Guiding the Discipline of Ethnology with the Sense of Community for the Chinese Nation

The sense of community for the Chinese nation is the foundation of national unity, the root of ethnic solidarity, and the soul of spiritual strength. The *Decision of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China on Further Deepening Reform Comprehensively to Advance Chinese-Path Modernization* (hereinafter referred to as the *Decision*) emphasizes the need to “construct an independent knowledge system for philosophy and social sciences with Chinese characteristics.” As an important component of philosophy and social sciences with Chinese characteristics, the discipline of ethnology must keep pace with the times, implement the spirit of the Third Plenary Session of the 20th Central Committee of the CPC, and carry out deep reforms to its disciplinary system, academic system, and discourse system. General Secretary Xi Jinping has pointed out that forging a strong sense of community for the Chinese nation is the “key link” [1]1 “Key link” (纲, gang) refers to the master or guiding principle that determines the direction of all other work, a metaphor drawn from the idea of pulling up a fishing net by its main rope. of the Party’s ethnic work in the New Era, and all work must focus on this. As a specialized discipline studying ethnic theory, ethnic issues, ethnic history, and world ethnic groups, ethnology must not deviate from the sense of community for the Chinese nation. Using General Secretary Xi Jinping’s important thoughts on strengthening and improving ethnic work and the sense of community for the Chinese nation to guide ethnology is the primary political task for the current construction of the ethnology discipline.

中华民族共同体意识是国家统一之基、民族团结之本、精神力量之魂。《中共中央关于进一步全面深化改革、推进中国式现代化的决定》（以下简称《决定》）强调，要“构建中国哲学社会科学自主知识体系”。民族学学科作为中国特色哲学社会科学的重要组成部分，要与时俱进，贯彻落实党的二十届三中全会精神，对学科体系、学术体系和话语体系进行深化改革。习近平总书记指出，铸牢中华民族共同体意识是新时代党的民族工作的“纲”，所有工作要向此聚焦。民族学学科作为研究民族理论、民族问题、民族历史、世界民族的专门学科，更不能偏离中华民族共同体意识。用习近平总书记关于加强和改进民族工作的重要思想和中华民族共同体意识引领民族学，是当前民族学学科建设的首要政治任务。

Guiding the Construction of the Ethnology Discipline with Contemporary Chinese Marxist Ethnic Theory

用当代中国马克思主义民族理论引领民族学学科建设

The *Decision* points out the need to “innovate the project of studying and developing Marxist theory.” Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era is the Marxism of contemporary China. General Secretary Xi Jinping’s important thoughts on strengthening and improving ethnic work are an important component of this thought, constituting the Marxist ethnic theory of contemporary China and the fundamental guidance for further deepening the reform and construction of the ethnology discipline. At the Central Conference on Ethnic Work held in August 2021, General Secretary Xi Jinping made a penetrating summary of the Party’s valuable experience in ethnic work into twelve “musts”: we must grasp the historical orientation of the Party’s ethnic work in the New Era from the strategic height of the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation; we must take promoting the common struggle of all ethnic groups for the comprehensive construction of a modern socialist country as the important task of the Party’s ethnic work in the New Era; we must take forging a strong sense of community for the Chinese nation as the main line of the Party’s ethnic work in the New Era; we must adhere to a correct view of Chinese national history; we must adhere to equality among all ethnic groups; we must hold high the banner of the great unity of the Chinese nation; we must uphold and improve the system of regional ethnic autonomy; we must build a common spiritual home for the Chinese nation; we must promote extensive exchanges, interactions, and integration among all ethnic groups; we must adhere to law-based governance of ethnic affairs; we must resolutely safeguard national sovereignty, security, and development interests; and we must uphold the Party’s leadership over ethnic work. These twelve aspects complement each other, creatively integrating Marxist ethnic theory with the concrete realities of China’s ethnic issues, forming a systematic and complete scientific theoretical system. They both carry forward the Party’s ethnic theory and policy in a continuous line and keep pace with the times. This is not only a penetrating summary of the Party’s century-long experience in ethnic work but also a profound elucidation of the correct path for solving ethnic problems with Chinese characteristics. It is the Marxist ethnic theory of contemporary China, providing powerful ideological guidance for forging a strong sense of community for the Chinese nation.

