Continuously Consolidating Cultural Subjectivity through the Two Integrations

Cultural subjectivity refers to the autonomous, dynamic, and creative characteristics embodied by the subject of activity in a given historical period in its cultural activities. For a cultural form to stand firm, travel far, and spread widely, it must possess its own subjectivity. During the eventful years of arduous struggle and earth-shaking transformation led by the Communist Party of China (CPC) with the people of all ethnic groups, the cultural subjectivity of the Chinese nation was continuously cultivated and consolidated. Entering the New Era, General Secretary Xi Jinping, on the basis of summarizing the century-long historical experience of cultural construction, incisively elaborated the important thesis of the Two Integrations. This thesis contains profound reflections on consolidating the cultural subjectivity of the Chinese nation and marks a new level of consciousness and autonomy in the Party's promotion of the construction of socialist culture with Chinese characteristics.

文化主体性是指一定历史时期的活动主体在文化活动中体现出来的自主性、能动性、创造性等自主特性。一种文化形态要立得住、行得远、传得开，就必须具有自己的主体性。在中国共产党领导全国各族人民不懈奋斗、改天换地的峥嵘岁月中，中华民族的文化主体性得到持续培育和巩固。进入新时代，习近平总书记在总结文化建设百年历史经验基础上精辟阐述的“两个结合”重要论断，蕴含着对巩固中华民族文化主体性的深刻思考，标志着我们党推进中国特色社会主义文化建设的自觉性自主性达到新境界。

1. Consolidating Cultural Subjectivity in the Benign Interaction between Theoretical Innovation and Practical Innovation

1.在理论创新和实践创新的良性互动中巩固文化主体性

Chinese culture is extensive and profound, and Chinese civilization has a long and continuous history. However, after the Opium War, due to the corrupt rule of the feudal autocratic system and the barbaric invasion of imperialism, China gradually became a semi-colonial and semi-feudal society. The cultural subjectivity and historical initiative of the Chinese people and the Chinese nation were severely obscured, and China's development, progress, and path to modernization became extremely difficult. "Since the Chinese learned Marxism-Leninism, the Chinese have taken the initiative in spirit from being passive." [1]1 Mao Zedong, "On New Democracy" (1940). Marxism possesses the characteristics of being scientific, practical, people-centered, and open. In the course of history, it was accepted by China's advanced intellectuals, became the guiding ideology of the CPC, and became the theoretical foundation for the Party to consolidate cultural subjectivity and historical initiative. Since acquiring this scientific theoretical weapon of Marxism, the Party and the people have become increasingly proactive in spirit, thus staging one magnificent and heroic historical drama after another, greatly advancing the development of modern Chinese history.

中华文化博大精深、中华文明源远流长。但在鸦片战争以后，由于封建专制制度的腐朽统治和帝国主义的野蛮入侵，中国逐步成为半殖民地半封建社会，中国人民和中华民族的文化主体性和历史主动精神被严重遮蔽，中国的发展进步和现代化道路举步维艰。“自从中国人学会了马克思列宁主义以后，中国人在精神上就由被动转入主动”。马克思主义具有科学性、实践性、人民性和开放性的特点，在历史进程中被中国先进的知识分子所接受，成为中国共产党人的指导思想，成为党巩固文化主体性和历史主动性的理论基础。自从有了马克思主义这个科学理论武器之后，党和人民在精神上越来越主动，从而上演了一幕幕威武雄壮的历史活剧，大大推动了中国现代历史的发展进程。

The Party's century-long struggle is a process of adhering to the guidance of Marxism, basing itself on China's actual conditions, continuously improving theoretical thinking, cognitive levels, and practical capabilities, and a process of continuously cultivating and manifesting the cultural subjectivity of the Chinese nation. "Possessing the guidance of Marxist scientific theory is the fundamental basis for our Party to firmly establish its faith and ideals and to grasp the historical initiative." [2]2 Xi Jinping, report to the 20th National Congress of the CPC (2022). Marxism, as a scientific theory that systematically reveals the objective laws and inevitable trends of modern social development, possesses the universal character of truth. However, the different historical periods of China's revolution, construction, and reform all have specific temporal and spatial fields and actual conditions. How can scientific theory and concrete practice, universal truth and vastly different realities be organically combined? Through arduous and extraordinary struggle, the Party led the people to creatively apply the scientific truth of Marxism to the magnificent concrete practice of China, organically combining the universality of scientific truth with the particularity of China's concrete reality, making it increasingly possess the characteristics, style, and manner of Sinicization, nationalization, and modernization. This promoted the formation and development of Marxism adapted to the Chinese context and the needs of the times, effectively guided the smooth progress of China's revolution, construction, and reform practices, achieved a series of major accomplishments, and greatly promoted the development and progress of Chinese history. At the same time, the rich experience, great achievements, and innovative theoretical results gained by the Party and the people in their struggle continuously enrich and develop the content of the Marxist theoretical treasury, manifesting the Chinese characteristics, contemporary features, and world-historical significance of Marxism adapted to the Chinese context and the needs of the times.

