Understanding the Traits of the Modern Civilization of the Chinese Nation from the Perspective of the “Second Integration”

Over the past century and more, every manifestation of the integration of the fundamental tenets of Marxism with China’s specific realities has borne Chinese characteristics and been applied in accordance with Chinese features, and has been expressed as an integration with the fine traditional Chinese culture. The “Second Integration” endows Marxism with a Chinese cultural character, consolidates the cultural foundation of the Party’s innovative theory, and fortifies the cultural subjectivity of the Chinese nation. Marxism is the fundamental guiding ideology for building the Party and the country, and for rejuvenating the Party and the country. The fine traditional Chinese culture is the crystallization of the wisdom and the essence of Chinese civilization. By enabling the fine traditional Chinese culture, which is integrated with Marxism and has undergone creative transformation and innovative development, to become an important ideological and cultural resource for the Party’s governance, and by enabling Marxism to demonstrate its powerful truth-force in the process of its integration with the fine traditional Chinese culture, a solid civilizational foundation is established for advancing the modernization of the national governance system and governance capacity. Our Party, leading the people in unity, has achieved the coordinated development of socialist material, political, cultural-ethical, social, and ecological civilization with Chinese characteristics in the process of Chinese-path modernization, thereby consolidating the cultural foundation of the path of socialism with Chinese characteristics and manifesting the historical substance and contemporary traits of the modern civilization of the Chinese nation.

百余年来，马克思主义基本原理同中国具体实际相结合的每一个表现中都带有中国特性并按照中国的特点来应用，都表现为同中华优秀传统文化相结合。“第二个结合”使马克思主义获得中国文化性格，夯实了党的创新理论的文化基础，巩固了中华民族的文化主体性。马克思主义是我们立党立国、兴党兴国的根本指导思想，中华优秀传统文化是中华文明的智慧结晶和精华所在。使同马克思主义相结合并经过创造性转化、创新性发展的中华优秀传统文化成为党治国理政的重要思想文化资源，使马克思主义在同中华优秀传统文化相结合的过程中彰显强大的真理力量，为推进国家治理体系和治理能力现代化确立了坚实的文明根基。我们党团结带领人民在中国式现代化进程中实现了中国特色社会主义物质文明、政治文明、精神文明、社会文明、生态文明协调发展，筑牢了中国特色社会主义道路的文化根基，彰显了中华民族现代文明的历史底蕴和时代特质。

From the perspective of the “Second Integration,” the modern civilization of the Chinese nation realizes the concretization of the Marxist view of civilization in China. Marx and Engels referred to the “productive forces already acquired by humanity” as the “fruits of civilization,” [1]1 Marx and Engels, *The German Ideology* (1845–1846). holding that the civilization of any social formation represents a historical advance over the civilization that preceded it, and dialectically assessing “the great civilizing role of capital”: [2]2 Marx, *Grundrisse* (1857–1858). on the one hand, the bourgeoisie, in less than one hundred years of its class rule, created more and greater productive forces than all preceding generations combined; on the other hand, from the very inception of modern civilization, production was founded on the antagonism of ranks, estates, and classes—a law that civilization has followed to this day. [3]3 Engels, *The Origin of the Family, Private Property and the State* (1884). Through the critique and transcendence of the logic of capital, Marx and Engels discovered that modern civilization contains within itself the elements for realizing civilizational transformation. They proposed casting off the criminal civilization built on the system of labor enslavement, while simultaneously sublating the civilizational achievements of capitalist civilization and inheriting and developing them. They formed a great vision for the transformation of modern civilization, foresaw the developmental trends of human civilization, and emphasized the overthrow of all relations in which humanity is degraded, enslaved, abandoned, and despised, [4]4 Marx, “Contribution to the Critique of Hegel’s Philosophy of Right: Introduction” (1843–1844). thereby manifesting humanity’s essential powers and creating, in the future ideal society, “a civilization that can bring happiness to all people.” [5]5 Engels, “The Civilisation of the Future” (1847), a fragment.