《决定》指出，要“创新马克思主义理论研究和建设工程”。习近平新时代中国特色社会主义思想是当代中国的马克思主义，习近平总书记关于加强和改进民族工作的重要思想是其中的重要组成部分，是当代中国的马克思主义民族理论，是进一步深化民族学学科改革和建设的根本遵循。习近平总书记在2021年8月召开的中央民族工作会议上，对党的民族工作的宝贵经验作出了十二个“必须”的精辟概括：必须从中华民族伟大复兴战略高度把握新时代党的民族工作的历史方位；必须把推动各民族为全面建设社会主义现代化国家共同奋斗作为新时代党的民族工作的重要任务；必须以铸牢中华民族共同体意识为新时代党的民族工作的主线；必须坚持正确的中华民族历史观；必须坚持各民族一律平等；必须高举中华民族大团结旗帜；必须坚持和完善民族区域自治制度；必须构筑中华民族共有精神家园；必须促进各民族广泛交往交流交融；必须坚持依法治理民族事务；必须坚决维护国家主权、安全、发展利益；必须坚持党对民族工作的领导。这十二个方面相辅相成，创造性地把马克思主义民族理论同中国民族问题具体实际相结合，形成了一个系统完整的科学理论体系，既一脉相承又与时俱进地贯彻了党的民族理论和民族政策。这既是对党的百年民族工作经验的精辟总结，更是对中国特色解决民族问题的正确道路的深刻阐释，是当代中国马克思主义民族理论，为铸牢中华民族共同体意识提供了强大的思想引领。

As a secondary discipline of ethnology, Marxist ethnic theory and policy must carry out disciplinary construction under the scientific guidance of the theoretical system of the community for the Chinese nation. We must always adhere to the correct path for solving ethnic problems with Chinese characteristics, take General Secretary Xi Jinping’s important thoughts on strengthening and improving ethnic work as guidance, and commit to the systematic construction of contemporary Chinese Marxist theory, especially the theoretical system of the community for the Chinese nation. We must advance the construction of the theoretical system, discourse system, and disciplinary system for theoretical directions such as classical Marxist ethnic theory, the ethnic theory of the Communist Party of China, the history of the development of Marxist ethnic theory, and the ethnic policies and work of the Communist Party of China. We must strive to solve the problem of Chinese ethnology research being influenced by Western ethnic theoretical thought and discourse systems, and build a discipline of Marxist ethnic theory and policy with Chinese characteristics.

作为民族学的二级学科，马克思主义民族理论与政策必须在中华民族共同体理论体系的科学指引下进行学科建设。要始终坚持中国特色解决民族问题的正确道路，以习近平总书记关于加强和改进民族工作的重要思想为指导，致力于当代中国马克思主义理论特别是中华民族共同体理论体系的系统建构，推进马克思主义经典民族理论、中国共产党民族理论、马克思主义民族理论发展史、中国共产党民族政策与民族工作等理论学科方向的理论体系、话语体系和学科体系构建，着力解决我国民族学研究中存在的被西方民族理论思想和话语体系左右的问题，建设具有中国特色的马克思主义民族理论与政策学科。

Guiding the Construction of the Ethnology Discipline with the Concept of the “Four Shares” [2]2 “Four Shares” (四个与共, si ge yu gong) refers to the four concepts of sharing: sharing weal and woe, sharing honor and disgrace, sharing life and death, and sharing destiny.