党的百余年奋斗历程，就是坚持以马克思主义为指导，立足中国实际，不断提升理论思维、认识水平和实践能力的过程，是中华民族文化主体性不断培育和彰显的过程。“拥有马克思主义科学理论指导是我们党坚定信仰信念、把握历史主动的根本所在”。马克思主义作为系统揭示现代社会发展客观规律和必然趋势的科学理论，具有真理的普遍性品格，而中国革命、建设和改革的不同历史时期均具有具体时空场域和实际情况，如何把科学理论和具体实践、普遍性真理和千差万别的实际有机结合起来？党领导人民经过艰苦卓绝的奋斗，将马克思主义科学真理创造性运用到波澜壮阔的中国具体实践中去，将科学真理的普遍性和中国具体实际的特殊性有机结合起来，使之越来越具有中国化、民族化、时代化的特色、风格和气派，推动着中国化时代化马克思主义的形成和发展，有效指导着中国革命、建设和改革实践的顺利进行，取得了一系列重大成就，大大推动了中国历史的发展进步。与此同时，党和人民在奋斗中所取得的丰富经验、伟大成就和创新理论成果，又持续丰富发展着马克思主义理论宝库的内容，彰显了中国化时代化马克思主义的中国特色、时代特色和世界历史意义。

Thus, it can be seen that the process by which the Party led the people to use Marxist theory to understand China's reality and transform Chinese society is precisely the process of continuously promoting the benign interaction between theoretical innovation and practical innovation. Along with the awakening of the Party's and the people's subject consciousness and the stimulation of historical initiative, "the era in modern world history when Chinese people and Chinese culture were looked down upon should come to an end. The great victorious Chinese People's War of Liberation and the People's Great Revolution have revived and are reviving the great culture of the Chinese people." [3]3 Mao Zedong, "On New Democracy" (1940). In this world-historically significant process of benign interaction between theoretical innovation and practical innovation, the scientific, people-centered, practical, and open nature of Marxism has been effectively implemented. The world outlook and methodology of dialectical materialism and historical materialism have been grasped by the Party and the people. The Party's modern consciousness, scientific thinking, people's stance, cultural literacy, moral character, and other subject consciousness and initiative have been comprehensively enhanced. The initiative, creativity, autonomy, and historical pioneering spirit of the Chinese people, once insulted as the "sick man of East Asia" and "ignorant and numb," have been fully stimulated. The theoretical thinking ability and cultural subjectivity of the Party and the people have been continuously improved. The Chinese people and the Chinese nation have caught up with the trend of the times in great strides and have demonstrated an irreplaceable status, role, and contemporary value in the sacred mission bestowed by world history.

由此可见，党领导人民运用马克思主义理论认识中国实际、改造中国社会的过程，就是不断推进理论创新和实践创新良性互动的过程。伴随着党和人民主体意识的觉醒和历史主动精神的激发，“近代世界历史上那种看不起中国人，看不起中国文化的时代应当完结了。伟大的胜利的中国人民解放战争和人民大革命，已经复兴了并正在复兴着伟大的中国人民的文化”。在这一具有世界历史意义的理论创新和实践创新良性互动过程中，马克思主义的科学性、人民性、实践性和开放性得到切实贯彻，辩证唯物主义和历史唯物主义的世界观和方法论被党和人民所掌握，党的现代意识、科学思维、人民立场、文化素养、道德品质等主体意识和主动精神得到全面提升，一度被侮为“东亚病夫”“愚昧麻木”的中国人民的能动性、创造性、自主性和历史首创精神被充分激发出来，党和人民的理论思维能力和文化主体性不断得到提升，中国人民和中华民族大踏步赶上了时代潮流，并在世界历史赋予的神圣使命中彰显出不可替代的地位作用和时代价值。

2. Continuously Consolidating Cultural Subjectivity by Promoting the Mutual Integration of the Soul and the Roots

2.在推动魂脉和根脉相互融通中不断巩固文化主体性

"'The Second Integration' is another ideological emancipation." [4]4 Xi Jinping, speech at a symposium on cultural heritage (2023). General Secretary Xi Jinping's in-depth and systematic exposition of the Two Integrations, especially the Second Integration, provides the fundamental guidance for further enhancing cultural confidence, consolidating cultural subjectivity, and building a culturally strong country in the New Era.

