressing some basic stances and basic theoretical propositions of Marxist literary and art theory, but also embodies the philosophical wisdom of Marxist materialist dialectics everywhere when discussing specific literary and art issues such as the relationship between inheritance and innovation, the relationship between form and content, the relationship between virtue and art, the relationship between economic benefits and social benefits, and the relationship between worldliness and nationality. For example, the *Speech* emphasizes adhering to the stance of Chinese culture, while also emphasizing that inheriting Chinese culture is by no means a simple return to antiquity or blind exclusion of foreign cultures; it is necessary to combine the conditions of the new era to realize the creative transformation and innovative development of Chinese culture. While requiring literature and art to be rooted in life and reflect real life, it also opposes the creative tendency of merely being satisfied with recording the status quo, requiring literary and art artists to combine the spirit of realism with romantic feelings. The *Speech* points out that under the conditions of developing a socialist market economy, many cultural products must realize their value through the market and cannot completely disregard economic benefits. At the same time, it emphasizes that compared with social benefits, economic benefits are secondary, and clearly states: "Literature and art cannot be slaves of the market, and must not be tainted with the stench of money."

《讲话》不仅在涉及马克思主义文艺理论的一些基本立场与基本理论命题时，体现出深厚的理论素养，在谈到诸如传承与创新的关系、形式与内容的关系、德与艺的关系、经济效益与社会效益的关系、世界性与民族性的关系等具体的文艺问题时，也处处体现着马克思主义唯物辩证法的哲学智慧。比如，《讲话》强调要坚守中华文化立场，同时也强调传承中华文化，绝不是简单复古，盲目排外，必须要结合新的时代条件，实现中华文化的创造性转化和创新性发展；在要求文艺植根生活、反映现实人生的同时，也反对仅仅满足于记述现状的创作倾向，要求文学艺术家将现实主义精神和浪漫主义情怀结合起来；《讲话》指出，在发展社会主义市场经济的条件下，许多文化产品要通过市场实现价值，不能完全不考虑经济效益，与此同时，又强调与社会效益相比，经济效益是第二位的，旗帜鲜明地指出：“文艺不能当市场的奴隶，不要沾满了铜臭气。”

The *Speech*’s adherence to the Marxist stance on literature and art has greatly promoted the conscious guidance of Marxist theory among contemporary Chinese literary and art theory researchers. On the one hand, the literary and artistic thought of Marxist classical writers has received further attention; in particular, Marx’s own theory of artistic production not only provides a theoretical reference for contemporary Chinese scholars examining the relationship between art and the market, but also offers important inspiration for some scholars studying the laws of artistic production and their specific manifestations in the digital age. At the same time, adapting Marxist literary and art theory to the Chinese context has become the most active field in literary and art theory research. Beyond research centered on General Secretary Xi Jinping’s important discourses on literature and art work, this field also saw two waves of research focused on the *Speech at the Yan’an Forum on Literature and Art* around its 75th and 80th anniversaries in 2017 and 2022, respectively. [1]1 The *Speech at the Forum on Literature and Art Work* refers to Xi Jinping’s speech delivered at a forum convened by the CPC Central Committee in Beijing on October 15, 2014. In other areas, such as research on the formation and development process of the literary and art thought of the Communist Party of China, and research on the relationship between Marxist literary and art theory and fine traditional Chinese culture, many excellent results have also emerged. The dominant position of Marxist literary and art theory in the discourse of contemporary Chinese literary theory has been further strengthened.

《讲话》对马克思主义文艺立场的坚守，对中国当代文艺理论研究者自觉地以马克思主义为指导起到了很大的促进作用。一方面，马克思主义经典作家的文艺思想进一步受到重视，特别是马克思本人的艺术生产理论，不仅为当代中国学者考察艺术与市场的关系提供了理论参考，而且为一些学者研究数字时代艺术生产的规律及其具体表现形式提供了重要启发。与此同时，马克思主义文艺理论中国化成为文艺理论研究最为活跃的领域，这一领域除了围绕习近平总书记关于文艺工作的重要论述的研究之外，还在2017年、2022年延安文艺座谈会召开75周年、80周年之际，出现了两次围绕《在延安文艺座谈会上的讲话》的研究热潮。其他如中国共产党文艺思想形成与发展过程研究、马克思主义文艺理论与中华优秀传统文化关系研究等方面，也都有许多优秀的成果问世，马克思主义文艺理论在当代中国文论话语中的主导地位得到了进一步加强。

II. The *Speech* Has Played a Positive Guiding Role in the Development of Literature and Art

二、《讲话》对文艺事业发展起到了积极的导向作用

Orienting toward the actual work of literature and art and taking problems as the starting point is another important characteristic of the *Speech*. The *Speech* places great emphasis on the positive role of literary and art criticism throughout the entire process of literary and art production, explicitly opposing those literary and art criticisms that are merely praise, or even vulgar flattery and sycophancy. It stresses that literary and art criticism must “praise the excellent and criticize the inferior, wash away the foul and bring forth the pure.” [2]2 The *Talks at the Yan’an Forum on Literature and Art* refers to Mao Zedong’s speeches delivered in May 1942 at forums in Yan’an, which became foundational texts for CPC cultural policy. The *Speech* itself is a highly targeted critical text, speaking frankly about many negative literary and art phenomena, analyzing problems with pinpoint accuracy, while simultaneously putting forward its own expectations from a positive perspective.

面向文艺工作实际，以问题为导向，是《讲话》的另一个重要特点。《讲话》十分重视文艺批评在文艺生产全过程中的积极作用，明确反对那些一味表扬，甚至庸俗吹捧、阿谀奉承的文艺批评，强调文艺批评要“褒优贬劣、激浊扬清”。而《讲话》本身就是一个极具针对性的批评文本，对许多负面文艺现象直言不讳，分析问题切中肯綮，同时又从正面提出了自己的期望。

First, addressing the problem at the time that literary and art works had “quantity but lacked quality, had ‘plateaus’ but lacked ‘peaks’,” the *Speech* required artists to uphold their artistic ideals, correctly handle the relationship between economic interests and social responsibility, and produce genuine literary and art masterpieces to dedicate to the people.

首先，《讲话》针对当时文艺作品“有数量缺质量、有‘高原’缺‘高峰’”的问题，要求艺术家坚持自己的艺术理想，正确对待经济利益与社会责任之间的关系，拿出真正的文艺精品奉献人民。

“Having quantity but lacking quality, having ‘plateaus’ but lacking ‘peaks’” is a basic judgment made by the *Speech* regarding the state of literary and art creation at that time. Regarding the reasons for this situation, the *Speech* points out that it is because a widespread impatient mentality of seeking quick success and instant benefits exists in the process of literary and art creation, where, in order to pursue quantity, creators are unwilling to put effort into the quality of their works, leading to plagiarism and imitation, arbitrary writing, far-fetched analogies, and shoddy production. The deeper reason lies in the fact that some people in the literary and art circles have been seduced by real-world fame and fortune, especially economic interests, and have lost the patience to create artistic masterpieces.

“有数量缺质量、有‘高原’缺‘高峰’”是《讲话》对当时文艺创作状况的一个基本判断。对于造成这种局面的原因，《讲话》指出是因为文艺创作过程中普遍存在急功近利的浮躁心态，为求数量而不愿意在作品的质量上下功夫，以至于抄袭模仿、胡编乱写、牵强附会、粗制滥造。而更深层次的原因，则在于文艺界一些人被现实的名利，尤其是经济利益所诱惑，失去了创作艺术精品的耐心。

With the development of the socialist market economy, the living environment of Chinese literature and art has undergone significant changes. On the one hand, literature and art are an important cause of the Party and the people, and meeting the growing spiritual and cultural needs of the broad masses of the people is the fundamental task of the socialist literary and art cause. On the other hand, developing a well-established literary and art market and strengthening the cultural industry are equally inherent needs for realizing the great development of socialist literature and art. Therefore, in literary and art work, how to handle the relationship between the two has become a new problem urgently needing resolution. Under the conditions of the socialist market economy, since the literary and art products created by artists must realize their value through the market, they cannot completely disregard economic benefits. The appropriate use of market factors can also promote the prosperity of the literary and art cause. However, artistic production under market economy conditions is also prone to problems such as consumption completely dominating production, artists’ creation being primarily driven by market interests, abandoning artistic taste and spiritual pursuits, and abandoning artists’ social responsibilities. In the *Speech*, General Secretary Xi Jinping, on the one hand, points out that good artistic works should also be popular in the market and should participate in international market competition. On the other hand, he clarifies that socialist literature and art are, in essence, the people’s literature and art, and that meeting the spiritual and cultural needs of the people should be the starting point and落脚点 [goal] of literary and art work; artists cannot become slaves of the market, led by the nose by it. These discussions both activate Marx’s thought on the contradiction between the logic of capital and artistic production, and, based on the essential difference between artistic production under the conditions of the socialist market economy and artistic production under capitalist conditions, seek the fundamental path for unifying the economic and social benefits of literary and art production, thereby developing Marxist theory of artistic production under new historical conditions.

