The Basic Dimensions of Constructing an Autonomous Chinese Philosophical Knowledge System

Constructing an autonomous Chinese philosophical knowledge system is both a major theoretical issue currently facing philosophical research in our country and a major practical issue directly related to our country’s social development and the future development of Chinese civilization. Therefore, the problem of constructing an autonomous philosophical knowledge system must be understood from the three dimensions of the theoretical process of contemporary Chinese philosophical research, the practical process of socialism with Chinese characteristics, and the historical process of the continuous development of Chinese civilization.

建构中国自主的哲学知识体系，既是当前我国哲学研究所面临的一个重大理论问题，又是直接关系到我国社会发展以及中华文明未来发展的一个重大现实问题。因此，必须从当代中国哲学研究的理论进程、中国特色社会主义的实践进程以及中华文明赓续发展的历史进程的三重维度来理解自主的哲学知识体系建构问题。

The Theoretical Dimension of Constructing an Autonomous Chinese Philosophical Knowledge System

建构中国自主的哲学知识体系的理论维度

Philosophical theory externally manifests as a system of thought or knowledge composed of a series of concepts and propositions, while deeply embodying a unique philosophical conception and mode of thinking. The emergence of a new philosophical theory must be the result of changes in philosophical conception and mode of thinking. Therefore, constructing an autonomous Chinese philosophical knowledge system must be based on the process of conceptual change and theoretical innovation in contemporary Chinese philosophy.

哲学理论外在地表现为由一系列概念、命题构成的思想体系或知识体系，深层地体现着一种独特的哲学观念和思维方式，而新的哲学理论的产生必定是哲学观念和思维方式变革的结果。因此，建构中国自主的哲学知识体系，必须立足于当代中国哲学的观念变革和理论创新进程。

In the short span of just over 40 years since reform and opening up, philosophical research in our country has traversed a magnificent intellectual journey of ideological emancipation and theoretical innovation. It has broken free from the ideological shackles of dogmatism, achieved its own ideological emancipation, formed a global academic perspective and problem consciousness, and clarified the tasks of philosophical research and the direction of philosophical development. Contemporary Chinese philosophy first broke free from the ideological shackles of dogmatism in the field of research on Marxist philosophy. Through focused discussions on the object, content, spiritual essence, and theoretical system of Marxist philosophy, it clarified the core position of the concept of practice and the viewpoint of practice within Marxist philosophy, and attempted to construct a Marxist philosophical system around the core category of practice. Through in-depth exploration of a series of fundamental theoretical issues, such as the problem of the conception of philosophy, the problem of historical materialism, and the problem of constructing Marxist political philosophy, it continuously advanced the contemporary innovative development of Marxist philosophy. It is particularly important to emphasize that the academic issue of “integrating Chinese, Western, and Marxist philosophies to construct an autonomous contemporary Chinese philosophical knowledge system” was first raised precisely from the perspective of adapting Marxism to the Chinese context and the needs of the times. For the development of contemporary Chinese philosophy, the conceptual change and theoretical innovation in the field of Marxist philosophical research are of fundamental significance. They enabled philosophical research in our country to quickly emerge from a state of “apprenticeship” and, with a high degree of cultural consciousness and deep cultural confidence, turn toward an autonomous and conscious path of theoretical innovation. Currently, we have an increasingly clear understanding of the goals and direction of the development of contemporary Chinese philosophy, the mission it undertakes, the core problems it must solve, and the difficulties that exist. The global influence of Chinese philosophy is also growing. From the perspective of theoretical preparation and academic accumulation, we already possess the basic conditions for constructing an autonomous and original contemporary Chinese philosophical knowledge system.

