The Signature Concepts of China’s Independent Ecological Civilization Knowledge System and Their Effects

“To accelerate the construction of philosophy and social sciences with Chinese characteristics is, in the final analysis, to construct China’s independent knowledge system.” Since the 18th National Congress of the CPC, the Party Central Committee with Comrade Xi Jinping at its core has incorporated ecological civilization construction into the Five-Sphere Integrated Plan, carrying out a series of fundamental, pioneering, and long-term tasks with unprecedented resolve, intensity, and effectiveness. Ecological civilization construction has undergone historic, transformative, and overall changes from theory to practice, creating globally recognized ecological and green development miracles, and providing a rich and profound practical foundation for constructing China’s independent ecological civilization knowledge system. General Secretary Xi Jinping emphasizes, “We must be adept at refining signature concepts and creating new concepts, categories, and expressions that are easily understood and accepted by the international community.” As the cornerstone of an independent knowledge system, signature concepts await conscious and proactive analysis and refinement by philosophy and social science workers.

“加快构建中国特色哲学社会科学，归根结底是建构中国自主的知识体系。”党的十八大以来，以习近平同志为核心的党中央把生态文明建设纳入“五位一体”总体布局，开展了一系列根本性、开创性、长远性工作，决心之大、力度之大、成效之大前所未有，生态文明建设从认识到实践都发生了历史性、转折性、全局性的变化，创造了举世瞩目的生态奇迹和绿色发展奇迹，为建构中国自主的生态文明知识体系提供了丰富和深厚的实践基础。习近平总书记强调，“要善于提炼标识性概念，打造易于为国际社会所理解和接受的新概念、新范畴、新表述”。而标识性概念作为自主知识体系的基石，有待哲学社会科学工作者自觉主动地进行分析和提炼。

The Refinement of Signature Concepts

标识性概念的提炼

Analyzing and refining the signature concepts of China’s independent ecological civilization knowledge system is essentially a process of “conceptualizing” theoretical aggregation of the great practice and unique experience of China’s ecological civilization construction. This process involves at least two levels of meaning. On one hand, proceeding from generality, the “conceptualizing” theoretical aggregation process is to use “concepts” as a method to grasp the relationship between humans and the world of objects. That is, in the real relationship between humans and the world, humans as subjects must not only grasp, describe, and explain the real movement of humans, the world, and their interrelations through concepts, but also use concepts to regulate, critique, and reflect on their own thoughts and actions, and further use concepts to construct a regular picture, ideal requirements, and realization pathways for a better world. From this, three types of concepts can be distinguished: “reflective concepts,” “normative concepts,” and “constructive concepts.” On the other hand, proceeding from particularity, the “conceptualizing” theoretical aggregation process is also a process of basing itself on China’s actual conditions to grasp the relationship between China and the world. That is, in grasping the relationship between China and the world, signature concepts are used to answer common theoretical and practical questions for humanity, thereby possessing distinct subjectivity and innovation. This subjectivity and innovation simultaneously possess worldliness; general concepts generated on the basis of local experience will provide entirely new options for other countries to solve common problems.

分析和提炼中国自主的生态文明知识体系的标识性概念，实质上是对中国生态文明建设伟大实践和独特经验进行“概念化”理论聚合的过程，这一过程至少涉及两个层面意涵。一方面，从一般性出发，“概念化”的理论聚合过程就是将“概念”作为方法，去把握人与对象世界的关系。也就是说，在人与世界的现实关系中，作为主体的人既要以概念的方式去把握、描述和解释人与世界及其相互关系的现实运动，又要以概念的方式去规范、批判和反思人自己的思想与行为，还要以概念的方式去建构关于美好世界的规律性图景、理想性要求和实现理路。由此可以划分出三种类型的概念，即“反思性概念”“规范性概念”和“建构性概念”。另一方面，从特殊性出发，“概念化”的理论聚合过程也是立足中国实际，去把握中国与世界的关系的过程。也就是说，在把握中国与世界的关系时，以标识性概念去回答人类共同的理论和实践问题，从而具有鲜明主体性及创新性。而这种主体性和创新性又同时兼具世界性，在本土经验基础上生成的一般性概念，将为其他国家解决共性问题提供全新选择。

Any single signature concept can only reflect a part of the great practice and unique experience of China’s ecological civilization construction. Therefore, it is more appropriate to represent it through a system of signature concepts. This system is composed of root concepts and derived concepts with different superordinate and subordinate relationships. An upper-level root concept can be refined, and from this root concept, a cluster of lower-level concepts with autonomy, innovation, and worldliness—namely “reflective concepts,” “normative concepts,” and “constructive concepts”—can be derived. Thus, the signature concepts of China’s independent ecological civilization knowledge system can be refined and analyzed as follows.