从“第二个结合”角度看，中华民族现代文明实现了马克思主义文明观在中国的具体化。马克思、恩格斯将人类“已经获得的生产力”称作“文明的果实”，认为任何一种社会形态的文明较之前的文明都是一种历史的进步，辩证看待“资本的伟大的文明作用”：一方面，资产阶级在它不到100年的阶级统治中创造的生产力比过去一切时代创造的全部生产力的总和还要多还要大；另一方面，在现代文明创造伊始，生产就建立在级别、等级和阶级的对抗上，这是文明至今遵循的规律。通过对资本逻辑的批判与超越，马克思、恩格斯发现现代文明内部蕴含着实现文明变革的要素，提出摆脱建立在劳动奴役制上的罪恶的文明，在扬弃资本主义文明的同时继承发展其文明成果，形成了关于现代文明转型的伟大构想，预见了人类文明发展趋势，强调推翻使人成为被侮辱、被奴役、被遗弃和被蔑视的东西的一切关系，进而展现人类的本质力量，在未来理想社会创造“能给所有的人以幸福的文明”。

In the century-long process of its concretization in China, the Marxist view of civilization has achieved integration with the fine traditional Chinese culture, taking on a Chinese style and Chinese manner, and providing ideological support for a people-centered creation of civilization. Chinese-path modernization is the practical field for the concretization of the Marxist view of civilization in China. It not only realizes the integrated development of the Chinese civilization of a vast territory and a great population but also eclectically absorbs all fine civilizations of the world. Firm in historical confidence and cultural confidence, Chinese-path modernization adheres to a people-centered approach, insists on following its own path, and upholds the principle that the fruits of civilization are built and shared by the people. The “Second Integration” enables the Marxist view of civilization and the five-thousand-year Chinese civilization to mutually achieve each other in the process of Chinese-path modernization, consolidating the solid civilizational foundation that manifests Chinese cultural subjectivity and gathering the powerful spiritual impetus for realizing the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation.

马克思主义文明观在中国具体化的百年历程中实现了同中华优秀传统文化相结合，形成了中国风格和中国气派，为以人民为中心的文明创造提供了思想支撑。中国式现代化是马克思主义文明观在中国具体化的实践场域，不仅实现了广土巨族的中华文明融合发展，而且对世界一切优秀文明兼收并蓄。坚定历史自信和文化自信，中国式现代化坚持以人民为中心，坚持走自己的路，坚持文明成果由人民共建共享。“第二个结合”使马克思主义文明观与五千年中华文明在中国式现代化进程中相互成就，夯实了彰显中华文化主体性的坚实文明基础，汇聚了实现中华民族伟大复兴的强大精神动力。

From the perspective of the “Second Integration,” the modern civilization of the Chinese nation realizes the creative transformation and innovative development of the fine traditional Chinese culture. Marxism reveals the laws of the development of human society; it is an open theory that constantly develops along with the evolution of practice. It has charted the correct path for our Party to lead the people in unity to achieve national independence and people’s liberation, and to achieve national prosperity and strength and common prosperity for the people. The century-long dissemination of Marxist philosophy in China has transformed the Chinese people’s modes of thinking, value concepts, and ways of life. It has activated the vital and life-affirming factors within the fine traditional Chinese culture and endowed them with new contemporary connotations, enabling the Chinese nation to realize “the old state takes on a new mandate” [6]6 A classical allusion to the *Book of Odes* (Shijing), “Daya · Wenwang,” referring to the Zhou dynasty’s renewal of its mandate; here used to signify the rejuvenation of the Chinese nation through modern transformation. and achieve the modern transformation of Chinese civilization, gradually fostering in the Chinese people a scientific, rational mode of thinking and a modern attitude toward life.