改革开放以来短短40多年的时间，我国的哲学研究走过了一个波澜壮阔的思想解放和理论创新的心路历程，破除了教条主义的思想束缚、实现了自身的思想解放，形成了世界性的学术视野和问题意识，明确了哲学研究的任务和哲学发展的方向。当代中国哲学率先在马克思主义哲学研究领域中破除了教条主义的思想束缚，通过集中讨论马克思主义哲学的对象内容、精神实质与理论体系等问题，明确了实践概念和实践观点在马克思主义哲学中的核心地位，并尝试围绕实践这一核心范畴构建马克思主义哲学体系；又通过对哲学观问题、历史唯物主义问题、马克思主义政治哲学建构问题等一系列基本理论问题的深入探讨，不断推进马克思主义哲学的当代创新发展。尤其需要强调的是，“会通‘中西马’、建构当代中国自主的哲学知识体系”这一学术问题，最先也是在马克思主义哲学中国化时代化的视域中提出的。对于当代中国哲学的发展而言，马克思主义哲学研究领域的哲学观念变革和理论创新具有根本性意义，它使我国的哲学研究尽快走出了“学徒”状态，以高度的文化自觉、深沉的文化自信转向了自主自觉的理论创新道路。当前，我们对于当代中国哲学发展的目标方向、所承担的使命、要解决的核心问题以及存在的困难等都有了日益清晰的认识，中国哲学的世界影响力也越来越大。从理论准备和学术积累的角度看，我们已经具备了建构具有主体性和原创性的当代中国自主的哲学知识体系的基本条件。

The Practical Dimension of Constructing an Autonomous Chinese Philosophical Knowledge System

建构中国自主的哲学知识体系的实践维度

Philosophy is the “essence of the spirit of the times.” As the theoretical representation of existing reality, philosophy is internally generated within the practical process of social and historical development. Marx fundamentally overcame the Western philosophical tradition in which theory takes precedence over practice, setting “changing the world” as the core problem and fundamental purpose of philosophy, thereby realizing the “practical turn” in the history of philosophy. For modern philosophy and the future development of philosophy, the internal unity of theory and practice is a basic premise. In the practical dimension, the great practice of socialism with Chinese characteristics provides a solid and innovative empirical foundation for constructing an autonomous contemporary Chinese philosophical knowledge system. Elevating these practical experiences into thought and theory is an inherent requirement of constructing an autonomous contemporary Chinese philosophical knowledge system.

哲学是“时代精神的精华”。哲学作为现实存在的理论表征，内在地生成于社会历史发展的实践进程中。马克思从根本上克服了理论优先于实践的西方哲学传统，把“改变世界”设定为哲学的核心问题和根本旨趣，实现了哲学史上的“实践转向”。对于现代哲学以及哲学的未来发展而言，理论和实践的内在统一是一个基本前提。在实践维度上，中国特色社会主义伟大实践为建构当代中国自主的哲学知识体系提供了坚实的创新性的经验基础，把这些实践经验提升为思想理论是建构当代中国自主的哲学知识体系的题中应有之义。

Since the founding of the People’s Republic of China, and especially since reform and opening up, the Communist Party of China has led the people to create the “two miracles” of rapid economic development and long-term social stability rarely seen in the world, successfully opening up the path of Chinese-path modernization. Since socialism with Chinese characteristics entered the New Era, our Party and country, on the basis of completing the building of a moderately prosperous society in all respects, have embarked on a new journey of comprehensively building a modern socialist country. The social development practice of contemporary China is an unprecedented and unique historical creation. It has opened up the Chinese path, formed Chinese experience, shaped a new Chinese image, and also provided a realistic empirical foundation for philosophical theoretical innovation. Building a system of philosophy and social sciences with Chinese characteristics, Chinese style, and Chinese manner means “extracting new theories with academic rationality and summarizing new practices with regularity” from the social practice of contemporary China, comprehensively advancing the construction and innovation of the disciplinary system, academic system, and discourse system, so that our philosophy and social sciences can truly stand tall among the world’s academic forests.

新中国成立以来，特别是改革开放以来，中国共产党领导人民创造了世所罕见的经济快速发展和社会长期稳定“两大奇迹”，成功开辟了中国式现代化道路。中国特色社会主义进入新时代以来，我们党和国家又在全面建成小康社会的基础上，开启了全面建设社会主义现代化国家新征程。当代中国的社会发展实践，是史无前例、独一无二的历史创造，开辟了中国道路，形成了中国经验，塑造了新的中国形象，也为哲学理论创新提供了现实的经验基础。建设具有中国特色、中国风格、中国气派的哲学社会科学体系就是要从当代中国的社会实践中“提炼出有学理性的新理论，概括出有规律性的新实践”，全面推进学科体系、学术体系、话语体系建设和创新，使我们的哲学社会科学真正屹立于世界学术之林。

The Civilizational Dimension of Constructing an Autonomous Chinese Philosophical Knowledge System