随着社会主义市场经济的发展，中国文艺的生存环境发生了很大改变。一方面，文艺是党和人民的重要事业，满足广大人民群众日益增长的精神文化需要是社会主义文艺事业的根本任务；另一方面，发展完善的文艺市场，壮大文化产业，同样是实现社会主义文艺大发展的内在需要。因此，在文艺工作中，怎样处理两者之间的关系，就成为一个亟待解决的新问题。在社会主义市场经济条件下，艺术家创作的文艺产品要通过市场实现价值，就不能完全不考虑经济效益。对市场因素的恰当运用，也可以促进文艺事业的繁荣。但是，市场经济条件下的艺术生产也很容易出现消费完全主导生产、艺术家的创作主要靠市场利益驱动、放弃艺术品位与精神方面的追求、放弃艺术家的社会责任等问题。习近平总书记在《讲话》中一方面指出好的艺术作品也要在市场上受欢迎，也要参与国际市场的竞争，另一方面又明确了社会主义文艺从本质上讲是人民的文艺，应该把满足人民群众精神文化需要作为文艺工作的出发点和落脚点；艺术家不能当市场的奴隶，被市场牵着鼻子走。这些论述，既激活了马克思有关资本逻辑与艺术生产相矛盾的思想，又以社会主义市场经济条件下的艺术生产与资本主义条件下的艺术生产存在本质上的差异为依据，寻找到了文艺生产经济效益与社会效益相统一的根本路径，在新的历史条件下发展了马克思主义的艺术生产理论。

Second, the *Speech* criticized the phenomenon of moral decline existing in the literary and art field at that time, requiring artists to assume their due moral responsibility towards the entire society.

其次，《讲话》对当时文艺领域存在的道德滑坡现象进行了批评，要求艺术家承担起对整个社会应有的道德责任。

The relationship between literature, art, and morality is a major theoretical and practical issue that urgently needs clarification. In the development of Western modernist literature and art, many artists have expressed an anti-moralist stance. Many 20th-century Western literary and art theoretical schools, proceeding from liberal and aestheticist positions, have also mostly shown a tendency towards “de-moralization.” Influenced by this, in China, too, people often regard the responsibilities and obligations that artists should bear for the construction of social morality as constraints on their creative individuality and freedom; they view breaking through public moral bottom lines as an artist’s “courage,” or even a privilege. Many of the chaotic phenomena in the literary and art field criticized in the *Speech* are directly related to this erroneous understanding. Regarding the artist’s inner cultivation as the foundation of literary and art creation is a basic stance of traditional Chinese literary theory. Chinese Marxist literary and art theorists have also always regarded improving the artist’s personality cultivation as a key measure for prospering the literary and art cause and building cultural-ethical progress, requiring literary and art workers to achieve both moral integrity and artistic excellence.

文艺与道德的关系，是一个急需澄清的重大理论问题与现实问题。在西方现代主义文艺发展过程中，许多艺术家都表达过反道德主义立场。20世纪许多西方文艺理论流派，从自由主义、审美主义立场出发，也大多有“去道德化”倾向。受此影响，在中国也经常有人把艺术家应当对社会道德建设承担的责任与义务，看成对其创作个性与创作自由的束缚；把突破公共道德底线，看成艺术家的“勇气”，甚至是特权。《讲话》中所批评的文艺领域存在的乱象，有不少与这种错误认识直接相关。而把艺术家的内在修养作为文艺创作的根基，则是传统中国文论的基本立场，中国的马克思主义文艺理论家也总是把提高艺术家的人格修养作为繁荣文艺事业、建设精神文明的关键举措，要求文艺工作者做到德艺双馨。

Before the publication of the *Speech*, General Secretary Xi Jinping had already expressed concern on some occasions about some

《讲话》发表之前，习近平总书记就在一些场合表达了对一些人缺乏基本的道德感与是非观的忧虑。《讲话》再次批评一些人价值观缺失，观念没有善恶，行为没有底线，并针对文艺创作中诸如是非不分、善恶不辨、以丑为美，搜奇猎艳、一味媚俗、低级趣味等倾向提出了尖锐批评，一方面要求文艺工作者通过文艺作品引导人们增强道德判断力和道德荣誉感，另一方面认为，文艺作品要想传达正确的价值观，积极向上的精神、高尚的审美趣味，艺术家自身的思想水平、业务水平、道德水平是根本。《讲话》对文艺工作者的职业操守、社会形象也提出了要求，告诫艺术家要处理好义利关系，认真严肃地考虑作品的社会效果，“讲品位，重艺德，为历史存正气，为世人弘美德，为自身留清名”。

The *Speech*’s criticism of the phenomenon of moral decline among some individuals in the literary and art circles, as well as its demands regarding the moral cultivation of artists, prompted the relevant departments to strengthen professional ethics education and the construction of professional conduct. While providing positive guidance, it also intensified industry supervision and management, actively fostering a clean and upright industry ecosystem. The Publicity Department of the CPC Central Committee, together with relevant departments, issued the *Notice on Comprehensive Governance in the Field of Cultural and Entertainment Activities*, requiring the strengthening of ideological and political guidance, guiding practitioners to uphold virtue and respect art, clarifying red lines and bottom lines, and increasing penalties for artists who violate the law or lose their moral integrity. This series of measures has played a decisive role in the formation of a clear and wholesome atmosphere in the literary and art circles in recent years.

《讲话》对文艺界一些人身上存在的道德滑坡现象的批评，以及对艺术家道德修养方面提出的要求，促使有关部门加强了职业道德教育和行风建设，在正面引导的同时，强化了行业监督、管理，积极营造风清气正的行业生态。中共中央宣传部还会同有关部门印发了《关于开展文娱领域综合治理工作的通知》，要求加强思想政治引领，引导从业人员崇德尚艺，明确红线底线，加大对违法失德艺人的惩处。这一系列举措，对近年来文艺界清朗空气的形成，起到了决定性的作用。

Finally, the *Speech* criticizes the phenomenon, prevalent over a certain period, of some literary and artistic works propagating erroneous views of history, the nation, and the state, and demands that literary and artistic creation take patriotism as its main theme.

最后，《讲话》针对一个时期以来一些文艺作品宣扬错误的历史观、民族观、国家观的现象提出批评，要求文艺创作把爱国主义作为主旋律。

Some scholars have pointed out that “in a certain period of China’s literary and artistic creation and research, the infiltration of Western humanist concepts brought a tendency toward abstract human nature, Western ‘modernist’ views led to irrational and anti-rational tendencies, the influence of new historicism and anti-essentialism gave rise to the trend of historical nihilism, and postmodern deconstructionist thought brought relativism and value nihilism.” It was precisely under this influence that some literary and artistic works fell into confusion regarding their view of history, view of the nation, and view of the state. The *Speech* directly targeted these unhealthy tendencies existing in the literary and art circles, issuing severe criticism of phenomena such as being keen on “de-ideologization,” “de-valuation,” “de-historicization,” and “de-mainstreamization,” ridiculing the sublime, distorting classics, subverting history, and vilifying the masses and heroic figures. It demanded that literary and artistic works “make patriotism the main theme of literary and artistic creation, guiding the people to establish and uphold a correct view of history, view of the nation, view of the state, and view of culture.” After the *Speech* was published, related issues received great attention from artists, critics, and publishing and distribution institutions. Through multifaceted efforts, these erroneous tendencies were largely curbed, and a batch of outstanding literary and artistic works that continue the red lineage, recall heroic deeds, and embody the spirit of patriotism were produced, such as *The Awakening Age*, *Centennial Song*, *The Battle at Lake Changjin*, *Backing*, and *Bronze of the Years*.

