Upholding the “Two Integrations” to Construct an Independent Chinese Economic Knowledge System

The Third Plenary Session of the 20th Central Committee of the CPC proposed: “Innovate the Marxist theory research and development project, implement the philosophy and social science innovation project, and construct an independent knowledge system for Chinese philosophy and social sciences,” [1]1 The Third Plenary Session of the 20th Central Committee of the CPC, held in July 2024, focused on further comprehensively deepening reform and advancing Chinese-path modernization. making important arrangements for the construction of philosophy and social sciences in the New Era. Upholding the integration of the basic tenets of Marxism with China’s specific realities and with the best of traditional Chinese culture provides scientific methodological guidance for constructing an independent Chinese economic knowledge system.

党的二十届三中全会提出：“创新马克思主义理论研究和建设工程，实施哲学社会科学创新工程，构建中国哲学社会科学自主知识体系”，对新时代哲学社会科学建设作出重要部署。坚持把马克思主义基本原理同中国具体实际相结合、同中华优秀传统文化相结合，为建构中国自主的经济学知识体系提供了科学的方法论指引。

The Fundamental Principles for Constructing an Independent Chinese Economic Knowledge System

建构中国自主的经济学知识体系的根本原则

Theory originates from practice, and practice includes both the present and the historical. Engels pointed out in *Anti-Dühring*: “Political economy is therefore essentially a historical science. It deals with material which is historical, that is, constantly changing; it first investigates the special laws of each individual stage of the development of production and exchange, and only after it has completed this investigation can it establish the few quite general laws which hold good for production and exchange in general.” [2]2 Friedrich Engels, *Anti-Dühring* (1878). In this sense, economics possesses distinct practical and historical characteristics. Adhering to the “Two Integrations” to advance the construction of an independent Chinese economic knowledge system reflects a profound grasp of the developmental laws and basic features of economics.

理论来源于实践，而实践既包括当下的，也包括历史的。恩格斯在《反杜林论》中指出：“政治经济学本质上是一门历史的科学。它所涉及的是历史性的即经常变化的材料；它首先研究生产和交换的每个个别发展阶段的特殊规律，而且只有在完成这种研究以后，它才能确立为数不多的、适用于生产一般和交换一般的、完全普遍的规律。”从这个意义上讲，经济学具有鲜明的实践性、历史性特征。坚持以“两个结合”推进中国自主的经济学知识体系的建构，体现了对经济学发展规律和基本特征的深刻把握。

Upholding the integration of the basic tenets of Marxism with China’s specific realities marks the logical starting point for constructing an independent Chinese economic knowledge system. Contemporary China has undergone the most grand and unique practice of economic reform and development in human history, and with the further comprehensive deepening of reform and opening up and the unfolding of the grand blueprint for advancing Chinese-path modernization, a large number of new economic practice issues urgently requiring answers have emerged, containing immense space for economic theoretical innovation. Constructing an independent Chinese economic knowledge system must adhere to the guidance of Marxism, base itself on the specific realities of China’s economic reform and development, construct economic concepts, propositions, theories, and methods with subjectivity, autonomy, and originality, form an economic knowledge system with explanatory, guiding, and predictive power, continuously respond to the new issues, new tasks, and new challenges raised by new practice in the New Era and the new journey, and provide systematic and theoretical support for advancing the building of a strong country and realizing national rejuvenation.

坚持把马克思主义基本原理同中国具体实际相结合，标注了建构中国自主的经济学知识体系的逻辑起点。当代中国经历了人类历史上最为宏大而独特的经济改革发展实践，并且随着进一步全面深化改革、推进中国式现代化宏伟蓝图的展开，又涌现出大量亟待回答的新的经济实践课题，其中蕴含巨大的经济理论创新空间。建构中国自主的经济学知识体系，必须坚持以马克思主义为指导，立足中国经济改革发展具体实际，建构具有主体性、自主性、原创性的经济学概念、命题、理论、方法等，形成具有解释力、指导力、预测力的经济学知识体系，不断回应新时代新征程新实践提出的新课题新任务新挑战，为推进强国建设、实现民族复兴提供体系化、学理化支撑。

Upholding the integration of the basic tenets of Marxism with the best of traditional Chinese culture presupposes a profound grasp of the major relationship between adhering to the soul and the root. Constructing an independent Chinese economic knowledge system must never abandon the soul of Marxism; it must uphold and consolidate the guiding position of Marxism. It must never abandon the root of the best of traditional Chinese culture; it must integrate the essence of Marxist economic thought with the essence of traditional Chinese economic thought, continuously use new perspectives, new ideas, new methods, and new tools to promote the creative transformation and innovative development of the best of traditional Chinese economic thought, and provide abundant ideological resources and spiritual impetus for constructing an independent Chinese economic knowledge system.