用“四个与共”理念引领民族学学科建设

The *Decision* states: “Formulate a law on promoting ethnic unity and progress, improve the institutional mechanisms for forging a strong sense of community for the Chinese nation, and enhance the cohesion of the Chinese nation.” General Secretary Xi Jinping has pointed out that forging a strong sense of community for the Chinese nation means guiding people of all ethnic groups to firmly establish the community concept of sharing weal and woe, sharing honor and disgrace, sharing life and death, and sharing destiny. To implement the spirit of the Third Plenary Session of the 20th Central Committee of the CPC, the primary task is to improve the institutional mechanisms for forging a strong sense of community for the Chinese nation, and the core is to run the sense of community for the Chinese nation through everything. The “Four Shares” are the ideological foundation for continuously forging a strong sense of community for the Chinese nation. To practice the concept of the “Four Shares,” we must correctly handle the relationship between commonality and difference, the relationship between the sense of community for the Chinese nation and the consciousness of individual ethnic groups, the relationship between Chinese culture and the cultures of various ethnic groups, and the relationship between the material and the spiritual; we must educate and guide all ethnic groups to form a high degree of identification with the great motherland, the Chinese nation, Chinese culture, the Communist Party of China, and socialism with Chinese characteristics; we must advance the construction of a common spiritual home for the Chinese nation; we must establish a correct view of history that all ethnic groups jointly opened up the vast territory, jointly wrote the long history, jointly created the splendid culture, and jointly cultivated the great spirit; we must establish the community concept of the Chinese nation that the territory cannot be divided, the country cannot be thrown into chaos, the nation cannot be scattered, and civilization cannot be broken, with all ethnic groups sharing glory and suffering together; we must promote the common march of all ethnic groups towards socialist modernization; we must promote extensive exchanges, interactions, and integration among all ethnic groups; we must raise the level of modernization of the ethnic affairs governance system and governance capacity; and we must resolutely prevent major risks and hidden dangers in the ethnic field. The community concept of the “Four Shares” is an important component of the theoretical system of the community for the Chinese nation. The development process of the Chinese nation has its own uniqueness. To study the history of the Chinese nation’s development, we must use China’s own epistemology and methodology, and cannot simply apply Western ethnic theories.

《决定》指出：“制定民族团结进步促进法，健全铸牢中华民族共同体意识制度机制，增强中华民族凝聚力。”习近平总书记指出，铸牢中华民族共同体意识，就是要引导各族人民牢固树立休戚与共、荣辱与共、生死与共、命运与共的共同体理念。要落实好党的二十届三中全会精神，首要任务就是健全铸牢中华民族共同体意识的制度机制，核心就是要将中华民族共同体意识贯穿其中。“四个与共”是不断铸牢中华民族共同体意识的思想基础，实践“四个与共”理念，要正确处理好共同性和差异性的关系、中华民族共同体意识和各民族意识的关系、中华文化和各民族文化的关系、物质和精神的关系；要教育引导各民族对伟大祖国、中华民族、中华文化、中国共产党、中国特色社会主义形成高度认同；要推进中华民族共有精神家园建设；要树立各民族共同开拓了辽阔的疆域、共同书写了悠久的历史、共同创造了灿烂的文化、共同培育了伟大的精神的正确历史观；要树立国土不可分、国家不可乱、民族不可散、文明不可断的中华民族共同体理念，各民族一荣俱荣、一损俱损；要推动各民族共同走向社会主义现代化；要促进各民族广泛交往交流交融；要提升民族事务治理体系和治理能力现代化水平；要坚决防范民族领域重大风险隐患。“四个与共”的共同体理念是中华民族共同体理论体系的重要组成部分。中华民族的发展历程具有自身的独特性，研究中华民族发展史，要用中国自己的认识论和方法论，不能简单套用西方那一套民族理论。

As a secondary discipline of ethnology, Chinese national studies must clearly take forging a strong sense of community for the Chinese nation and the community concept of the “Four Shares” as guidance. It must guide the construction of disciplinary directions such as the history of exchanges, interactions, and integration among the Chinese nation’s ethnic groups, the experience and policies of building the community for the Chinese nation, the knowledge system theory of the community for the Chinese nation, and traditional Chinese culture and civilization. It must advance research on the general history of the Chinese nation and the history of exchanges, interactions, and integration among the Chinese nation’s ethnic groups, compile textbooks such as *An Introduction to the Community for the Chinese Nation*, and do a good job in the excavation, collation, research, and utilization of cultural relics and ancient texts. We must follow the historical logic and theoretical logic of the Chinese nation’s development, and scientifically reveal the principles, academic theories, and philosophies of the formation and development of the Chinese nation. We must focus on stimulating the initiative, enthusiasm, and creativity of experts and scholars, strengthen the cultivation of young experts and scholars, guide them in the right direction, build platforms for them, create opportunities for them, encourage them to devote themselves to research, accumulate knowledge steadily, and produce original theoretical achievements grounded in Chinese history, interpreting Chinese practice, and answering Chinese questions, thereby providing academic support for the realization of the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation.