“‘第二个结合’是又一次的思想解放”。习近平总书记对“两个结合”尤其是“第二个结合”的深入系统阐述，为新时代进一步增强文化自信、巩固文化主体性、建设文化强国提供了根本遵循。

Marxism is the culmination of the achievements of human spiritual civilization. Its theoretical foundation is dialectical materialism and historical materialism, providing the Party and the people with a scientific world outlook and methodology for understanding and transforming the world, and providing scientific methods of thought, thinking, leadership, and work for correctly understanding the trends of social development and correctly grasping the direction of history. A series of scientific ideas and basic principles contained in Marxist theory, such as the dialectical unity of man and nature, the movement of basic social contradictions, world history, the people's stance, and Party building, as well as the basic viewpoints based on modern rationalism, such as the view of practice, the view of the masses, the view of class, the view of development, and the view of contradiction, have had an important impact on our Party's adherence to correct positions, viewpoints, and methods, and to scientific ways of thinking and theoretical thoroughness. They have successfully tempered an advanced leading force with modern consciousness and subject cultivation, leading the people to continuously achieve various great historical accomplishments.

马克思主义是人类精神文明成果的集大成者，其理论基础是辩证唯物主义和历史唯物主义，为党和人民认识世界、改造世界提供了科学的世界观和方法论，为正确认识社会发展趋势、正确把握历史走向提供了科学的思想方法、思维方法、领导方法和工作方法。马克思主义理论所包含的一系列科学思想和基本原理，比如人与自然辩证统一、社会基本矛盾运动、世界历史、人民立场、政党建设等，以及建立在现代理性主义基础上的实践观、群众观、阶级观、发展观、矛盾观等基本观点，对于我们党坚持正确的立场、观点和方法，坚持科学思维方式和理论彻底性产生了重要影响，成功淬炼了具有现代意识和主体修养的先进领导力量，带领人民不断取得各项伟大历史性成就。

General Secretary Xi Jinping pointed out: "Marxism and the excellent traditional Chinese culture originate from different sources, but there is a high degree of compatibility between them." [5]5 Xi Jinping, speech at a symposium on cultural heritage (2023). Mutual compatibility is the prerequisite for organic integration. Marxism, with its truth force, activates the excellent factors in traditional Chinese culture and endows them with new contemporary connotations. For example, the idea of the dialectical unity of man and nature effectively activates the traditional cultural concept of the unity of heaven and man; the idea of people's democracy effectively activates the traditional cultural concept of simple people-centeredness; the idea of world history effectively activates the traditional cultural concept of harmony among all nations. Furthermore, the Marxist view of practice effectively activates the traditional cultural concept of the unity of knowledge and action; the view of contradiction effectively activates the traditional cultural concept of harmony in diversity; the view of development effectively activates the traditional cultural concept of innovation embodied in "if you can renew yourself one day, do so every day, and keep doing so day after day." [6]6 From the "Commentary on the Great Learning" (《大学》) in the Confucian classics. Again, ideas such as the laws of human social development, the dialectical unity of productive forces and relations of production, Party building, and the historical mission of the proletariat, with their powerful modern ways of thinking and materialist dialectical methods, have cultivated the scientific consciousness, subject consciousness, and rational spirit of the Chinese people and the Chinese nation, effectively promoting the modern transformation of traditional ways of thinking and cultural value concepts. At the same time, the extensive and profound excellent traditional Chinese culture, by continuously inputting "excellent factors" into Marxism, makes it increasingly mutually integrated with China's cultural traditions, national endowments, national character, and national spirit, and increasingly possesses distinct Chinese characteristics, Chinese style, Chinese manner, and national heritage.