有学者指出，“在我国一个时期的文艺创作和文艺研究上，西方人本主义观念渗透带来了抽象人性论倾向，西方‘现代派’观点导致了非理性和反理性倾向，新历史主义和反本质主义影响导致了历史虚无主义思潮，后现代解构主义思想带来了相对主义和价值虚无主义倾向”。正是受此影响，有些文艺作品在历史观、民族观、国家观上陷入混乱。《讲话》直指文艺界存在的这些不良倾向，对热衷于“去思想化”“去价值化”“去历史化”“去主流化”，调侃崇高、扭曲经典、颠覆历史，丑化人民群众和英雄人物等现象提出了严厉的批评，要求文艺作品“把爱国主义作为文艺创作的主旋律，引导人民树立和坚持正确的历史观、民族观、国家观、文化观”。《讲话》发表后，相关问题引起了艺术家、批评家及出版发行机构的极大重视，经过多方面的努力，在很大程度上遏制了上述错误倾向，并推出了《觉醒年代》《百年放歌》《长津湖》《靠山》《岁月青铜》等一批赓续红色血脉、追忆英雄事迹、体现爱国主义精神的优秀文艺作品。

When Marxist literary theory first entered China, it took summarizing and guiding literary practice as its most important theoretical aspiration. Early Chinese Marxist literary theorists often had a strong will to intervene in the literary development of their own times, and their distinct theoretical propositions had a powerful practical influence on writers’ creative activities. The main issues addressed in Comrade Mao Zedong’s *Talks at the Yan’an Forum on Literature and Art*, such as the relationship between literature and politics, the relationship between popularization and elevation, the relationship between artists and the masses, and the relationship between praise and exposure, were all issues that urgently needed clarification and resolution in the Yan’an literary and art circles at that time. It was under the influence of this tradition that Chinese Marxist literary theory formed a very distinct practical character. However, after the 1980s, many literary theory researchers adopted a strategy of retreating from the vivid literary and artistic scene of contemporary China, lacking the interest and ability to engage in dialogue with artists and current literary phenomena. The profound problem-awareness and strong practical orientation of the *Speech* not only carry forward the practical spirit of Marxist philosophy but also represent the return of an excellent tradition once possessed by the Sinicization of Marxist literary theory. This serves as an excellent model for correcting the shortcomings of contemporary Chinese literary theory research, which lacks problem-awareness and is detached from literary reality. It was under the direct influence of the *Speech* that contemporary Chinese literary theory and criticism circles engaged in deep reflection on issues such as the practical concern of theoretical criticism and the relationship between theoretical criticism and literary and artistic creative practice. Some scholars have called for contemporary Chinese literary theory construction to adhere to a problem-oriented approach, always taking the practical issues of literary and artistic development in the process of Chinese-path modernization as the realistic focus; literary criticism should pay more attention to Chinese experience, Chinese tradition, and Chinese reality, intervene in the literary scene, combine literary creation to carry out literary criticism, and fully play its role in promoting literary creation. Over the past decade, contemporary Chinese literary theory research has not only regained vitality and vigor by facing China’s own literary criticism and creative practice but has also more consciously combined Marxist literary theory with excellent traditional culture, including the spirit of Chinese aesthetics and the classical Chinese literary tradition. By tapping into China’s own artistic and cultural traditions to seek theoretical breakthroughs, it has formed identifiable concepts and a preliminary discourse system in some fields. Many literary criticisms have also become more targeted and penetrating. In particular, literary criticism columns in major newspapers and periodicals, such as “Literary and Art Observations” in *People’s Daily* and “Radar Watching the Tide” in *Literary Gazette*, have clear topics and touch on profound issues, playing a very active role in correcting problems in literary and artistic creation, interpreting key writers and works, discovering new writers, and disseminating excellent works.

马克思主义文艺理论进入中国之初，就把总结文学实践、指导文学实践作为自己最重要的理论诉求。中国早期马克思主义文艺理论家往往对自己时代的文学发展有着强烈的介入意愿，其鲜明的理论主张对作家的创作活动具有很强的现实影响力。毛泽东同志《在延安文艺座谈会上的讲话》所涉及的主要问题，如文艺与政治的关系、普及与提高的关系、艺术家与群众的关系、歌颂与暴露的关系等，都是当时延安文艺界亟待澄清、必须解决的问题。正是在这一传统的影响下，中国马克思主义文艺理论形成了十分鲜明的实践品格。然而，20世纪80年代以后，不少文艺理论研究者采取了从中国当代生动的文学艺术现场后撤的策略，缺乏与艺术家以及当下文艺现象对话的兴趣与能力。《讲话》深刻的问题意识、强烈的实践指向，既是对马克思主义哲学实践精神的发扬，同时也代表着马克思主义文艺理论中国化曾经具有的优秀传统的回归，对于纠正中国当代文艺理论研究缺乏问题意识、脱离文艺实际的弊端有很好的示范意义。正是在《讲话》的直接影响下，中国当代文艺理论与批评界就理论批评的现实关怀、理论批评与文艺创作实践的关系等问题进行了深入反思，有学者呼吁当代中国文艺理论建设要坚持问题导向，始终以中国式现代化进程中文艺发展的实际问题为现实着眼点；文学评论要更多地关注中国经验、中国传统、中国现实，介入文学现场，结合文学创作展开文学批评，充分发挥对文学创作的推动作用。十年来，中国当代文艺理论研究不仅在面向中国自身的文艺批评与文艺创作实践中重新焕发出生机与活力，而且更加自觉地将马克思主义文艺理论与包括中华美学精神、中国古典文艺传统在内的优秀传统文化相结合，借助对中国自身艺术传统与文化传统的开掘，寻求理论突破，在一些领域已经形成具有标识性的概念与初步的话语体系。许多文艺批评也更加具有针对性与穿透力，尤其是一些重要报刊开设的文艺批评专栏，如《人民日报》的“文艺观象”、《文艺报》的“雷达观潮”，话题明确，触及问题深刻，在矫正文艺创作中存在的问题、重点作家与作品的阐释、新作家的发现、优秀作品的传播等方面，发挥了十分积极的作用。

In the process of implementing the spirit of the *Speech*, contemporary Chinese literary and artistic creation has undergone historic changes. The creative concept of “people-centered” has become more deeply rooted in people’s hearts, the spirit of realism has radiated new brilliance, the guiding role of literature and art in society has become more prominent, and writers have reached a new level in inheriting and creatively transforming excellent traditional Chinese culture. A large number of outstanding literary and artistic works have been created, erecting peaks of literature and art in the New Era.

在贯彻《讲话》精神的过程中，中国当代文艺创作更是发生了历史性的变革，“以人民为中心”的创作理念更加深入人心，现实主义精神重新焕发出光芒，文艺对社会的引领作用更加突出，作家在创作中对中华优秀传统文化的继承与创造性转化达到新的水平，创作出了一大批优秀文艺作品，铸起了一座座新时代的文艺高峰。

III. The *Speech* Profoundly Clarifies the Mission and Responsibility of Literature and Art in the New Era

三、《讲话》深刻阐明了新时代文艺的使命与责任

The most fundamental standpoint of the *Speech*’s discussion on literary and artistic issues lies in the cause of the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation, and its ultimate endpoint points to the strategic goal of Chinese-path modernization.

《讲话》关于文艺问题的论述，最根本的立足点在于中华民族伟大复兴事业，而其最终的落脚点，则指向中国式现代化这一战略目标。

After the 18th National Congress of the CPC, General Secretary Xi Jinping, assessing the situation, made the major judgment that “we are closer to the goal of the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation than at any other time in history,” and pointed out that only when both material progress and cultural-ethical progress are well developed, both the country’s material strength and spiritual strength are enhanced, and the material and spiritual lives of the people of all ethnic groups across the country are improved, can the cause of socialism with Chinese characteristics advance smoothly. These judgments are based not only on the experience of the rise of major powers in the world today but also on the beautiful vision of creating a modern civilization of the Chinese nation through Chinese-path modernization and realizing the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation. The *Speech* takes “realizing the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation requires the prosperity of Chinese culture” as the primary issue, emphasizing that to realize the Chinese Dream of the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation, it is necessary to attach great importance to and fully leverage the important role of literature and art and literary and art workers. This is precisely a manifestation of this strategic thinking.