坚持把马克思主义基本原理同中华优秀传统文化相结合，前提是深刻把握坚守魂脉和根脉的重大关系。建构中国自主的经济学知识体系，决不能抛弃马克思主义这个魂脉，必须坚持和巩固马克思主义指导地位，决不能抛弃中华优秀传统文化这个根脉，必须把马克思主义经济思想精髓同中华优秀传统经济思想精华融会贯通，运用新视角、新思路、新方法、新工具持续推动中华优秀传统经济思想的创造性转化和创新性发展，为建构中国自主的经济学知识体系提供丰沛思想资源与精神动力。

Since the founding of the CPC over 100 years ago, in different historical periods of revolution, construction, and reform, it has always held high the banner of Marxism, vigorously promoted theoretical innovation on the basis of practice, absorbed nutrients from the best of traditional Chinese culture, and continuously achieved fruitful results in adapting Marxism to the Chinese context and the needs of the times. Since reform and opening up, with the shift of the Party and the state’s work focus to economic construction, the development of the economic discipline has been strongly promoted. Entering the New Era, our Party formed Xi Jinping’s economic thought in promoting the “Two Integrations,” laying a solid theoretical foundation for constructing an independent Chinese economic knowledge system.

中国共产党成立100多年来，在革命、建设、改革的不同历史时期，始终高举马克思主义旗帜，大力推进实践基础上的理论创新，从中华优秀传统文化中汲取养分，不断推动马克思主义中国化时代化取得丰硕成果。改革开放以来，随着党和国家工作重心转移到经济建设上来，有力推动了经济学科的发展。进入新时代，我们党在推进“两个结合”中形成了习近平经济思想，为建构中国自主的经济学知识体系奠定了坚实理论基础。

Constructing an Independent Chinese Economic Knowledge System Requires Building a Disciplinary System, Academic System, and Discourse System with Its Own Characteristics

建构中国自主的经济学知识体系需要构建具有自身特质的学科体系、学术体系、话语体系

General Secretary Xi Jinping pointed out at the Symposium on Philosophy and Social Sciences Work: “Continuously promote the construction and innovation of the disciplinary system, academic system, and discourse system, and strive to build a comprehensive, all-field, all-element philosophy and social science system.” [3]3 Xi Jinping’s speech at the Symposium on Philosophy and Social Sciences Work, held in Beijing on May 17, 2016. Like other philosophy and social sciences, the development of economic science has its inherent laws. Continuously promoting the construction and innovation of the disciplinary system, academic system, and discourse system while upholding the “Two Integrations” is an important lever for constructing an independent Chinese economic knowledge system.

习近平总书记在哲学社会科学工作座谈会上指出：“不断推进学科体系、学术体系、话语体系建设和创新，努力构建一个全方位、全领域、全要素的哲学社会科学体系。”与其他哲学社会科学一样，经济科学的发展有其内在规律。在坚持“两个结合”中不断推进学科体系、学术体系、话语体系建设和创新，是建构中国自主的经济学知识体系的重要抓手。

Continuously promote the construction and innovation of the economic disciplinary system. Disciplines are products of the classification of knowledge and the integration of specialized knowledge. A basic direction for constructing an independent Chinese economic knowledge system is to sort out and refine the typical economic facts emerging from the great practice of Chinese-path modernization, carry out disciplinary integration of important ideas, thoughts, viewpoints, and experiences, and continuously promote the establishment and adjustment of disciplines. Uphold the guiding position of Marxism in the construction of economic disciplines, strengthen the construction of first-class disciplines in theoretical economics such as political economy, history of economic thought, and economic history, and in applied economics such as public finance, finance, and industrial economics. Focus on the major strategic needs of the Party and the state to vigorously develop cross-disciplinary and emerging disciplines such as the digital economy and humanistic economics, and advance the construction of the economic disciplinary system.