作为民族学的二级学科，中华民族学要旗帜鲜明地以铸牢中华民族共同体意识和“四个与共”的共同体理念，引导好中华民族交往交流交融史、中华民族共同体建设的经验和政策、中华民族共同体知识体系理论、中华传统文化与传统文明等学科方向的建设，推进中华民族通史、中华民族交往交流交融史研究，编写好《中华民族共同体概论》等教材，做好文物古籍发掘、整理和研究利用工作。要遵循中华民族发展的历史逻辑、理论逻辑，科学揭示中华民族形成和发展的道理、学理、哲理。要注重激发广大专家学者的积极性主动性创造性，加强青年专家学者的培养，为他们把好方向、搭建平台、创造机会，鼓励他们潜心钻研、厚积薄发，推出立足中国历史、解读中国实践、回答中国问题的原创性理论成果，为实现中华民族伟大复兴提供学理支撑。

Guiding the Construction of the Ethnology Discipline with the Thought of a Community with a Shared Future for Mankind

用人类命运共同体思想引领民族学学科建设

The “Decision” [1]1 “Key link” (纲, gang) refers to the master or guiding principle that determines the direction of all other work, a metaphor drawn from the idea of pulling up a fishing net by its main rope. points out: “Promote the building of a community with a shared future for mankind, practice the common values of all humanity, and implement the Global Development Initiative, the Global Security Initiative, and the Global Civilization Initiative.” [2]2 “Four Shares” (四个与共, si ge yu gong) refers to the four concepts of sharing: sharing weal and woe, sharing honor and disgrace, sharing life and death, and sharing destiny. Building a community with a shared future for mankind is the righteous path that leads the direction of global development. The world today is undergoing changes unseen in a century, and changes of the world, of the times, and of history are unfolding in ways unprecedented. Hegemonic, bullying, and domineering acts such as the strong bullying the weak, taking by force, and zero-sum games are deeply harmful; deficits in peace, development, security, and governance are worsening; human society faces unprecedented challenges; and the people of the world have stronger expectations for peace, development, cooperation, and win-win outcomes. In January 2017, President Xi Jinping delivered a speech at the United Nations Office at Geneva, advocating that all countries jointly build a community with a shared future for mankind, uphold dialogue and consultation, shared construction and shared benefits, win-win cooperation, exchange and mutual learning, and green and low-carbon development, and build an open, inclusive, clean, and beautiful world of lasting peace, universal security, and common prosperity. In addition, at the opening ceremony of the Conference on Dialogue of Asian Civilizations held in May 2019, President Xi Jinping emphasized the need to uphold mutual respect and equal treatment; to appreciate the beauty of others and share beauty among all; to uphold openness, inclusiveness, mutual learning; and to keep pace with the times and pursue innovative development. We must establish a view of civilizations based on equality, mutual learning, dialogue, and inclusiveness, transcend estrangement between civilizations through civilizational exchange, transcend clashes between civilizations through civilizational mutual learning, and transcend superiority of civilizations through civilizational coexistence. These initiatives profoundly grasp the laws of development of human society, draw on the ideological wisdom of fine traditional Chinese culture, stand at the strategic height of the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation and the changes unseen in a century in the world, creatively put forward the important thought of building a community with a shared future for mankind, point the direction and draw a blueprint for the common development, lasting peace, and sustained prosperity of human society, and also provide a Chinese solution to the question of “what kind of world to build and how to build it.”