党的十八大以后，习近平总书记审时度势，作出了“我们比历史上任何时期都更接近中华民族伟大复兴的目标”这一重大判断，并且指出，只有物质文明建设和精神文明建设都搞好，国家物质力量和精神力量都增强，全国各族人民物质生活和精神生活都改善，中国特色社会主义事业才能顺利向前推进。这些论断不仅是基于当今世界大国崛起的经验，而且是基于以中国式现代化创造中华民族现代文明、实现中华民族伟大复兴的美好愿景。《讲话》把“实现中华民族伟大复兴需要中华文化繁荣兴盛”作为首要问题，强调要实现中华民族伟大复兴的中国梦，就必须高度重视和充分发挥文艺和文艺工作者的重要作用，正是这一战略思想的体现。

The *Speech* elaborates on the intrinsic connection between the literary and artistic cause and the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation from two aspects: from a functional perspective, good literary and artistic works can, by virtue of their unique charm, penetrate people’s spiritual world and attract people of all ethnic groups across the country to devote themselves to the great cause of building a strong country and national rejuvenation; from the perspective of literature and art as an important component of culture, without the prosperity of literature and art, there can be no prosperity of culture. The rise of China as an influential major power in the world relies on the strong appeal and attraction of Chinese culture and must be based on the prosperity of culture. These two lines of thought not only reflect the unique perspective of Marxist literary theory but also embody the essential characteristics of Chinese-path modernization.

《讲话》从两个方面阐述了文艺事业与中华民族伟大复兴之间的内在关联：从功能的角度看，好的文艺作品能够凭借自己的独特魅力深入人的精神世界，吸引全国各族人民投入强国建设、民族复兴伟业当中；从文艺作为文化的重要组成部分看，没有文艺的繁荣昌盛，就没有文化的繁荣昌盛，而中国作为在世界上有影响力的大国的崛起，靠的是中华文化的强大感召力和吸引力，必须以文化的繁荣昌盛作为基础。这两种思路，既体现出马克思主义文论的独特视角，也体现着中国式现代化的本质特征。

Marxist literary theory emphasizes that literature and art, as ideology, are not only a reflection of social life but can also react upon social life, exerting an important influence on the historical process of human society. As a Marxist political party, the CPC always seeks to fully leverage the positive role of literature and art in promoting social and historical progress, allowing it to serve the progressive cause it pursues. In his *Talks at the Yan’an Forum on Literature and Art*, Comrade Mao Zedong emphasized that to win the War of Resistance Against Japan and the Chinese Revolution, an army with guns alone was insufficient; a cultural army was also needed. After the founding of New China, the Party’s fundamental task shifted from revolution to construction. In the early days of New China, the Party demanded that literature and art “be beneficial to socialist transformation and socialist construction”; in the “New Period” of reform and opening up, the Party demanded that literature and art “stimulate the socialist initiative of the broad masses and drive them to engage in the historic creative activities of the four modernizations.” It is also based on this tradition that the *Speech* emphasizes that the literary and artistic cause is an important cause of the Party and the people, and the literary and artistic front is an important front of the Party and the people, requiring that the vast number of literary and art workers integrate their artistic lives into the great cause of building a strong country and national rejuvenation.

马克思主义文艺理论强调，文学艺术作为意识形态，不仅是社会生活的反映，而且能够反作用于社会生活，对人类社会历史进程产生重要影响。中国共产党作为一个马克思主义政党，总是希望充分发挥文艺在推动社会历史进步方面的积极作用，让它服务于自己所从事的进步事业。毛泽东同志《在延安文艺座谈会上的讲话》中强调，为了取得抗战与中国革命的胜利，单靠手里拿枪的军队是不够的，还需要一支文化的军队。新中国成立后，党的根本任务由革命转向建设。在新中国成立初期，我们党要求文艺“有利于社会主义改造和社会主义建设”；改革开放“新时期”，我们党要求文艺能“激发广大群众的社会主义积极性，推动他们从事四个现代化建设的历史性创造活动”。也正是基于这一传统，《讲话》强调文艺事业是党和人民的重要事业，文艺战线是党和人民的重要战线，要求广大文艺工作者将自己的艺术生命融入强国建设、民族复兴伟业中。

This stance is consistent with China’s own literary and artistic tradition. In traditional literary theory represented by Confucianism, education, remonstrance, verification of gains and losses, conveying the Way, and practical application formed a main line in the development of the theory of literary and artistic function. The *Book of Rites: Record of Music* states: “The former kings instituted rites and music not to satisfy the desires of the mouth, belly, ears, and eyes, but to teach the people to balance likes and dislikes and return to the proper path of humanity.” [1]1 The *Speech at the Forum on Literature and Art Work* refers to Xi Jinping’s speech delivered at a forum convened by the CPC Central Committee in Beijing on October 15, 2014. The *Book of Han: Treatise on Literature and Art* points out: “In ancient times there were officials who collected poetry, by which the king observed customs, understood gains and losses, and examined himself.” [2]2 The *Talks at the Yan’an Forum on Literature and Art* refers to Mao Zedong’s speeches delivered in May 1942 at forums in Yan’an, which became foundational texts for CPC cultural policy. In Liu Xie’s view, “The use of literature is indeed the branches of the classics; the five rites depend on it for completion, the six codes rely on it for application, the brilliance of ruler and minister is thus manifested, and military and state affairs are thus clarified.” [3]3 The “four modernizations” refers to the modernization of agriculture, industry, national defense, and science and technology, a policy goal first proposed by Zhou Enlai in 1964 and revived after the Cultural Revolution. The Song-dynasty scholar Zhang Zai, through literature, sought to “establish the will for Heaven and Earth, establish the Way for the living, continue the lost learning of the sages, and create peace for ten thousand generations.” [4]4 "Esteeming culture" (尚文) refers to a traditional Chinese value that prioritizes cultural refinement, literary achievement, and artistic excellence as markers of a civilized society. It was under the influence of this view of literature and art that modern Chinese literature and art have always attempted to undertake social missions such as reform, revolution, enlightenment, national salvation, state building, and national rejuvenation. This unbroken literary and artistic tradition echoes the Marxist theory of literary and artistic function, constituting another theoretical foundation for the *Speech*’s assignment to contemporary literature and art of the mission of the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation.

这一立场，与中国自身的文艺传统相一致。在以儒家为代表的传统文论中，教化、讽谏、考证得失、载道、经世致用组成了文艺功能论发展的一条主线。《礼记·乐记》云：“先王之制礼乐也，非以极口腹耳目之欲也，将以教民平好恶而反人道之正也”；《汉书·艺文志》指出，“古有采诗之官，王者所以观风俗、知得失，自考正也”；在刘勰看来，“唯文章之用，实经典枝条；五礼资之以成，六典因之致用，君臣所以炳焕，军国所以昭明”；宋人张载则要借文学“为天地立志，为生民立道，为去圣继绝学，为万世开太平”。正是在这种文艺观的影响下，近代以来的中国文艺总是试图去承担维新、革命、启蒙、救亡、国家建设、民族振兴等社会使命。这一脉相承的文艺传统，与马克思主义的文艺功能论形成呼应，构成《讲话》赋予当代文艺承担中华民族伟大复兴使命的又一理论根基。

It is precisely out of a profound understanding of the mission and responsibility of Chinese literature and art in the New Era that, over the past decade, the vast number of literary and artistic workers have been full of enthusiasm, creating literary and artistic works around major time nodes such as the 40th anniversary of reform and opening up, the 70th anniversary of the founding of the People’s Republic of China, and the 100th anniversary of the founding of the Communist Party of China. In historical practices closely related to the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation—such as poverty alleviation, building a moderately prosperous society in all respects, ecological progress, forging a strong sense of community for the Chinese nation, the inheritance and development of fine traditional Chinese culture, telling China’s stories well to the world, and spreading China’s voice well—they have played an irreplaceable role in the unique way of literature and art.