从“第二个结合”角度看，中华民族现代文明实现了中华优秀传统文化创造性转化、创新性发展。马克思主义揭示了人类社会发展规律，是随着实践发展而不断发展的开放的理论，为我们党团结带领人民实现民族独立、人民解放，实现国家繁荣富强、人民共同富裕指明了正确道路。马克思主义哲学在中国的百年传播，改变了中国人的思维方式、价值观念和生活方式，激活了中华优秀传统文化中富有生命力的优秀因子并赋予新的时代内涵，使中华民族实现了“旧邦新命”，实现了中华文明的现代转型，使中国人逐渐形成了科学理性思维与现代生活态度。

Since the New Era, our Party has adhered to the “soul vein” of Marxism and the “root vein” of the fine traditional Chinese culture, realizing the integration of the fundamental tenets of Marxism with China’s specific realities and with the fine traditional Chinese culture, thereby forging a new cultural life-form. [7]7 “New cultural life-form” (新的文化生命体) is a term from Xi Jinping’s discourse on the “Second Integration,” denoting the organic synthesis of Marxism and traditional Chinese culture into a living, evolving cultural entity. General Secretary Xi Jinping has put forward many new ideas, viewpoints, and judgments on strengthening the construction of socialist culture with Chinese characteristics in the New Era, forming Xi Jinping Thought on Culture. [8]8 Xi Jinping Thought on Culture (习近平文化思想) was formally articulated at the National Conference on Propaganda and Ideological Work in October 2023. As an open system of thought that “illuminates the substance and reaches its application, and integrates substance and application,” [9]9 “Illuminates the substance and reaches its application, and integrates substance and application” (明体达用、体用贯通) is a classical Chinese philosophical formulation, here applied to characterize Xi Jinping Thought on Culture as a system that unites theory and practice. Xi Jinping Thought on Culture enriches and develops Marxist cultural theory, embodying the summation of experience and theoretical sublimation of our Party’s leadership over cultural construction. We must take Xi Jinping Thought on Culture as our fundamental guide, deeply comprehend its principles, academic logic, and philosophical reasoning, and provide a principled interpretation thereof. We must grasp the cultural mainline of realizing the Chinese Dream, uphold the cultural mission of comprehensively advancing the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation through Chinese-path modernization, and promote the flourishing and prosperity of socialist culture with Chinese characteristics with historical confidence and cultural confidence.

新时代以来，我们党坚守马克思主义“魂脉”和中华优秀传统文化“根脉”，实现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，造就了一个新的文化生命体。习近平总书记对加强新时代中国特色社会主义文化建设提出很多新思想新观点新论断，形成了习近平文化思想。作为明体达用、体用贯通的开放的思想体系，习近平文化思想丰富和发展了马克思主义文化理论，体现了对我们党领导文化建设的经验总结和理论升华。我们要以习近平文化思想为根本遵循，深刻理解其中的道理学理哲理并对其作出原理性阐释，把握实现中国梦的文化主线，秉持以中国式现代化全面推进中华民族伟大复兴的文化使命，以历史自信和文化自信促进中国特色社会主义文化繁荣兴盛。

The creative transformation and innovative development of the fine traditional Chinese culture not only embodies a process of “renewing the old with the new and making humanity’s culture daily new” [10]10 “Renewing the old with the new and making humanity’s culture daily new” (与古为新、人文日新) is a four-character idiom derived from the *Book of Rites* (Liji) and the *Book of Changes* (Yijing), emphasizing continuous renewal through tradition. but also manifests the practical transformative process of creating the modern civilization of the Chinese nation in the course of Chinese-path modernization. We must safeguard and pass on the “root vein” of the fine traditional Chinese culture, allowing the ideas, humanistic sentiments, and moral norms it contains to reflect the spirit of the times, and enabling the outstanding continuity, innovativeness, unity, inclusiveness, and peacefulness of Chinese civilization to radiate the brilliance of the times in the practical exploration of socialist modernization. To promote the steady and sustained progress of Chinese-path modernization and achieve spiritual independence and self-reliance, we must profoundly manifest the deepest spiritual pursuits of the Chinese nation, integrate the unique spiritual endowments of the fine traditional Chinese culture with the essence of Marxist thought, coalesce them into new theoretical advantages, and continuously consolidate the historical and mass foundations for adapting Marxism to the Chinese context and the needs of the times.