建构中国自主的哲学知识体系的文明维度

Philosophy is the “living soul of civilization.” The essence of civilization lies in the enrichment and elevation of human nature. As one of the “axial civilizations,” [1]1 “Axial civilizations” refers to the concept of the “Axial Age” (c. 800–200 BCE) proposed by Karl Jaspers, during which foundational philosophical and religious systems emerged independently in several regions, including China (Confucianism and Daoism), India, and Greece. Chinese civilization expresses the unique life experience, cultural consciousness, and spiritual pursuit of the Chinese nation with its distinctive individuality. The construction of an autonomous contemporary Chinese philosophical knowledge system is deeply rooted in the continuous development of Chinese civilization. The core task of constructing an autonomous Chinese philosophical knowledge system is to condense the “living soul” for the new form of human civilization, [2]2 “New form of human civilization” is a term used in official Chinese discourse to describe the model of civilization that Chinese-path modernization is said to represent, distinct from both capitalist modernity and traditional socialist models. presenting the new picture of Chinese-path modernization.

哲学是“文明的活的灵魂”。文明的实质在于人性的丰富和提升。作为“轴心文明”之一，中华文明以鲜明的个性表达了中华民族独特的生命体验、文化自觉与精神追求。当代中国自主的哲学知识体系建构深深植根于中华文明的赓续发展之中。建构中国自主的哲学知识体系的核心任务就是为人类文明新形态凝练其“活的灵魂”，展现出中国式现代化的崭新图景。

Chinese civilization is extensive, profound, and has a long history. It possesses the prominent characteristics of “continuity,” “innovativeness,” “unity,” “inclusiveness,” and “peacefulness.” [3]3 These five characteristics of Chinese civilization were highlighted by Xi Jinping in a speech at a symposium on cultural inheritance and development in June 2023. Compared with the Western modern civilization dominated by capitalism, the unique advantages of Chinese civilization are also very obvious. What it pursues is not external material wealth and the expansion of individual desires, but the perfection of moral character and the elevation of spiritual realm, and the harmonious development of the individual, family, society, state, and even the entire world as an integrated whole. At present, the development of human society has arrived at a new juncture of civilizational transformation. The predicament of Western modern civilization and the advantages of Chinese civilization are both becoming increasingly apparent. In the future development of human civilization, Chinese civilization will inevitably contribute more and more cultural resources, practical wisdom, and spiritual strength. Constructing an autonomous Chinese philosophical knowledge system must deeply grasp the basic characteristics and unique advantages of Chinese civilization, deeply advance the combination of the basic principles of Marxism with China’s specific realities and with the best of traditional Chinese culture, [4]4 This refers to the “Two Integrations,” a key theoretical formulation by Xi Jinping: the integration of Marxism’s basic principles with China’s specific realities, and with the best of traditional Chinese culture. and on this basis, grasp the development direction of Chinese civilization and the whole of human civilization.

中华文明源远流长、博大精深，具有“连续性”“创新性”“统一性”“包容性”“和平性”的突出特性，与资本主义所主导的西方现代文明相比，中华文明的独特优势也是非常明显的，它所追求的不是外在的物质财富和个人欲望的扩张，而是道德人格的完善和精神境界的提升，是个人、家庭、社会、国家乃至天下的一体和谐发展。当前人类社会发展又到了一个文明转型的新关口，西方现代文明的困境以及中华文明的优势都越来越明显地表现出来。在人类文明的未来发展过程中，中华文明必将贡献越来越多的文化资源、实践智慧和精神力量。建构中国自主的哲学知识体系必须深刻把握中华文明的基本特性和独特优势，深入推进马克思主义基本原理同中国具体实际、同中华优秀传统文化相结合，并在此基础上把握中华文明以及整个人类文明的发展方向。

In summary, only by truly grasping the theoretical, practical, and civilizational dimensions of constructing an autonomous Chinese philosophical knowledge system can we truly construct a contemporary Chinese philosophy with subjectivity and originality, thereby laying the theoretical and intellectual foundation for comprehensively advancing the building of a strong country and the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation through Chinese-path modernization.

总之，只有真正把握好建构中国自主的哲学知识体系的理论维度、实践维度和文明维度，才能真正建构起具有主体性和原创性的当代中国哲学，为以中国式现代化全面推进强国建设、民族复兴伟业奠定理论智慧基础。

(The author is a professor at the Faculty of Marxism, Northeast Normal University)

（作者系东北师范大学马克思主义学部教授）

Online Editor: Zhang Jian

网络编辑：张剑