不断推进经济学学科体系建设和创新。学科是知识分类的产物，是专门知识的集成。建构中国自主的经济学知识体系的一个基本指向，是对中国式现代化伟大实践中涌现出的典型经济事实进行梳理、提炼，对其中的重要理念、思想、观点、经验等进行学科化整合，不断推进学科设置与调整。坚持马克思主义在经济学学科建设中的指导地位，加强政治经济学、经济思想史、经济史等理论经济学科和财政学、金融学、产业经济学等应用经济学科的一流学科建设，着眼党和国家重大战略需求大力发展数字经济、人文经济学等交叉学科、新兴学科，推进经济学学科体系建设。

Continuously promote the construction and innovation of the economic academic system. The academic system is the form of expression of systematized and organized knowledge and the internal support for the logic and scientific nature of the knowledge system. Constructing an independent Chinese economic knowledge system must enhance the capacity and level of constructing the academic system, promote the mutual complementarity and mutual promotion of basic theoretical research and practical application research in economics, refine and form iconic concepts, original theories, and systematic doctrines with both Chinese characteristics and world significance from the great practice of Chinese-path modernization in the New Era, innovate academic propositions, academic ideas, and academic viewpoints in economics in a specialized, theoretical, and systematic manner, and embody the “Four Confidences” in the construction of the economic academic system. [4]4 The “Four Confidences” refer to confidence in the path, theory, system, and culture of socialism with Chinese characteristics.

不断推进经济学学术体系建设和创新。学术体系是知识系统化、组织化的表现形式，是知识体系逻辑性和科学性的内在支撑。建构中国自主的经济学知识体系，必须提升学术体系的建设能力和水平，推动经济学基础理论研究和实践应用研究相辅相成、相互促进，从新时代中国式现代化伟大实践中提炼形成既具有中国特色又具有世界意义的标识性概念、原创性理论、系统化学说等，以专业化、学理化、体系化的方式，对经济学的学术命题、学术思想、学术观点进行创新，把“四个自信”体现到经济学学术体系的构建中。

Continuously promote the construction and innovation of the economic discourse system. The discourse system is the carrier, bridge, and link for embodying, expressing, and disseminating the knowledge system, with its specific ideological orientation and value orientation. Promoting the construction and innovation of the economic discourse system requires continuously promoting the theoretical research and interpretation of economic discourse while upholding the “Two Integrations,” consolidating the profound cultural foundation for economic theoretical innovation, and promoting the popularization of academic discourse. For example, the proposal and development of the concept of a “moderately prosperous society” is a typical case of promoting the creative transformation and innovative development of the best of traditional Chinese economic thought. It uses language that the masses can understand and accept, promoting the Party’s innovative theory to take root in the hearts of the people. [5]5 “Moderately prosperous society” (*xiaokang shehui*) is a traditional Chinese concept revived by the CPC to describe a society where the basic needs of the people are met, used as a goal for development.

不断推进经济学话语体系建设和创新。话语体系是体现、表达、传播知识体系的方式载体和桥梁纽带，有其特定的思想指向和价值取向。推进经济学话语体系建设和创新，需要在坚持“两个结合”中不断推动经济话语的学理化研究和阐释，夯实经济理论创新的深厚文化底蕴，推动学术话语大众化。比如“小康社会”概念的提出和发展，就是推动中华优秀传统经济思想创造性转化、创新性发展的一个典型案例，其以人民群众听得懂、听得进的话语，推动了党的创新理论深入人心。

Coordinating the Forces of All Sides to Synergistically Advance the Construction of an Independent Chinese Economic Knowledge System

统筹各方力量协同推进中国自主的经济学知识体系的建构

The economic knowledge system is the concentrated expression of economic ideas, concepts, and theoretical achievements formed through long-term development and evolution. Its level of construction in different countries reflects the development level and academic ecology of the economic discipline in that country. Constructing an independent Chinese economic knowledge system is a systematic project covering multiple aspects, fields, and links. It is necessary to strengthen top-level design, coordinate the forces of all sides to synergistically advance, and focus on building and consolidating a strong support system. Among these, the talent system, textbook system, and international communication system are crucial.

经济学知识体系是长期发展演变所形成的经济思想观念和经济理论成果的集中体现，其在不同国家的建构水平反映了该国经济学科的发展水平和学术生态。建构中国自主的经济学知识体系是一项涵盖多方面、多领域、多环节的系统工程，必须加强顶层设计，统筹各方力量协同推进，着力建设和筑牢一个强有力的支撑体系。其中，人才体系、教材体系和国际传播体系至关重要。

Fully leverage the important role of the “Five Armies.” [6]6 The “Five Armies” refers to the five main groups of researchers in philosophy and social sciences in China: higher education institutions, Party schools (schools of administration), military academies, research institutes, and research bodies of Party and government departments. Economic researchers from institutions of higher education, Party schools (schools of administration), military academies, research institutes, and research bodies of Party and government departments are the vital forces participating in constructing an independent Chinese economic knowledge system. Among them, higher education institutions are the main force of the “Five Armies.” They should guide the vast number of economic researchers in higher education institutions to take answering the questions of China, the world, the people, and the times as their academic mission, focus on major economic theoretical and practical issues of a comprehensive, strategic, and forward-looking nature in the historical process of building a modern socialist country with Chinese characteristics and the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation, reveal the internal logic and objective laws of China’s economic development, refine normative economic theoretical systems and research paradigms that can be empirically tested, expanded, and generalized, and further enrich the human economic knowledge system.