习近平总书记指出：“马克思主义和中华优秀传统文化来源不同，但彼此存在高度的契合性。”相互契合才能有机结合。马克思主义以其真理力量激活中华传统文化中的优秀因子并赋予其新的时代内涵。比如，关于人与自然辩证统一的思想有效激活了传统文化中的天人合一思想，关于人民民主的思想有效激活了传统文化中的朴素民本思想，关于世界历史的思想有效激活了传统文化中的协和万邦理念。再如，马克思主义实践观有效激活了传统文化中的知行合一理念，矛盾观有效激活了传统文化中的和而不同理念，发展观有效激活了传统文化中“苟日新、又日新、日日新”的创新理念。又如，关于人类社会发展规律的思想、生产力和生产关系辩证统一的思想、政党建设的思想和无产阶级历史使命的思想等，以其强大的现代思维方式和唯物辩证方法培育了中国人民和中华民族的科学意识、主体意识和理性精神，有效推动了传统思维方式和文化价值观念的现代转型。与此同时，博大精深的中华优秀传统文化通过持续向马克思主义输入“优秀因子”，使其越来越与中国的文化传统、国民禀赋、民族品格、民族精神相互融通，越来越具有鲜明的中国特色、中国风格、中国气派和民族底蕴。

Through the mutual integration and mutual achievement of the soul vein of Marxism and the root vein of excellent traditional Chinese culture, Marxism becomes Marxism adapted to the Chinese context and the needs of the times, and excellent traditional Chinese culture becomes modernized Chinese culture. Thus, it can be seen that the process of the Second Integration is precisely a benign interactive process in which Marxism is continuously adapted to the Chinese context and the needs of the times, and Chinese civilization achieves life renewal and modern transformation. In this process, the cultural subjectivity of the Chinese nation is continuously consolidated and strengthened, and advanced socialist culture is continuously enriched and developed.

通过马克思主义这个魂脉和中华优秀传统文化这个根脉的相互融通、相互成就，马克思主义成为中国化时代化的马克思主义，中华优秀传统文化成为现代化的中华文化。可见，“第二个结合”的过程，就是马克思主义不断中国化时代化、中华文明实现生命更新和现代转型的良性互动过程，在此过程中，中华文化主体性不断巩固和增强，社会主义先进文化不断丰富和发展。

3. Continuously Consolidating Cultural Subjectivity in Promoting Cultural Development and Civilizational Progress

3.在推动文化发展和文明进步中持续巩固文化主体性

The “Two Integrations” are our greatest magic weapon for achieving success. The process of integrating the basic tenets of Marxism with China’s specific realities and with the best of traditional Chinese culture is a process of dialectical unity and organic fusion, a process of spiraling ascent that continuously unfolds amid historical progress: the process of integrating the basic tenets of Marxism with China’s specific realities is a process in which the Party leads the people to promote a positive interaction between theoretical innovation and practical innovation; in this process, the theoretical thinking capacity and practical ability of the Party and the people are continuously elevated, the understanding of the laws governing the development and innovation of Marxist theory is continuously deepened, and cultural subjectivity is continuously strengthened. The process of integrating the basic tenets of Marxism with the best of traditional Chinese culture is a process in which the Party leads the people to continuously promote a positive interaction between adapting Marxism to the Chinese context and the needs of the times and the renewal and modern transformation of Chinese civilization; in this process, the Party and the people’s understanding of the laws of cultural development continuously deepens, and the agency, initiative, and creativity in promoting cultural development and civilizational progress increasingly rise. It is precisely in the “Two Integrations” that theory and practice, national character and global character, modern rational spirit and traditional excellent elements are fully embodied in China’s cultural construction and civilizational development process, and Chinese cultural subjectivity is increasingly manifested.

“两个结合”是我们取得成功的最大法宝。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过程，是一个辩证统一和有机融通的过程，是一个在历史进步中不断展开的螺旋式上升的过程：马克思主义基本原理同中国具体实际相结合的过程，是党领导人民推动理论创新和实践创新良性互动的过程，在此过程中，党和人民的理论思维能力和实践水平持续提升，对马克思主义理论发展创新的规律性认识不断提高，文化主体性得到持续增强；马克思主义基本原理同中华优秀传统文化相结合的过程，是党领导人民不断推动马克思主义中国化时代化和中华文明生命更新和现代转型的良性互动过程，在此过程中，党和人民对文化发展规律的认识不断深入，推动文化发展和文明进步的能动性、主动性、创造性日益提升。正是在“两个结合”中，理论与实践、民族性与世界性、现代理性精神与传统优秀元素在我国文化建设和文明发展进程中得到充分体现，中华文化主体性日益得到彰显。

