Promoting High-Quality Development of Cultural-Ethical Progress in the New Era

A country’s strength and a nation’s rejuvenation require the accumulation of material civilization, but even more so the sublimation of cultural-ethical progress. On May 23 this year, the National Conference on Commending Cultural-Ethical Progress was held in Beijing, at which General Secretary Xi Jinping’s important instructions on the work of cultural-ethical progress were conveyed. General Secretary Xi Jinping emphasized, “by promoting high-quality development of cultural-ethical progress, we provide strong spiritual strength for building a strong country and achieving national rejuvenation.” Since the 18th National Congress of the CPC, the Party Central Committee with Comrade Xi Jinping at its core has placed cultural-ethical progress in an important position, deploying and advancing a series of important tasks. The series of important discourses and instructions made by General Secretary Xi Jinping have scientifically answered a series of major theoretical and practical questions concerning cultural-ethical progress in the New Era, deepened our Party’s understanding of the laws governing socialist cultural-ethical progress, and provided important guidance for doing a good job in the work of cultural-ethical progress.

国家强盛、民族复兴，需要物质文明的积累，更需要精神文明的升华。今年5月23日，全国精神文明建设表彰大会在京召开，会上传达了习近平总书记对精神文明建设工作的重要指示。习近平总书记强调，“通过推动精神文明建设高质量发展，为强国建设、民族复兴提供强大精神力量”。党的十八大以来，以习近平同志为核心的党中央把精神文明建设摆在重要位置，部署和推动一系列重要工作。习近平总书记作出的一系列重要论述和重要指示，科学回答了新时代精神文明建设的一系列重大理论和实践问题，深化了我们党对社会主义精神文明建设的规律性认识，为做好精神文明建设工作提供了重要遵循。

I. Deeply Grasping the Important Significance of Promoting High-Quality Development of Cultural-Ethical Progress in the New Era

一、深刻把握推动新时代精神文明建设高质量发展的重要意义

Material civilization and cultural-ethical progress are the summation and crystallization of all the achievements of humanity’s understanding and transformation of the world. General Secretary Xi Jinping pointed out: “When high-rise buildings stand everywhere on our land, the edifice of the Chinese national spirit should also stand tall.” At present, the world is undergoing changes unseen in a century, accelerating in their evolution, and the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation has entered a critical period. The closer we get to the goal of national rejuvenation, the more we need the support of strong spiritual strength.

物质文明和精神文明，是人类认识世界、改造世界全部成果的总括和结晶。习近平总书记指出：“当高楼大厦在我国大地上遍地林立时，中华民族精神的大厦也应该巍然耸立。”当前，世界百年未有之大变局加速演进，中华民族伟大复兴进入关键时期。越是接近民族复兴的目标，越需要强大的精神力量支撑。

The essential requirement for advancing Chinese-path modernization. The coordination of material civilization and cultural-ethical progress is an important feature of Chinese-path modernization. The power of spirit and the power of culture always imperceptibly integrate into economic power, political power, and social power, becoming the “booster” of economic development, the “navigation light” of political civilization, and the “adhesive” of social harmony. To advance Chinese-path modernization, we must continuously enrich the material foundation of modernization, consolidate the material conditions for the people’s happy life, and at the same time vigorously develop advanced socialist culture, strengthen education in ideals and convictions, inherit Chinese civilization, and promote the comprehensive enrichment of things and the all-round development of people.

推进中国式现代化的本质要求。物质文明和精神文明相协调，是中国式现代化的重要特征。精神的力量、文化的力量，总是润物细无声地融入经济力量、政治力量、社会力量之中，成为经济发展的“助推器”、政治文明的“导航灯”、社会和谐的“黏合剂”。推进中国式现代化，必须不断厚植现代化的物质基础，夯实人民幸福生活的物质条件，同时大力发展社会主义先进文化，加强理想信念教育，传承中华文明，促进物的全面丰富和人的全面发展。

The practical need to raise the level of civility in the whole society. Since the 18th National Congress of the CPC, under the high regard and comprehensive promotion of the Party Central Committee with Comrade Xi Jinping at its core, the people’s ideological and moral quality, scientific and cultural quality, and physical and mental health quality have been significantly improved. At the same time, it must also be noted that there are still some problems in the current field of social civility in our country that cannot be ignored. For example, some people suffer from a loss of faith and distorted values to varying degrees; moral anomie and lack of integrity are relatively prominent in some areas; and phenomena that violate the norms of civilized behavior and contravene public order and good customs occur from time to time. The progress of ideas and concepts, the enhancement of civilized quality, and the formation of good customs cannot be achieved overnight. It is necessary to persistently carry out the construction of cultural-ethical progress, firmly establish the common ideal of socialism with Chinese characteristics among the entire nation, promote the main theme and stimulate positive energy, allow scientific theory, correct public opinion, and excellent culture to fill every space of people’s study, life, and interaction, and push the moral quality of the entire people and the level of social civility to a new height.