任何单一的标识性概念都只能反映中国生态文明建设伟大实践和独特经验的局部，因此，以标识性概念系统来表征更为合适，这一系统由上下位关系不同的根概念和派生概念集合而成，可以提炼出一个处于上位的根概念，然后从根概念衍生出处于下位的具有自主性、创新性和世界性的“反思性概念”“规范性概念”和“建构性概念”的概念集群。因此，可将中国自主的生态文明知识体系的标识性概念作如下提炼和分析。

“Chinese Marxist Ecology” is a signature concept with the nature of a root concept. First, the guiding position of Marxism in China’s ideological domain determines the overarching character of Marxist ecology as an important component of it, including classical Marxist ecology and Marxist ecology adapted to the Chinese context and the needs of the times. From the perspective of ecological political philosophy, Marxist ecology reflects on the relationship between humans and nature through the relationship between humans and humans, and envisions the construction of a future society where both humans and nature are liberated, and social justice and ecological justice are manifested. The concept cluster of China’s independent ecological civilization knowledge system will grow numerous derived signature concepts from this root concept, thereby constructing a complete conceptual system.

“中国马克思主义生态学”是具有根概念性质的标识性概念。首先，马克思主义在我国意识形态领域占指导地位，决定了作为其重要组成部分的马克思主义生态学，包括经典马克思主义生态学和中国化时代化的马克思主义生态学的统摄性特征。从生态政治哲学的视角审视，马克思主义生态学是经由人与人的关系去反思人与自然的关系，并憧憬建设人和自然双重解放、彰显社会正义和生态正义的未来社会。中国自主的生态文明知识体系的概念集群将由此根概念生长出众多的派生标识性概念，进而建构起完整的概念体系。

The root concept of “Chinese Marxist Ecology” gives rise to three types of derived signature concepts. First, reflective derived concepts: these are conceptualized theoretical aggregations with reflective significance regarding the multiple environmental pollution incidents that have successively occurred in Western countries since the 1930s, and the mechanical view of nature between humans and nature since modern times, in the process of ecological civilization construction. This logically generates signature concepts such as “respecting nature, conforming to nature, and protecting nature” and “a community of life on Earth.” Second, normative derived concepts: on the basis of mirroring and reflection, these are conceptualized theoretical aggregations with normative significance regarding relationships such as human-to-human, human-to-society, human-to-nature, and society-to-nature in China’s ecological civilization construction process. This logically generates signature concepts such as “socialist ecological civilization,” “beautiful China,” and “modernization of harmony between humanity and nature.” Third, constructive derived concepts: in the process of China’s ecological civilization construction, these are conceptualized theoretical aggregations with constructive significance regarding economic, social, cultural, and ecological civilization systems and mechanisms. This logically generates signature concepts such as “lucid waters and lush mountains are invaluable assets” and “coordinated management of mountains, waters, forests, farmlands, grasslands, and deserts.” In this way, the three types of derived signature concepts, using the specific realities of China’s ecological civilization construction and the linguistic features of Chinese-style discourse, establish a tripartite logical framework of “reflection-norm-construction.” This relatively completely interprets the rich connotations of the root concept “Chinese Marxist Ecology,” enabling China’s independent ecological civilization knowledge system to gain a solid foundation and possess a “home” for its narrative carrier.

“中国马克思主义生态学”根概念衍生出三类派生标识性概念：一是反思性派生概念，即在生态文明建设进程中对20世纪30年代以来西方国家相继发生的多起环境公害事件、近代以来人与自然之间的机械自然观等进行反思意义的概念化理论聚合，从而逻辑性地生成“尊重自然、顺应自然、保护自然”“地球生命共同体”等标识性概念；二是规范性派生概念，即在镜鉴反思的基础上，对我国生态文明建设进程中人与人、人与社会、人与自然、社会与自然等关系进行规范意义的概念化理论聚合，从而逻辑性地生成“社会主义生态文明”“美丽中国”“人与自然和谐共生的现代化”等标识性概念；三是建构性派生概念，即在我国生态文明建设进程中，对经济、社会、文化、生态文明等体制机制展开建构意义的概念化理论聚合，从而逻辑性地生成“绿水青山就是金山银山”“统筹山水林田湖草沙系统治理”等标识性概念。这样一来，三类派生标识性概念以中国生态文明建设的具体实际、中国式话语的语言面相，搭建起了“反思—规范—建构”三位一体的逻辑框架，较为完整地诠释了“中国马克思主义生态学”根概念的丰富意涵，使得中国自主的生态文明知识体系获得了坚实根基，拥有了叙事载体的“家”。