《决定》指出：“推动构建人类命运共同体，践行全人类共同价值，落实全球发展倡议、全球安全倡议、全球文明倡议。”构建人类命运共同体是引领全球发展方向的人间正道。当今世界正经历百年未有之大变局，世界之变、时代之变、历史之变正以前所未有的方式展开。恃强凌弱、巧取豪夺、零和博弈等霸权霸道霸凌行径危害深重，和平赤字、发展赤字、安全赤字、治理赤字加重，人类社会面临前所未有的挑战，世界人民对和平、发展、合作、共赢的期待更加强烈。2017年1月，习近平主席在联合国日内瓦总部发表演讲，倡导各国共同构建人类命运共同体，坚持对话协商、共建共享、合作共赢、交流互鉴、绿色低碳，建设持久和平、普遍安全、共同繁荣、开放包容、清洁美丽的世界。此外，习近平主席还在2019年5月召开的亚洲文明对话大会开幕式上强调，要坚持相互尊重、平等相待；坚持美人之美、美美与共；坚持开放包容、互学互鉴；坚持与时俱进、创新发展。我们要树立平等、互鉴、对话、包容的文明观，以文明交流超越文明隔阂，以文明互鉴超越文明冲突，以文明共存超越文明优越。这些倡议深刻把握了人类社会的发展规律，汲取了中华优秀传统文化的思想智慧，站在中华民族伟大复兴战略全局和世界百年未有之大变局的战略高度，创造性地提出了构建人类命运共同体的重要思想，为人类社会实现共同发展、长治久安、持续繁荣指明了方向、绘制了蓝图，也为“建设一个什么样的世界、如何建设这个世界”提供了中国方案。

As a second-level discipline of ethnology, anthropology and world ethnology should be guided by the thought of a community with a shared future for mankind, and strengthen the construction of disciplinary directions such as anthropology, overseas ethnography, comparative studies of world ethnic policies, and exchange and mutual learning among world civilizations. It is necessary to optimize disciplinary settings, strengthen disciplinary construction, align research directions, deepen research on major fundamental issues concerning the Chinese national community, strive to solve the problem that China’s ethnological research is dominated by Western ethnic theories and discourse systems, accelerate the formation of China’s independent historical materials system, discourse system, and theoretical system for the Chinese national community, and promote the healthy development of anthropology and world ethnology as disciplines.

作为民族学的二级学科，人类学与世界民族应当以人类命运共同体思想为指引，加强人类学、海外民族志、世界民族政策比较研究、世界文明交流互鉴等学科方向的建设。要优化学科设置，加强学科建设，把准研究方向，深化中华民族共同体重大基础性问题研究，着力解决我国民族学研究中存在的被西方民族理论思想和话语体系所左右的问题，加快形成中国自主的中华民族共同体史料体系、话语体系、理论体系，促进人类学与世界民族学科的健康发展。

In summary, the disciplinary construction of ethnology should take forging a strong sense of community for the Chinese nation as the main line, build a scientific and complete theoretical system for the Chinese national community, and construct a disciplinary system, academic system, and discourse system for ethnology with Chinese characteristics. It is necessary to cultivate high-level specialized talents who are proficient in the theoretical system of the Chinese national community and the Party’s ethnic theory and ethnic policies, master comprehensive and systematic professional knowledge of ethnology, are familiar with the society and culture of various ethnic groups at home and abroad, possess basic ethnological theories and survey methods, and have the ability to collect materials in the field and conduct fieldwork, thereby laying a solid disciplinary and talent foundation for building the common spiritual home of the Chinese nation and forging a strong sense of community for the Chinese nation.

总而言之，民族学学科建设要以铸牢中华民族共同体意识为主线，构建科学完备的中华民族共同体理论体系，构建中国特色民族学的学科体系、学术体系和话语体系。要培养精通中华民族共同体理论体系与党的民族理论和民族政策、掌握全面系统的民族学专业知识、熟悉国内外各民族的社会与文化、具备民族学基本理论和调查方法、具备实地搜集资料和田野调查能力的高级专门人才，为构筑中华民族共有精神家园、铸牢中华民族共同体意识打牢坚实的学科基础和人才基础。

(The author is Vice President of the Chinese Society of Ethnology, and President and Professor of the Yunnan Academy of Social Sciences)

（作者系中国民族学会副会长，云南省社会科学院院长、教授）

Online editor: Huihui

网络编辑：慧慧