提高全社会文明程度的现实需要。党的十八大以来，在以习近平同志为核心的党中央的高度重视和全面推动下，人民思想道德素质、科学文化素质和身心健康素质明显提高。同时也要看到，当前我国社会文明领域还存在一些不容忽视的问题。比如，一些人信仰缺失、价值观扭曲不同程度存在，一些领域道德失范、诚信缺失比较突出，违背文明行为准则、违反公序良俗的现象时有发生，等等。思想观念的进步、文明素养的提升、良好风尚的形成不可能一蹴而就，需要通过持之以恒开展精神文明建设，在全民族牢固树立中国特色社会主义共同理想，弘扬主旋律、激发正能量，让科学理论、正确舆论、优秀文化等充盈人们学习、生活、交往各个空间，推动全民道德素质和社会文明程度达到一个新高度。

Providing strong spiritual strength for building a strong country and achieving national rejuvenation. General Secretary Xi Jinping pointed out, “Without the great enrichment of the people’s spiritual world and the continuous enhancement of the national spiritual strength, a country or a nation cannot stand proudly among the nations of the world.” An important reason why the Chinese nation has been able to thrive, pass on its torch, and develop tenaciously over thousands of years of history is precisely because it possesses a consistent spiritual pursuit, spiritual characteristics, and spiritual lineage. In the great practice since the New Era, great spirits such as the spirit of fighting poverty, the spirit of fighting the epidemic, the “three oxen” spirit [1]1 The “three oxen” spirit refers to the spirit of serving the people as a “willing ox” (孺子牛), pioneering and innovating as a “pioneering ox” (拓荒牛), and working hard as an “old ox” (老黄牛), promoted by Xi Jinping in 2021., the spirit of scientists, the spirit of entrepreneurs, the spirit of lunar exploration, the spirit of the New Era Beidou, and the spirit of the Silk Road have been tempered and deeply integrated into the bloodline of our Party, country, nation, and people. They have become precious spiritual wealth that has driven historic achievements and historic changes in the cause of the Party and the state in the New Era, and are a powerful spiritual driving force that inspires us to forge ahead courageously.

为强国建设、民族复兴提供强大精神力量。习近平总书记指出，“没有人民精神世界的极大丰富，没有民族精神力量的不断增强，一个国家、一个民族不可能屹立于世界民族之林”。中华民族在几千年的历史长河中之所以能生生不息、薪火相传、顽强发展，很重要的一个原因就是有着一脉相承的精神追求、精神特质、精神脉络。在新时代以来的伟大实践中，锤炼出的脱贫攻坚精神、抗疫精神、“三牛”精神、科学家精神、企业家精神、探月精神、新时代北斗精神、丝路精神等伟大精神，深深融入我们党、国家、民族、人民的血脉之中，成为推动新时代党和国家事业取得历史性成就、发生历史性变革的宝贵精神财富，是激励我们奋勇前进的强大精神动力。

II. Fully Understanding the Practical Requirements for Promoting High-Quality Development of Cultural-Ethical Progress in the New Era

二、充分认识推动新时代精神文明建设高质量发展的实践要求

On the new journey of the New Era, we must thoroughly study and implement Xi Jinping Thought on Culture, study and implement General Secretary Xi Jinping’s important discourses on cultural-ethical progress, deeply grasp the characteristics of the times and the laws of development of cultural-ethical progress, adhere to upholding fundamental principles and breaking new ground, and promote cultural-ethical progress to show a new look and achieve new accomplishments.

新时代新征程，必须深入学习贯彻习近平文化思想，学习贯彻习近平总书记关于精神文明建设的重要论述，深刻把握精神文明建设的时代特征和发展规律，坚持守正创新，推动精神文明建设展现新气象新作为。

Deepening theoretical armament. Only with strong theory can the direction be clear, the people united, and confidence sufficient. Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era is the Marxism of contemporary China and the Marxism of the 21st century, the essence of Chinese culture and Chinese spirit in the contemporary era, and the banner of thought and soul of the spirit of the entire Party and the people of all ethnic groups in the country. The primary task of cultural-ethical progress is to deeply understand the theoretical logic, historical logic, and practical logic of the Party’s innovative theory in the New Era, and to build a socialist ideology with strong cohesion and leading power. We must unswervingly use Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era to consolidate the soul and unite the heart, consciously use this important thought to arm the entire Party, educate the people, and guide practice, adhere to and apply the standpoints, viewpoints, and methods that run through it, continuously enhance political, ideological, theoretical, and emotional identification with the Party’s innovative theory, consciously cultivate the scientific thinking to observe, interpret, and lead the times, and draw from it the leadership methods, thinking methods, and working methods for guiding practice.