充分发挥好“五路大军”的重要作用。高等院校、党校(行政学院)、部队院校、科研院所、党政部门研究机构的经济学研究人员，是参与建构中国自主的经济学知识体系的有生力量。其中，高校是“五路大军”的主力军，应引导广大高校经济学研究人员以回答好中国之问、世界之问、人民之问、时代之问为学术己任，聚焦中国特色社会主义现代化强国建设和中华民族伟大复兴历史进程中具有全局性、战略性、前瞻性的重大经济理论和实践问题，揭示中国经济发展的内在逻辑和客观规律，提炼可实证、可拓展、可推广的规范性经济理论体系和研究范式，进一步丰富人类经济学知识体系。

Advance the construction of China’s economics textbook system in a holistic manner. Textbooks are the carriers of the knowledge system and the cornerstone of knowledge transmission. Textbook construction is a state authority and plays a pioneering, foundational, and strategic role. It is essential to firmly grasp the correct political direction and value orientation. In the process of advancing the construction of key textbooks for the Ministry of Education under the Marxist Theory Research and Development Project in the New Era, we must diligently create a series of economics textbooks that cultivate the soul, enlighten wisdom, and enhance intellect. These textbooks should fully reflect the requirements of adapting Marxism to the Chinese context and the needs of the times, conform to the basic requirements of the Party and the state for cultivating economics talent, possess Chinese characteristics, Chinese style, and Chinese manner, embody the values of the Chinese nation and the humanistic spirit of Chinese civilization, reflect the great achievements of China’s economic development and theoretical innovation, and bring together the accumulation of human economic knowledge and the fruits of knowledge innovation, thereby forming a Chinese economics textbook system.

整体性推进我国的经济学教材体系建设。教材是知识体系的载体，是知识传承的基石。教材建设是国家事权，具有先导性、基础性、战略性作用，必须牢牢把握正确政治方向和价值导向，在推进新时代马克思主义理论研究和建设工程教育部重点教材建设的过程中，用心打造培根铸魂、启智增慧的经济学系列教材，形成充分体现马克思主义中国化时代化要求，符合党和国家对经济学人才培养基本要求，具有中国特色、中国风格、中国气派，蕴含中华民族价值观念和中华文明人文精神，反映中国经济发展伟大成就和理论创新成果，荟萃人类经济学知识积累和知识创新成果的中国经济学教材体系。

Build a more effective academic dissemination system. Academic journals and academic conferences are important vehicles for knowledge innovation, knowledge sharing, and knowledge dissemination. Construct a digital and intelligent academic resource platform with international influence, using internationally accepted academic paradigms to display the iconic economic concepts refined from the practice of Chinese-path modernization, and proactively promote the academic achievements of China’s independent economic knowledge system. Actively host and participate in international economics conferences, focusing on China’s economic reform and world economic development issues, put forward Chinese viewpoints, issue Chinese initiatives, and provide Chinese solutions, thereby enhancing the persuasiveness, dissemination power, and influence of Chinese thought, Chinese scholarship, and Chinese theory. This will help China’s independent economic knowledge system radiate new vitality through exchange and mutual learning with the world’s economic knowledge system.

搭建更有效力的学术传播体系。学术期刊和学术会议是知识创新、知识分享、知识传播的重要载体。建设具有国际影响力的数智化学术资源平台，以国际通行的学术范式展示中国式现代化实践中提炼的标识性经济概念，主动推介中国自主的经济学知识体系的学术成果。积极主办和参与国际性经济学会议，聚焦中国经济改革和世界经济发展议题，提出中国观点、发出中国倡议、给出中国方案，增强中国思想、中国学术、中国理论的说服力传播力影响力，助力中国自主的经济学知识体系在同世界经济学知识体系的交流互鉴中焕发新的生机。

(Author: Chen Xudong, Vice Dean of the Institute of Chinese Economic Thought Development, Shanghai University of Finance and Economics)

（作者：陈旭东，系上海财经大学中国经济思想发展研究院副院长）

Online Editor: Huihui

网络编辑：慧慧