正是出于对新时代中国文艺使命与责任的深刻理解，十年来，广大文艺工作者满怀热情，围绕庆祝改革开放40周年、中华人民共和国成立70周年、中国共产党成立100周年等重大时间节点进行文艺创作；在脱贫攻坚、全面建设小康社会、生态文明建设、铸牢中华民族共同体意识、中华优秀传统文化传承发展、向世界讲好中国故事、传播好中国声音等与中华民族伟大复兴密切相关的历史实践中，以文艺特有的方式发挥了不可替代的作用。

In fact, incorporating contemporary literature and art into the great cause of building a strong country and rejuvenating the nation also provides a rare opportunity for the development of contemporary literature and art. Over the several thousand years when the Confucian functionalist view of literature was largely dominant, by means of “grand narratives” such as education, governance assistance, historical verification, conveying the Way, and practical application, Chinese classical literature—especially poetry and prose, its core genres—received high attention from rulers down to ordinary scholars, constantly creating new realms. The several major developments of China’s new literature and art in the 20th century were also built upon the deep intervention of literature and art in reality. Today, the historical journey of the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation and the great cause of Chinese-path modernization in the New Era, as the grandest and most unique practical innovation in human history, also provide a rare historical opportunity for the emergence of great artists and great works of art. Placing literature and art in an important position for national rejuvenation, and believing that the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation must take the great development of literature and art as one of its important foundations, not only reflects the profound tradition of “esteeming culture” in the formation and development of Chinese civilization, but also contains an understanding of the essential characteristics of Chinese civilization, as well as a strategic design for creating modern Chinese civilization.

实际上，把当代文艺纳入强国建设、民族复兴伟业之中，同时也是为当代文艺的发展提供了一个难得的契机。在主要由儒家功能论文学观占支配地位的几千年里，借助于教化、资政、证史、载道、致用等“大叙事”，中国古典文学，尤其是作为其核心的诗、文这两种文体，得到上至统治者下至一般读书人的高度重视，不断创造出新的境界。20世纪中国新文艺的几次大发展，也都建立在文艺对现实的深度介入之上。当今，中华民族伟大复兴的历史征程、中国式现代化的时代伟业，作为人类历史上最为宏大而独特的实践创新，也为伟大艺术家与伟大艺术品的出现提供了难得的历史机遇。而把文艺摆在民族复兴的重要位置，认为中华民族的伟大复兴必须以文艺的大发展作为重要基础之一，既体现着中华文明在形成与发展过程中“尚文”的深厚传统，也包含着对中华文明本质特征的理解，以及创造中国现代文明的战略设计。

Guo Shaoyu once proposed: “The most important points in the Confucian view of literature are two: one is esteeming culture, and the other is esteeming utility,” and pointed out that “although these two points seem contradictory, Confucius was able to skillfully reconcile them, and no conflict is ever seen.” [5]5 Xi Jinping Thought on Culture (习近平文化思想) is a component of Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era, formally proposed at the National Conference on Propaganda and Ideological Work in October 2023, emphasizing cultural confidence, openness, and the creative transformation of traditional Chinese culture. In fact, the reason why Confucian scholars elevated the role of literature and art represented by poetry and music to an incomparably lofty status is precisely because they achieve their “utility” through their “culture,” which contains the essence of the Confucian political ideal of “kingly way.” Between “esteeming utility” and “esteeming culture,” “esteeming culture” better represents the uniqueness of the development of Chinese civilization: it turns the process of realizing political “utility” into a process of “culture,” appealing to people’s inner hearts through the education of poetry and music, requiring “transforming people through culture,” and opposing “punishing the people without teaching them.” Confucius, when praising the governance of Emperor Yao, said, “How majestic his achievements! How brilliant his cultural institutions!” and said, “The Zhou dynasty surveyed the two preceding dynasties; how rich and refined its culture is! I follow the Zhou,” [6]6 Xi Jinping, “Speech at the Symposium on Philosophy and Social Sciences,” May 17, 2016. The phrase “Chinese features, Chinese style, and Chinese manner” (中国特色、中国风格、中国气派) is a standard formulation used by the Party to call for an indigenous academic discourse distinct from Western models. reflecting precisely this political ideal. From the perspective of “art for art’s sake,” some might think that assigning literature and art the mission of political, social transformation, and moral construction is an extra burden on literature and art, which would harm its artistic quality. But from the perspective of the development of human civilization and social progress, using the edifying effect of literature and art to transform people’s thinking, raise their moral level, thereby achieving social harmony and promoting the progress of human history, precisely embodies the recognition and respect for human subjectivity and the value of individual existence, representing the direction of human civilization. In the *Speech*, General Secretary Xi Jinping mentioned that our ancestors long ago recognized that

郭绍虞曾提出：“孔门之文学观最重要者有两点，一是尚文，一是尚用”，并指出“此两点虽似矛盾，而孔子却能善为调剂，绝不见其冲突”。实际上，儒家学者之所以要将诗、乐为代表的文艺的作用提高到无以复加的崇高地位加以强调，正是因为它们是通过其“文”而达到其“用”的，其中蕴含的是儒家的“王道”这一政治理想的精髓。在“尚用”与“尚文”之间，“尚文”更能代表中华文明发展的独特性：它把政治之“用”实现的过程，变成一个“文化”的过程，以诗乐教化的方式诉诸人的内心，要求“以文化人”，反对对人民“不教而诛”。孔子称颂尧帝之治时讲“巍巍乎其有成功也，焕乎其有文章”，并说“周监于二代 ，郁郁乎文哉，吾从周”，体现的正是这种政治理想。从“为艺术而艺术”的观点出发，有人或许会认为让文艺承担政治的、社会改造的、道德建设的使命，是加在文艺身上的额外负担，会对文艺的艺术性造成伤害。而从人类文明发展、社会进步的角度看，通过文艺的感化作用去改造人们的思想，提升人们的道德水平，从而达到社会和谐，推动人类历史进步， 恰恰体现着对人的主体性与个体存在价值的承认与尊重，代表着人类文明的方向。习近平总书记在《讲话》中提到，我们的先人早就认识到“远人不服，则修文德以来之”，《在文化传承发展座谈会上的讲话》中指出中华文明具有突出的和平性，这些都指向了中华文明“尚文”的传统。反复强调这一点，表明中国在现代化过程中所走的是一条物质文明与精神文明相协调的道路、一条和平崛起之路。

The tradition of "esteeming culture" [4]4 "Esteeming culture" (尚文) refers to a traditional Chinese value that prioritizes cultural refinement, literary achievement, and artistic excellence as markers of a civilized society. also contains another perspective for understanding literature and art: that is, to regard the continuation of the Chinese nation's cultural lineage and the flourishing of literature and art themselves as important indicators of social civilization and progress, and to use the style of a great nation's literature and art to enhance the international influence of the Chinese nation. The *Speech* holds that outstanding literary and artistic works reflect a country's and a nation's capacity and level of cultural creation, and that China's successive generations of brilliant literary and artistic masters and vast array of exquisite literary and artistic works have not only provided rich nourishment for the Chinese nation but also contributed splendid chapters to world civilization. Furthermore, when the *Speech* mentions that realizing the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation requires the flourishing and prosperity of literature and art, it is not merely emphasizing the "utilitarian" aspect of literature and art; it also implies that the hallmark of the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation includes, in addition to the immense abundance of material civilization, the great development of culture and the great flourishing of literature and art. This approach, which places equal emphasis on cultural-ethical progress and material civilization, is precisely an important characteristic of Chinese-path modernization.