深化理论武装。理论强，才能方向明、人心齐、底气足。习近平新时代中国特色社会主义思想是当代中国马克思主义、二十一世纪马克思主义，是中华文化和中国精神的时代精华，是全党全国各族人民的思想之旗、精神之魂。精神文明建设的首要任务，就是要深刻理解新时代党的创新理论的理论逻辑、历史逻辑、实践逻辑，建设具有强大凝聚力和引领力的社会主义意识形态。坚持不懈用习近平新时代中国特色社会主义思想凝心铸魂，自觉用这一重要思想武装全党、教育人民、指导实践，坚持好、运用好贯穿其中的立场观点方法，不断增进对党的创新理论的政治认同、思想认同、理论认同、情感认同，自觉培养观察时代、解读时代、引领时代的科学思维，从中汲取指导实践的领导方法、思想方法、工作方法。

Emphasizing cultural cultivation. General Secretary Xi Jinping pointed out, “We must attach importance to the role of culture in nurturing the will and cultivating sentiment, and cultivate the whole nation’s vigorous and uplifting spiritual temperament.” With the continuous development of the economy, science and technology, and the profound adjustment of the social structure, social ideas, concepts, and value orientations are becoming increasingly active. It is even more necessary to give play to the leading role of mainstream values, mainstream public opinion, and mainstream culture. We must adhere to the fundamental system of Marxism’s guiding position in the ideological field, develop a socialist culture that is national, scientific, and popular, oriented toward modernization, the world, and the future, and continuously meet the people’s growing spiritual and cultural needs. We must cultivate and practice the core socialist values, so that all the people are closely united in ideals and convictions, values, and moral concepts, and continuously consolidate and develop the common ideological foundation for the unity and struggle of all the people. We must strengthen education in ideals and convictions, further strengthen faith in Marxism, belief in socialism and communism, and confidence in realizing the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation, and consciously become firm believers and loyal practitioners of the lofty ideal of communism and the common ideal of socialism with Chinese characteristics. We must extensively carry out publicity and education on the history of the Party, the history of New China, the history of reform and opening up, and the history of socialist development, strengthen and improve ideological and political work, promote mass cultural-ethical creation and civic moral construction, and continuously enhance the people’s civilized quality and the level of social civility.

注重文化涵养。习近平总书记指出，“要重视发挥文化养心志、育情操的作用，涵养全民族昂扬奋发的精神气质”。随着经济科技持续发展和社会格局深刻调整，社会思想观念和价值取向日趋活跃，更加需要发挥主流价值、主流舆论、主流文化的引领作用。坚持马克思主义在意识形态领域的指导地位的根本制度，发展面向现代化、面向世界、面向未来的，民族的科学的大众的社会主义文化，不断满足人民日益增长的精神文化需求。培育和践行社会主义核心价值观，让全体人民在理想信念、价值理念、道德观念上紧紧团结在一起，不断巩固和发展全体人民团结奋斗的共同思想基础。强化理想信念教育，进一步坚定对马克思主义的信仰、对社会主义和共产主义的信念、对实现中华民族伟大复兴的信心，自觉做共产主义远大理想和中国特色社会主义共同理想的坚定信仰者和忠实实践者。广泛开展党史、新中国史、改革开放史、社会主义发展史宣传教育，加强和改进思想政治工作，推进群众性精神文明创建和公民道德建设，不断提升人民文明素养和社会文明程度。