中华优秀传统文化创造性转化、创新性发展不仅体现了与古为新、人文日新的过程，而且体现了在中国式现代化进程中创造中华民族现代文明的实践转化过程。守护传承好中华优秀传统文化的“根脉”，使其中蕴含的思想观念、人文情怀、道德规范映现时代精神，使中华文明突出的连续性、创新性、统一性、包容性、和平性在社会主义现代化的实践探索中绽放时代光芒。推动中国式现代化行稳致远，实现精神上的独立自主，要深刻彰显中华民族最深层的精神追求，使中华优秀传统文化独特的精神禀赋同马克思主义思想精髓贯通起来，聚变为新的理论优势，不断夯实马克思主义中国化时代化的历史基础和群众基础。

From the perspective of the “Second Integration,” the modern civilization of the Chinese nation realizes the transformation of modern civilization and creates a new form of human civilization. The practical exploration of Chinese-path modernization has always adhered to a people-centered approach, embodies the essence of scientific socialism, and promotes comprehensive material abundance, overall social progress, and the all-round development of the individual, demonstrating that civilization dominated by the logic of capital is not the only form of modern civilization. Chinese-path modernization opens new pathways for achieving common prosperity, injects new momentum into the global economy, and brings new driving forces and new opportunities for world development. The Marxist view of civilization and the conceptual structure of Chinese civilization are mutually compatible, enabling modern civilization to break free from the “living contradictions” [11]11 “Living contradictions” (活生生的矛盾) is a phrase from Marx’s *Economic and Philosophic Manuscripts of 1844*, describing the inherent antagonisms of capitalist society. caused by the logic of capital. Taking problems as the orientation, it rejects the old path of modernization centered on capital, characterized by materialist expansion, and based on external expansion and plunder, thereby preventing people from being enslaved by alien material forces. It allows people to freely exercise their physical and intellectual capacities, to achieve all-round development in labor practice that embodies creative vitality, to demonstrate the institutional advantages of socialism with Chinese characteristics, and to expand the path choices for developing countries in their pursuit of modernization.

从“第二个结合”角度看，中华民族现代文明实现了现代文明转型，创造了人类文明新形态。中国式现代化的实践探索始终坚持以人民为中心，体现了科学社会主义的本质，促进了物质全面丰富、社会全面进步、人的全面发展，表明资本逻辑主导的文明并非现代文明的唯一形式。中国式现代化为实现共同富裕开辟新途径，为全球经济发展注入新动能，为世界发展带来新动力和新机遇。马克思主义文明观同中华文明观念结构相融通，使现代文明走出资本逻辑导致的“活生生的矛盾”，以问题为导向，摆脱以资本为中心、物质主义膨胀、对外扩张掠夺的现代化老路，避免人们遭到异己的物质力量的奴役，使人们自由发挥自己的体力和智力，在体现创造活力的劳动实践中获得全面发展，展现了中国特色社会主义制度优势，拓展了发展中国家走向现代化的路径选择。