“尚文”传统还包含另外一种理解文艺的视角，那就是把对中华民族文脉的赓续、文艺的繁荣本身看成社会文明进步的重要指标，用大国文艺风范增强中华民族的国际影响力。《讲话》认为优秀文艺作品反映着一个国家、一个民族的文化创造能力和水平，认为中国历代灿若星辰的文艺大师和浩如烟海的文艺精品，不仅为中华民族提供了丰厚滋养，而且为世界文明贡献了华彩篇章。而当《讲话》提到实现中华民族伟大复兴需要文艺的繁荣兴盛时，也不仅仅是在强调文艺“用”的层面，同时也意味着中华民族伟大复兴的标志，除了物质文明的极大丰富外，还包括文化的大发展、文艺的大繁荣。这种精神文明与物质文明并重的思路，正是中国式现代化的重要表征。

After the *Speech*, the development of the literary and artistic enterprise was placed in a more important position within the work of the Party and the state, receiving greater attention. To fully implement the spirit of the *Speech*, on September 11, 2015, the Political Bureau of the Party Central Committee deliberated and approved the *Opinions on Flourishing and Developing Socialist Literature and Art*, emphasizing the need to fully understand the important role of literary and artistic work and proposing 25 specific measures for the flourishing and development of the literary and artistic enterprise in a targeted manner. In addition, the General Office of the State Council issued *Several Policies on Supporting the Inheritance and Development of Traditional Opera*, and the Propaganda Department of the CPC Central Committee, along with other departments, formulated the *Plan for the Chinese Contemporary Literature and Art Creation Project (2017–2021)* and the *Guiding Opinions on Strengthening Literary and Art Criticism in the New Era*. Based on these opinions and plans, various provinces, municipalities, as well as the China Federation of Literary and Art Circles, the China Writers Association, and the National Radio and Television Administration, introduced a series of new measures to flourish and develop the literary and artistic enterprise, providing a solid guarantee for the production of high-quality literary and artistic works.

《讲话》之后，文艺事业的发展被摆在了党和国家工作的更加重要的位置上，得到了更高的重视。为全面贯彻《讲话》精神，2015年9月11日，中共中央政治局审议通过《关于繁荣发展社会主义文艺的意见》，强调要充分认识文艺工作的重要作用，有针对性地提出了25条文艺事业繁荣发展的具体措施。此外，国务院办公厅印发了《关于支持戏曲传承发展的若干政策》，中共中央宣传部等部门制订了《中国当代文学艺术创作工程规划(2017—2021年)》《关于加强新时代文艺评论工作的指导意见》，各省市以及中国文联、中国作协、国家广播电视总局等部门则根据这些意见与规划，推出了一系列繁荣发展文艺事业的新举措，为文艺精品的生产提供了坚实的保障。

IV. The *Speech* Occupies a Pivotal Position in the Formation Process of Xi Jinping Thought on Culture

四、《讲话》在习近平文化思想形成过程中有举足轻重的地位

In his speech at the ceremony marking the centenary of the founding of the Communist Party of China, General Secretary Xi Jinping put forward the proposition of "persisting in integrating the basic tenets of Marxism with China's specific realities and with the best of traditional Chinese culture," and in many subsequent important speeches, he made incisive expositions on the great significance of the Two Integrations, especially the Second Integration, for Chinese-path modernization and the building of a modern civilization of the Chinese nation. The National Conference on Publicity, Ideology, and Culture Work held in Beijing in October 2023 pointed out that General Secretary Xi Jinping's new ideas, new viewpoints, and new conclusions on cultural construction in the New Era constitute the cultural chapter of Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era, forming Xi Jinping Thought on Culture.

在庆祝中国共产党成立100 周年大会上发表的讲话中，习近平总书记提出“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”的主张，并在之后的许多重要讲话中对“两个结合”，特别是“第二个结合”对于中国式现代化、中华民族现代文明建设的重大意义作出了精辟论述。2023年10月在北京召开的全国宣传思想文化工作会议指出，习近平总书记在新时代文化建设方面的新思想新观点新论断，构成了习近平新时代中国特色社会主义思想的文化篇，形成了习近平文化思想。

Revisiting the *Speech*, we find that many important topics in Xi Jinping Thought on Culture had already been touched upon in this document. Before the 2023 National Conference on Propaganda, Ideology and Cultural Work was convened, General Secretary Xi Jinping issued important instructions, discussing seven "focal points" for propaganda, ideology and cultural work, namely: "focus on strengthening Party leadership over propaganda, ideology and cultural work; focus on building a socialist ideology with strong cohesion and leading power; focus on fostering and practicing the core socialist values; focus on enhancing the communication, guidance, influence and credibility of news and public opinion; focus on continuing the Chinese cultural lineage and promoting the creative transformation and innovative development of fine traditional Chinese culture; focus on promoting the flourishing development of cultural undertakings and cultural industries; and focus on strengthening international communication capacity and promoting exchanges and mutual learning among civilizations." Apart from the fourth point, which concerns news work, the other six "focal points" were discussed in the *Speech* as important issues related to literature and art work. It can be said that the *Speech* is an early document that relatively systematically and comprehensively embodies Xi Jinping Thought on Culture.

重温《讲话》，我们发现习近平文化思想中的许多重要论题在这篇文献中已经涉及。2023年全国宣传思想文化工作会议召开前，习近平总书记作出重要指示，谈到宣传思想文化工作的七个“着力点”，即“着力加强党对宣传思想文化工作的领导，着力建设具有强大凝聚力和引领力的社会主义意识形态，着力培育和践行社会主义核心价值观，着力提升新闻舆论传播力引导力影响力公信力，着力赓续中华文脉、推动中华优秀传统文化创造性转化和创新性发展，着力推动文化事业和文化产业繁荣发展，着力加强国际传播能力建设、促进文明交流互鉴”，除谈新闻工作的第四点外，其他六个“着力点”在《讲话》中都作为与文艺工作相关的重要问题进行了论述。可以说，《讲话》是一篇较早地、较为系统全面地体现习近平文化思想的文献。

First, the *Speech*'s discussion of cultural issues shows both subtle differences from and mutual echoes with General

首先，《讲话》对文化问题的论述，与习近平总书记之前、之后的相关论述既有细微的差别，也有相互的呼应，可以从中看出习近平文化思想形成与发展的一些轨迹。

For instance, in the *Speech*, General Secretary Xi Jinping summarised the fine traditional Chinese culture, holding that in terms of ideological concepts it includes esteeming benevolence, valuing the people, keeping good faith, stressing dialectics, advocating harmony, and seeking great unity; in terms of moral norms it includes ceaseless self-improvement, being devoted to one's work and enjoying the company of others, upholding justice and promoting goodness, helping the distressed and aiding those in peril, acting courageously for a just cause, and being filial to the elderly and loving to one's kin. The *Speech* also discusses the aspect of Chinese culture that "values good faith, good-neighbourliness, and kindness towards neighbours," pointing out that "throughout the ages, the reason why the Chinese nation has had status and influence in the world is not through militaristic aggression or external expansion, but through the strong appeal and attraction of Chinese culture." These contents represent another instance, following the speech at the symposium with teachers and students of Peking University on Youth Day 2014 and the speech at the opening ceremony of the International Symposium Commemorating the 2565th Anniversary of Confucius' Birth and the Fifth Congress of the International Confucian Association on 24 September 2014, where General Secretary Xi Jinping elaborated on the specific connotations of fine traditional Chinese culture. Compared with the previous two speeches, the analysis in this *Speech* not only adopts a different perspective but is also more comprehensive and concise. Comparing the relevant content in the *Speech* with the 10 groups of 20 elements mentioned by General Secretary Xi Jinping when he meticulously sorted and systematically summarised fine traditional Chinese culture at the Forum on Cultural Heritage and Development in June 2023 reveals a clear thematic continuity. Furthermore, the *Speech* also precisely summarises the spirit of Chinese aesthetics from the perspective of aesthetic culture, specifically addressing literary and artistic issues, holding that it includes advocating expressing aspirations through objects and embedding reason in emotion, advocating conciseness and restraint, and advocating the unity of form and spirit and profound artistic conception. These summaries and generalisations play a positive role in guiding contemporary literary and artistic creation to seek a path of integration with fine traditional Chinese culture from the more intrinsic levels of artistic style and aesthetic spirit. At the same time, they provide an important perspective for us today, standing at the new height of building the modern civilisation of the Chinese nation, to deeply understand the breadth and profundity of Chinese culture, grasp the outstanding characteristics of Chinese civilisation, and further enhance cultural confidence.