The most powerful embodiment of China’s cultural subjectivity in the New Era is the creation and development of Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era. The series of new concepts, new ideas, and new strategies it contains systematically answer a series of major epochal questions, such as what kind of socialism with Chinese characteristics to uphold and develop in the New Era and how to uphold and develop socialism with Chinese characteristics, fully manifesting the high degree of consciousness and high degree of confidence of the Party and the people in promoting historical development and civilizational progress against the backdrop of coordinating both domestic and international imperatives. [7]7 “Coordinating both domestic and international imperatives” (统筹国内国际两个大局) is a standard formulation in CPC political discourse referring to the strategic task of simultaneously managing China’s internal development and its external relations. The worldview and methodology of Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era provide us with a scientific standpoint, viewpoint, and method for correctly understanding the world and actively transforming it. The great practice and its achievements on the new journey of the New Era will further enrich and develop contemporary Chinese Marxism and Marxism in the twenty-first century, endow the Party and the people with more spiritual strength, theoretical support, and cultural backing, provide a continuous endogenous driving force for China’s development and progress, and further consolidate our cultural subjectivity. On the new journey of the New Era, we must consciously adhere to the guidance of Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era, especially Xi Jinping Thought on Culture, and further consolidate and manifest cultural subjectivity in the historical process of comprehensively advancing Chinese-path modernization and realizing the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation.

新时代我国文化主体性的最有力体现是习近平新时代中国特色社会主义思想的创立和发展。其中包含的一系列新理念新思想新战略系统回答了新时代坚持和发展什么样的中国特色社会主义、怎样坚持和发展中国特色社会主义等一系列重大时代课题，充分彰显了在统筹国内国际两个大局背景下，党和人民在推动历史发展和文明进步方面的高度自觉和高度自信。习近平新时代中国特色社会主义思想的世界观和方法论，为我们正确认识世界、能动改造世界提供了科学的立场、观点和方法。新时代新征程的伟大实践及其成就，将进一步丰富和发展当代中国马克思主义、二十一世纪马克思主义，赋予党和人民更多精神力量、理论支撑、文化支持，为中国发展进步提供源源不断的内生动力，进一步巩固我们的文化主体性。新时代新征程，我们必须自觉坚持以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为指导，在全面推进中国式现代化、实现中华民族伟大复兴历史征程中进一步巩固和彰显文化主体性。

To this end, we must uphold the Party’s leadership position in cultural construction, ensure the correct direction of cultural construction, and provide the fundamental political guarantee for consolidating cultural subjectivity. We must uphold the people’s principal position in cultural construction, fully unleash the people’s enthusiasm, initiative, and creativity, and fully stimulate their creative vitality, profound driving force, and practical mighty power in continuously meeting diverse cultural needs, pushing cultural construction to go deeper. We must uphold self-reliance and self-strengthening, further consolidate the cultural foundation of the “Four Confidences,” [8]8 The “Four Confidences” (四个自信) refers to confidence in the path, theory, system, and culture of socialism with Chinese characteristics, a key slogan promoted under Xi Jinping. and continuously enrich and develop new forms of human civilization in building a culturally strong country. We must uphold fundamental principles and break new ground, consciously take Marxism as guidance, uphold the correctness of the path, theory, system, and culture of socialism with Chinese characteristics, actively adapt to new situations and new requirements, continuously promote theoretical innovation and institutional innovation in further comprehensively deepening reform, and fully stimulate the vitality of cultural innovation and creation. We must uphold openness and inclusiveness, fully absorb and draw upon all outstanding achievements of human civilization, actively practice the common values of all humanity, promote the building of a community with a shared future for mankind, and continuously manifest the global significance of Chinese culture and Chinese civilization.

为此，必须坚持党在文化建设中的领导地位，保证文化建设的正确方向，为巩固文化主体性提供根本政治保证。坚持人民在文化建设中的主体地位，充分发挥人民的积极性、主动性、创造性，在不断满足多方面文化需求中充分激发其创造活力、深厚动力和实践伟力，推动文化建设不断走向深入。坚持自立自强，进一步筑牢“四个自信”的文化根基，在建设文化强国中不断丰富发展人类文明新形态。坚持守正创新，自觉以马克思主义为指导，坚持中国特色社会主义道路之正、理论之正、制度之正、文化之正，积极适应新形势新要求，在进一步全面深化改革中不断推进理论创新、制度创新，充分激发文化创新创造的活力。坚持开放包容，充分吸收借鉴人类一切优秀文明成果，积极践行全人类共同价值，推动构建人类命运共同体，不断彰显中华文化和中华文明的世界意义。

(The author is a professor at the School of Marxism Studies and the School of Discipline Inspection and Supervision, Renmin University of China)

（作者系中国人民大学马克思主义学院、纪检监察学院教授）

Online editor: Chu Yang

网络编辑：初阳