The modern civilization of the Chinese nation achieves a historical and concrete unity of Chinese civilization, socialist civilization, and modern civilization in the process of Chinese-path modernization, creating a comprehensive mechanism for cultural innovation oriented toward the future, and infusing the time-honored Chinese civilization with new vitality and dynamism. The new form of human civilization created in the process of Chinese-path modernization presents a new picture different from Western modernization, highlights the cultural ethos of socialism with Chinese characteristics in the New Era, and provides a Chinese solution for humanity’s exploration of a better social system. Respecting the diversity of world civilizations, promoting the inheritance and innovation of civilizations, adhering to equality, mutual learning, dialogue, and inclusiveness among civilizations, emphasizing seeking one’s own development while firmly safeguarding world peace and development, using innovation to add momentum to the development of civilizations and activate the living source of civilizational progress, it reveals the laws of development in world civilizational history and endows the construction of the modern civilization of the Chinese nation with world-historical significance. Today, building the modern civilization of the Chinese nation with a new cultural mission requires adhering to a people-centered cultural stance, taking innovation as the driving force, development as the direction, and talent cultivation as the foundation, further highlighting the Chinese logic of building a socialist cultural power.

中华民族现代文明使中华文明、社会主义文明和现代文明在中国式现代化进程中实现了历史的具体的统一，创造了面向未来的文化综合创新机制，使历史悠久的中华文明焕发新的生机活力。在中国式现代化进程中创造的人类文明新形态展现了不同于西方现代化的新图景，彰显了新时代中国特色社会主义文化气象，为人类对更好社会制度的探索提供了中国方案。尊重世界文明多样性，促进文明传承和创新，坚持文明平等、互鉴、对话、包容，强调在坚定维护世界和平与发展中谋求自身发展，用创新增添文明发展动力、激活文明进步的源头活水，揭示了世界文明历史的发展规律，使中华民族现代文明建设彰显了世界历史意义。今天，以新的文化使命建设中华民族现代文明，要坚持以人民为中心的文化立场，以创新为动力，以发展为指向，以人才培养为根本，进一步彰显社会主义文化强国建设的中国逻辑。

On the new journey of the New Era, the Chinese nation moving toward rejuvenation has become the main stabilizer and power source of world economic growth. We must deeply understand the essence of the times of Chinese culture and the Chinese spirit, fully refine and interpret the practical logic of the Chinese path, Chinese theory, Chinese system, and Chinese culture, improve and innovate the working mechanisms for cultivating, practicing, and creating civilization, and construct a disciplinary system, academic system, and discourse system for the study of civilization. From the perspective of the “Second Integration,” we must deeply understand the characteristics of the modern civilization of the Chinese nation, stabilize the spiritual pillar of the Chinese nation in the civilizational creation of Chinese-path modernization, and enhance the cultural quality of the Chinese nation. Exerting historical initiative, we must profoundly elucidate the connotation of the modern civilization of the Chinese nation and optimize its construction path, reflect the great practice and spiritual outlook of the Chinese people in the New Era, achieve cultural progress in historical progress, carry out cultural creation in practical creation, construct a system of symbols for Chinese civilization with the new culture of our era, enhance the national cultural soft power and the influence of Chinese culture, and continuously create civilizational achievements that transcend time and space and possess eternal charm, contributing new strength to deepening cultural exchanges and mutual learning.

新时代新征程，走向复兴的中华民族成为世界经济增长的主要稳定器和动力源，我们要深刻理解中华文化和中国精神的时代精华，充分提炼和阐释中国道路、中国理论、中国制度和中国文化的实践逻辑，改进创新文明培育、文明实践、文明创建工作机制，构建文明研究的学科体系、学术体系、话语体系。从“第二个结合”角度深刻理解中华民族现代文明的特质，在中国式现代化的文明创造中稳固中华民族的精神支柱，提升中华民族的文化素质。发挥历史主动精神，深刻阐明中华民族现代文明的内涵并优化其建设路径，反映新时代中国人民伟大实践和精神风貌，在历史进步中实现文化进步，在实践创造中进行文化创造，以我们这个时代的新文化构建中华文明标识体系，提升国家文化软实力和中华文化影响力，不断创造出跨越时空、富有永恒魅力的文明成果，为深化文明交流互鉴贡献新的力量。

(The author is the Dean of the School of Philosophy, Renmin University of China)

（作者系中国人民大学哲学院院长）

Online editor: Huihui

网络编辑：慧慧