The Effects of Signature Concepts

标识性概念的效应

Refining and analyzing the signature concepts of China’s independent ecological civilization knowledge system aims to promote the further development of ecological civilization theory and practice in China and the world. Therefore, they themselves will produce long-term methodological effects. These are specifically manifested as follows:

提炼和分析中国自主的生态文明知识体系的标识性概念，意在推动中国和世界生态文明理论和实践的进一步发展，因此，其本身将产生长远的方法论效应。具体表现在：

First, the effect of adjustment and regulation. Humans’ understanding and grasp of the world are built through the bridge of language. Language belongs to the category of superstructure. Therefore, while social existence determines language itself, language itself also reacts upon social existence, and concepts as constituent elements of language are no exception. When philosophy and social science workers, especially those engaged in environmental humanities and social science research, use signature concepts to grasp the ecological civilization knowledge system and practical process, they are in fact describing, explaining, and reflecting on the laws of interaction between humans and nature, and using the concepts and propositions of the theoretical aggregate to adjust and regulate humanity’s world picture, modes of thinking, and value concepts. The overall semantics of the signature concepts of China’s independent ecological civilization knowledge system indicate that China must actively adjust and regulate its production and lifestyle, promote the transformation of economic and social development toward greening and low-carbonization, accelerate the advancement of Chinese-path modernization of harmony between humanity and nature, and consolidate the ecological foundation for the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation.

一是调适和规约效应。人对世界的认识和把握是通过语言桥梁搭建的，语言属于上层建筑范畴，因此，在社会存在决定语言本身的同时，语言本身也反作用于社会存在，作为语言构成要素的概念也不例外。哲学社会科学工作者，特别是从事环境人文社会科学研究的工作者在以标识性概念把握生态文明知识体系和实践进程时，实则是在描述、解释、反思人与自然的相互作用规律，并以理论聚合体的概念及其命题调适和规约着人类的世界图景、思维方式和价值理念。中国自主的生态文明知识体系的标识性概念的整体语义表明，中国必须主动调适和规约生产生活方式，推动经济社会发展向绿色化、低碳化转型，加快推进人与自然和谐共生的中国式现代化，筑牢中华民族伟大复兴的生态根基。

Second, the effect of revolution and innovation. Signature concepts are historical concepts. Social factors such as economy, politics, and culture, especially changes in productive forces and relations of production, repeatedly present humanity with a constantly changing empirical world, presenting new things and phenomena. Based on this, humanity continuously expands existing conceptual systems and knowledge systems, leading to the withdrawal of outdated concepts, changes in the meaning of original concepts, or the emergence of entirely new concepts. This is akin to what Engels called a “revolution in terminology,” which gives rise to the revolutionary and innovative effects of signature concepts. The signature concepts of China’s independent ecological civilization knowledge system both reflect a critical intention toward the original connotations of concepts such as “nature,” “development,” and “modernization” under the historical conditions of modern capitalist society, generating signature concepts like “respecting nature, conforming to nature, and protecting nature,” “green development,” and “modernization of harmony between humanity and nature.” They also reflect a cultural consciousness of inheriting the excellent traditional Chinese ecological culture and a historical consciousness of directly confronting evolving economic and social conditions, generating signature concepts such as “socialist ecological civilization,” “beautiful China,” and “digital ecological civilization.” These signature concepts possess substantive innovative connotations, transcending the binary opposition between humans and nature that has existed since modern times, effectively integrating the advanced productive forces of digital technology with the advanced socialist relations of production. They will undoubtedly demonstrate to the world the continuous transformation of China’s ecological civilization construction.