比如，在《讲话》中，习近平总书记对中华优秀传统文化进行了归纳，认为其在思想理念方面包括崇仁爱、重民本、守诚信、讲辩证、尚和合、求大同；在道德规范方面包括自强不息、敬业乐群、扶正扬善、扶危济困、见义勇为、孝老爱亲。《讲话》还谈到中华文化“讲信修睦、亲仁善邻”的一面，指出“古往今来，中华民族之所以在世界有地位、有影响，不是靠穷兵黩武，不是靠对外扩张，而是靠中华文化的强大感召力和吸引力”。这些内容，是继2014年五四青年节在北京大学师生座谈会上的讲话、2014年9月24日在纪念孔子诞辰2565周年国际学术研讨会暨国际儒学联合会第五届会员大会开幕会上的讲话之后，习近平总书记又一次就中华优秀传统文化的具体内涵进行阐述。相对于前两次讲话，这次讲话所作的分析不仅角度有所不同，而且也更全面，更精练。把《讲话》中的相关内容与习近平总书记在2023年6月文化传承发展座谈会上对中华优秀传统文化进行细致梳理与系统总结时提到的10组20个元素进行比对，可以看到主题上明显的承继关系。另外，《讲话》还针对文艺问题，从审美文化的角度对中华美学精神进行了精准的概括，认为它包括讲求托物言志、寓理于情，讲求言简意赅、凝练节制，讲求形神兼备、意境深远等内容。这些概括总结，对于引导当代文艺创作从艺术风格与美学精神这些更为内在的层面寻求与中华优秀传统文化相结合的路径起到积极作用，同时也为我们今天站在建设中华民族现代文明的新高度，深入理解中国文化的博大精深，把握中华文明的突出特性，进一步增强文化自信，提供了一个重要视角。

For another example, in the *Speech*, General Secretary Xi Jinping stated, "In the course of thousands of years of historical change, the Chinese nation has never had smooth sailing and has encountered countless hardships and difficulties, but we have all endured and come through them. One very important reason is that generations of Chinese sons and daughters have cultivated and developed a unique, broad, and profound Chinese culture, which has provided a strong spiritual support for the Chinese nation to overcome difficulties and thrive endlessly." This discussion actually already touches upon the issue of the cultural subjectivity of Chinese civilisation and has a strong intertextual relationship with General Secretary Xi Jinping's discussion at the Forum on Cultural Heritage and Development regarding the cultural subjectivity and vigorous vitality of Chinese civilisation in its capacity for self-development, responding to challenges, and creating new prospects.

再比如，在《讲话》中，习近平总书记谈到，“在几千年的历史流变中，中华民族从来不是一帆风顺的，遇到了无数艰难困苦，但我们都挺过来、走过来了，其中一个很重要的原因就是世世代代的中华儿女培育和发展了独具特色、博大精深的中华文化，为中华民族克服困难、生生不息提供了强大精神支撑。”这段论述，实际上已经涉及中华文明的文化主体性问题，与文化传承发展座谈会上习近平总书记关于中华文明具有自我发展、回应挑战、开创新局的文化主体性与旺盛生命力的论述，具有很强的互文性。

Secondly, the *Speech* requires the integration of contemporary literary and artistic creation with fine traditional Chinese culture, which is highly consistent in logic with the idea of "the Second Integration" proposed later; there is a very intrinsic connection between the two.

其次，《讲话》要求将当代文艺创作与中华优秀传统文化相结合，这与之后提出的“第二个结合”的思想在逻辑上高度一致，二者之间有着十分内在的联系。

The relationship between literature and art and culture is a key focus of the *Speech*. On the one hand, the *Speech* points out that an important path to artistic success in contemporary literary and artistic creation is to open up connections with the long-standing national historical and cultural traditions, allowing the bloodline of fine traditional culture to infuse the works. On the other hand, the *Speech* also regards "adhering to the stance of Chinese culture, inheriting the genes of Chinese culture, and displaying the aesthetic style of China" as the inescapable cultural mission of contemporary literary and art workers, requiring literary and artistic creation to "inherit and promote fine traditional Chinese culture in light of the new conditions of the times." In the history of the Sinicisation of Marxist literary theory, this idea has a very prominent novelty.

文艺与文化的关系是《讲话》论述的重点内容。一方面，《讲话》指出当代文艺创作在艺术上成功的一条重要路径是打通与源远流长的民族历史文化传统的联系，让优秀传统文化的血脉灌注到作品中；另一方面，《讲话》也把“坚守中华文化立场、传承中华文化基因，展现中华审美风范”当成当代文艺工作者义不容辞的文化使命，要求文艺创作“结合新的时代条件传承和弘扬中华优秀传统文化”。在马克思主义文艺理论中国化发展史上，这一思想具有很突出的新意。

Literature and art are an important aspect of culture; a profound traditional cultural heritage can endow a literary or artistic work with unique artistic charm. However, modern Chinese literature and art, born in the New Culture Movement of the early 20th century and represented by vernacular literature, adopted a fiercely critical attitude towards their own national traditional culture at their starting point due to the need to oppose feudalism, creating a clear rupture between "new literature and art" and traditional Chinese culture. Although modern Chinese literature and art later raised the issue of drawing on and absorbing fine traditional Chinese culture during their development, the focus was mostly on literary and artistic forms, especially folk art forms, and the main basis for the argument was to promote the development of literature and art themselves. At the same time, a critical examination of traditional culture has been an important motif running through a century of literary and artistic creation. After the founding of New China, the speeches of Party and state leaders on literary and art work gradually changed their evaluation of traditional culture. Especially after entering the 21st century, Comrade Hu Jintao's *Speech at the Eighth National Congress of the China Federation of Literary and Art Circles and the Seventh National Congress of the China Writers Association* had already clearly stated that "the excellent culture of the Chinese nation, which has thrived and continued unbroken for generations, is a powerful spiritual force for our people to overcome difficulties and dangers, defeat internal and external troubles, and create a happy life over thousands of years." However, it was only in General Secretary Xi Jinping's *Speech* that the mission of contemporary literature and art to continue and promote fine traditional Chinese culture was clearly proposed and emphatically discussed. In subsequent important speeches by General Secretary Xi Jinping on literary and art work, this view has been further developed.

文艺是文化的一个重要方面，深厚的传统文化底蕴能够让一部文艺作品具有独特的艺术魅力。然而，诞生于20世纪初期新文化运动中、以白话文学为代表的中国现代文艺，出于反封建的需要，在其起点上便对自己民族的传统文化采取了激烈批判的态度，使“新文艺”与中华传统文化之间出现了明显的断裂。尽管之后中国的现代文艺在发展过程中也提出过借鉴与吸收中华优秀传统文化的问题，但其着眼点大多在文艺形式特别是民间文艺形式方面，立论的主要支点是借此促进文艺自身的发展。与此同时，对传统文化的批判性审视，一直是百年来文艺创作延续着的重要母题。新中国成立后党和国家领导人关于文艺工作的讲话，虽然对传统文化的评价逐渐发生变化，尤其是进入21世纪之后，胡锦涛同志《在中国文联第八次全国代表大会、中国作协第七次全国代表大会上的讲话》已经明确提出“中华民族的优秀文化，生生不息，绵延不绝，是我国人民几千年来克服艰难险阻、战胜内忧外患、创造幸福生活的强大精神力量”，但让当代文艺承担赓续、弘扬中华优秀传统文化的使命，却是到了习近平总书记的《讲话》中，才明确提出并重点加以论述的。在之后习近平总书记关于文艺工作的其他一些重要讲话中，这一观点得到了进一步展开。

Emphasising the integration of contemporary literary and artistic creation with fine traditional Chinese culture—on the one hand, providing historical and cultural depth for the flourishing development of contemporary literature and art through integration, and on the other hand, disseminating fine traditional Chinese culture through literary and artistic works and carrying forward and enhancing fine traditional Chinese culture—this idea is highly consistent in logic with the idea, first proposed by General Secretary Xi Jinping at the celebration of the 100th anniversary of the founding

强调将当代文艺创作与中华优秀传统文化相结合，一方面在结合中为当代文艺的繁荣发展提供历史与文化的底蕴，另一方面借文艺作品传播中华优秀传统文化，发扬光大中华优秀传统文化，这一思想与习近平总书记在庆祝中国共产党成立100周年大会上首次提出，之后逐渐展开的将马克思主义基本原理同中华优秀传统文化相结合，使马克思主义与中华优秀传统文化相互成就的思想，在逻辑上高度一致。从让当代文艺与中华优秀传统文化在结合中相互受益，到让马克思主义与中华优秀传统文化在结合中相互成就，二者之间实际上有着内在联系，而其共同的逻辑前提则是一种新的传统文化观。

Finally, the *Speech* attaches great importance to the role of literature and art in international cultural dissemination, and its relevant discussions centrally embody the thought in Xi Jinping Thought on Culture concerning strengthening the capacity for international communication and promoting exchanges and mutual learning among civilizations.