二是革命和创新效应。标识性概念是历史化的概念。经济、政治、文化等社会因素，特别是生产力、生产关系的变迁，一再向人类展现着变动不居的经验世界，向人类呈现新的事物和现象，人类据此不断扩展已有概念体系和知识体系，引发陈旧概念的退出、原有概念的意义变化或者全新概念的横空出世，犹如恩格斯所说的“术语的革命”，这就衍生出标识性概念的革命和创新效应。中国自主的生态文明知识体系的标识性概念，既体现出针对近代资本主义社会历史条件下的“自然”“发展”“现代化”等原有概念意涵的批判意向，生成“尊重自然、顺应自然、保护自然”“绿色发展”“人与自然和谐共生的现代化”等标识性概念，又体现出传承中华优秀传统生态文化的文化自觉和直面不断发展的经济社会条件的历史自觉，生成“社会主义生态文明”“美丽中国”“数字生态文明”等标识性概念。这些标识性概念有着实质性的创新内涵，超越了近代以来人与自然二元对立的思维方式，将数字技术先进生产力和社会主义先进生产关系有效融合，必将向世人展现中国生态文明建设的持续蝶变。

Third, the effect of dissemination and selection. An independent knowledge system possesses distinct subjectivity and innovativeness, and it must also have the practicality of being understood and accepted by the community of related knowledge systems. This is even more true for signature concepts: their refinement depends not only on the subject’s conceptual theoretical aggregation of a specific empirical world, but also on the interaction and exchange between subjects. Although the signature concepts of China’s independent knowledge system of ecological civilization are refined on the basis of the concrete practice of China’s ecological civilization construction, they also possess great global significance. The mainstream approaches of developed capitalist countries in Europe and America to ecological issues such as climate change exhibit obvious institutional defects: the individualistic philosophical values and the laissez-faire market economy system derived from them, as well as the liberal democratic system in which “veto politics” [4]4 “Veto politics” (否决政治) refers to a political system, often associated with U.S.-style checks and balances, where multiple veto points allow minority factions to block legislation, leading to gridlock. prevails, have encountered severe challenges in the face of the ecological crisis. With the rise of Western green-left political theory and the creation of China’s green miracle, the dissemination of the signature concepts of China’s independent knowledge system of ecological civilization has acquired a more realistic possibility. The dissemination of the signature concept of “Chinese Marxist ecology” [5]5 “Chinese Marxist ecology” (中国马克思主义生态学) is a term denoting the adaptation of Marxist ecological theory to China’s specific conditions and practices. demonstrates the scientific nature, truth, and strong vitality of Marxism. Signature concepts such as “lucid waters and lush mountains are invaluable assets,” [6]6 “Lucid waters and lush mountains are invaluable assets” (绿水青山就是金山银山) is a famous slogan of Xi Jinping, emphasizing the economic value of environmental protection. “green development,” [7]7 “Green development” (绿色发展) is a policy concept in China that integrates environmental sustainability into economic growth. “a community of all life on Earth,” [8]8 “A community of all life on Earth” (地球生命共同体) is a concept promoted by China, extending the idea of a shared future to all living beings and ecosystems. and “global ecological civilization construction” [9]9 “Global ecological civilization construction” (全球生态文明建设) refers to China’s advocacy for international cooperation in building an ecological civilization worldwide. are theoretical aggregations for solving the worldwide problem of the relationship between development and protection, and the domestic and international issues of ecological civilization construction. They provide entirely new choices for those countries and nations that both wish to accelerate development and hope to protect the environment.

三是传播和选择效应。自主知识体系具有鲜明的主体性和创新性，也要具备为相关知识体系共同体所理解和接受的现实性。标识性概念更应如此，它的提炼不仅取决于主体对特定经验世界的概念化理论聚合，还基于主体与主体之间的相互作用和交流。中国自主的生态文明知识体系的标识性概念虽然是基于中国生态文明建设的具体实践而提炼的，但也极具世界意义。欧美发达资本主义国家在应对气候变化等生态问题上的主流方案存在明显的制度性缺陷，个人主义的哲学价值观及其衍生的自由放任的市场经济体制、“否决政治”盛行的自由民主体制在生态危机面前遭遇了严峻挑战，在西方绿色左翼政治理论兴起和中国绿色奇迹创举的加持下，中国自主的生态文明知识体系的标识性概念的传播有了更为现实的可能性。“中国马克思主义生态学”标识性概念的传播，彰显了马克思主义的科学性、真理性和强大生命力。“绿水青山就是金山银山”“绿色发展”“地球生命共同体”“全球生态文明建设”等标识性概念，是解决发展与保护关系的世界性难题、生态文明建设的国内与国际关系问题的理论聚合，给世界上那些既希望加快发展又希望保护环境的国家和民族提供了全新选择。

(The author is a specially appointed researcher of the Fujian Provincial Research Center for Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era and a professor at the School of Marxism, Fujian Normal University)

（作者系福建省习近平新时代中国特色社会主义思想研究中心特约研究员、福建师范大学马克思主义学院教授）

Online editor: Zhang Jian

网络编辑：张剑