最后，《讲话》对文艺在国际文化传播中的作用高度重视，相关论述集中体现了习近平文化思想中关于加强国际传播能力建设、促进文明交流互鉴的思想。

Emphasizing the enhancement of Chinese culture’s international influence through strengthening its international dissemination, thereby raising the country’s soft power, is an important aspect of Xi Jinping’s cultural thought. In 2021, when presiding over the 30th group study session of the 19th CPC Central Committee Political Bureau, General Secretary Xi Jinping pointed out that “we must better promote Chinese culture going global, using culture to convey truth, transmit voices, and transform people, explaining and recommending to the world more outstanding culture that embodies Chinese characteristics, reflects the Chinese spirit, and contains Chinese wisdom,” and made “telling the Chinese story well, spreading the Chinese voice well, and presenting a true, multi-dimensional, and comprehensive China” an important task for strengthening China’s international communication capacity-building. Seven years earlier, in the *Speech*, this thought of General Secretary Xi Jinping had already taken shape. The *Speech* required literary and art workers to tell the Chinese story well, spread the Chinese voice well, elucidate the Chinese spirit, and display the Chinese style and features, so that foreign nationals could deepen their understanding of China and increase their knowledge of China through appreciating the works of Chinese artists. The *Speech* particularly pointed out that literature and art are a world language, most easily enabling mutual understanding and heart-to-heart communication among people from different cultural backgrounds. In shaping a national image and in the international dissemination of culture, literary and artistic works have greater advantages than press releases, official introductions, or foreign nationals coming to China to learn firsthand. The *Speech* pointed out that outstanding literary and artistic works reflect a country’s and a nation’s cultural creativity and level; the artistic masters a nation possesses and the great works it produces are concrete manifestations of a nation’s degree of civilization and international influence, emphasizing that to promote Chinese culture going global, there must be good literary and artistic works.

强调通过加强文化的国际传播，增强中华文化在国际上的影响力，进而提高国家的软实力，是习近平文化思想的一个重要方面。2021年，习近平总书记在主持十九届中共中央政治局第三十次集体学习时指出，“要更好推动中华文化走出去，以文载道、以文传声、以文化人，向世界阐释推介更多具有中国特色、体现中国精神、蕴藏中国智慧的优秀文化”，并把“讲好中国故事，传播好中国声音，展示真实、立体、全面的中国”作为加强我国国际传播能力建设的重要任务。而在七年前的《讲话》中，习近平总书记的这一思想已经形成。《讲话》要求文艺工作者要讲好中国故事、传播好中国声音、阐发中国精神、展现中国风貌，让外国民众通过欣赏中国艺术家的作品来深化对中国的认识、增进对中国的了解。《讲话》特别指出，文艺是世界语言，最容易让不同文化背景的人相互理解、沟通心灵，在国家形象塑造与文化的国际传播方面，文艺作品比新闻发布、官方介绍或者外国民众来中国亲自了解具有更大的优势。《讲话》指出，优秀文艺作品反映着一个国家、一个民族的文化创造能力和水平，一个民族拥有的艺术大师，以及所产生的伟大作品，是一个民族的文明程度与国际影响力的具体体现，强调推动中华文化走出去，必须有好的文艺作品。

From this it can be seen that the *Speech* is not only an important component of Xi

由此可以看出，《讲话》不仅是习近平文化思想的重要组成部分，而且是其形成过程中的一个重要节点。

Conclusion

结语

Ten years ago, when the *Speech* was first published, people immediately linked this document with Comrade Mao Zedong’s *Talks at the Yan’an Forum on Literature and Art*. Today, ten years later, we can more deeply recognize the epoch-making significance of the *Speech* in the history of the Sinicization of Marxist literary and art theory. On the one hand, under the direct influence of the *Speech*, contemporary Chinese literature and art have completed another conceptual renewal: a new batch of artistic images has been created, and a new aesthetic style is taking shape. On the other hand, the enormous impact of the new round of scientific and technological revolution and industrial transformation on literary and artistic creation, reception, and dissemination, as well as how literature and art can play their role in promoting exchanges and mutual learning among different civilizations, are new challenges and new problems facing human society in the 21st century, to which contemporary Marxist literary and art theory must respond. In view of this, the Chinese thought, Chinese wisdom, and Chinese solutions provided by the *Speech* constitute an important contribution made by Chinese Communists to the development of Marxism in the 21st century.

十年前，《讲话》甫一发表，人们便将这篇文献与毛泽东同志的《在延安文艺座谈会上的讲话》联系起来。十年后的今天，我们能够更加深刻地认识到《讲话》在马克思主义文艺理论中国化发展史上所具有的划时代意义。一方面，在《讲话》的直接影响下，中国当代文艺完成了又一次观念更新，一批新的艺术形象被创造出来，一种新的美学风格正在形成。另一方面，新一轮科技革命和产业变革给文艺创作、接受与传播带来的巨大影响，文艺如何在促进不同文明交流互鉴中发挥自己的作用等，也是21世纪以来人类社会面临的新挑战、新问题，当代马克思主义文艺理论必须对此作出回应。有鉴于此，《讲话》所提供的中国思想、中国智慧与中国方案，是中国共产党人对马克思主义在21世纪的发展所作出的重要贡献。

In May 2016, General Secretary Xi Jinping delivered an important speech at the Symposium on Philosophy and Social Sciences, calling on philosophy and social science workers to “uphold the guiding role of Marxism in China’s philosophy and social sciences” and to “strive to construct a philosophy and social sciences with Chinese characteristics, fully embodying Chinese features, Chinese style, and Chinese manner in terms of guiding ideology, disciplinary system, academic system, and discourse system.” [6]6 Xi Jinping, “Speech at the Symposium on Philosophy and Social Sciences,” May 17, 2016. The phrase “Chinese features, Chinese style, and Chinese manner” (中国特色、中国风格、中国气派) is a standard formulation used by the Party to call for an indigenous academic discourse distinct from Western models. With its theoretical originality, firmness of principle, timeliness of content, and vividness of language, the *Speech* provides theoretical support and practical guidance for the development of China’s literary and art work and the flourishing of cultural undertakings, setting an example for the theoretical construction of philosophy and social sciences with Chinese characteristics. In the process of studying and implementing the spirit of the *Speech*, scholars’ theoretical subject consciousness, built on cultural confidence and cultural self-awareness, has generally been strengthened, and they have gained stronger spiritual independence in international dialogue and exchange. The reason classics can become classics is that their textual meaning is open, continuously offering new insights to people as the times develop. As time passes, the document *Speech at the Forum on Literature and Art Work* will radiate ever more dazzling brilliance.

2016年5月，习近平总书记在哲学社会科学工作座谈会上发表重要讲话，要求哲学社会科学工作者“坚持马克思主义在我国哲学社会科学领域的指导地位”，“着力构建中国特色哲学社会科学，在指导思想、学科体系、学术体系、话语体系等方面充分体现中国特色、中国风格、中国气派”。《讲话》以其理论的原创性、原则的坚定性、内容的时代性、语言的生动性，为我国文艺工作的开展与文化事业的繁荣提供了理论上的支撑与实践上的指引，为中国特色哲学社会科学的理论建构作出了表率。在学习贯彻《讲话》精神的过程中，学者们建立在文化自信、文化自觉基础上的理论主体意识普遍增强，在国际对话交流中具有了更强的精神独立性。经典之所以能成为经典，就是因为其文本意义是开放的，会随着时代的发展不断给人们提供新的启示。随着时间的推移，《在文艺工作座谈会上的讲话》这篇文献将会焕发出愈来愈夺目的光彩。

(Author: Hong Jun, Professor at the Center for Literary Theory and Aesthetics, Shandong University)

（作者：泓峻，山东大学文艺美学研究中心教授）

Online Editor: You Heng

网络编辑：有恒