Promoting integrated development. General Secretary Xi Jinping pointed out: “In the process of modernization, how to handle the relationship between industry and agriculture, and between urban and rural areas, to a certain extent determines the success or failure of modernization.” The integrated development of urban and rural cultural-ethical progress is an inevitable requirement for advancing Chinese-path modernization and an important path to achieving common prosperity in the spiritual life of all the people. We must adhere to systematic planning and overall promotion of the trinity coordinated development of civilized cultivation, civilized practice, and civilized creation, continuously deepen the themes of civilized cultivation, innovate the forms of civilized practice, enrich the activities of civilized creation, and build a new pattern of cultural-ethical progress that resonates at the same frequency and exerts force in the same direction. We must deepen the reform of systems and mechanisms, through cities driving townships and urban-rural mutual promotion, focus efforts on public cultural services, improve the urban and rural public cultural service system, promote the sinking of high-quality cultural resources to the grassroots and reaching the very ends, promote the co-education of thought, coordinated governance, resource linkage, and integrated development, so that urban civilization and rural civilization can each shine in their own way. We must implement cultural projects benefiting the people, establish a diversified and coordinated cultural resource supply system, and enrich urban and rural cultural life. We must focus on the focal issues of urban and rural cultural-ethical progress, improve the quality and effectiveness of civilized city creation, while at the same time paying attention to protecting and inheriting excellent local culture, promoting the transformation of outdated customs, so that tangible rural culture can be preserved and living local culture can be passed down.

推动融合发展。习近平总书记指出：“在现代化进程中，如何处理好工农关系、城乡关系，在一定程度上决定着现代化的成败。”城乡精神文明建设融合发展，是推进中国式现代化的必然要求，也是实现全体人民精神生活共同富裕的重要路径。必须坚持系统谋划、整体推进文明培育、文明实践、文明创建三位一体协同发展，不断深化文明培育主题、创新文明实践形式、丰富文明创建活动，构建同频共振、同向发力的精神文明建设新格局。深化体制机制改革，通过以城带乡、城乡互促，着力在公共文化服务上下功夫，完善城乡公共文化服务体系，推动优质文化资源下沉基层、直达末梢，促进思想共育、治理协同、资源联动、融合发展，让城市文明与乡村文明美美与共。实施文化惠民工程，建立多元协同的文化资源供给体系，丰富城乡文化生活。聚焦城乡精神文明建设焦点问题，提高文明城市创建质效，同时注重保护传承优秀乡土文化，推动移风易俗，让有形的乡村文化留得住，让活态的乡土文化传下去。

Cultivate fine social conduct. In the long course of history, the Chinese nation has continuously pursued the elevation of moral realms, nurturing the precious spiritual character of the Chinese nation and cultivating the lofty value pursuits of the Chinese people. To promote high-quality development of cultural-ethical progress in the New Era, it is necessary to further strengthen the ideological and moral construction of the whole society, stimulate people to form kind moral intentions and moral sentiments, cultivate correct moral judgment and moral responsibility, enhance the capacity for moral practice, especially the capacity for conscious practice, and guide people to yearn for and pursue a life that speaks of morality, respects morality, and upholds morality, thereby generating the power of upward goodness. Vigorously promote the new ethos of the times, deeply implement the project of civic moral construction, carry forward traditional Chinese virtues, strengthen the construction of family, family education, and family traditions, strengthen and improve the ideological and moral construction of minors, and promote the understanding of great virtue, the observance of public virtue, and the strict practice of private virtue. Give play to the exemplary and leading role of advanced models, widely publicize the advanced deeds of moral models, promote the noble character of moral models, guide people to learn from moral models, and strive to become practitioners of lofty morality, defenders of civilized conduct, and creators of a better life.

培育良好风尚。在漫长的历史进程中，中华民族不断追求道德境界的提升，孕育了中华民族的宝贵精神品格，培育了中国人民的崇高价值追求。推动新时代精神文明建设高质量发展，必须进一步加强全社会的思想道德建设，激发人们形成善良的道德意愿、道德情感，培育正确的道德判断和道德责任，提高道德实践能力尤其是自觉践行能力，引导人们向往和追求讲道德、尊道德、守道德的生活，形成向上向善的力量。大力弘扬时代新风，深入实施公民道德建设工程，弘扬中华传统美德，加强家庭家教家风建设，加强和改进未成年人思想道德建设，推动明大德、守公德、严私德。发挥先进典型示范引领作用，广泛宣传道德模范的先进事迹，弘扬道德模范高尚品格，引导人们向道德模范学习，争做崇高道德的践行者、文明风尚的维护者、美好生活的创造者。

III. Establish and Improve a Long-Term Mechanism for Promoting High-Quality Development of Cultural-Ethical Progress in the New Era

三、建立健全推动新时代精神文明建设高质量发展的长效机制

Cultural-ethical progress is not a matter of temporary effort, but a long-term systematic project. To promote high-quality development of socialist cultural-ethical progress, it is necessary to make sustained and unremitting efforts, forming a long-term mechanism for cultural-ethical progress with joint management and shared responsibility, so as to provide solid guarantees and sustained momentum for gathering the mighty spiritual force of Chinese-path modernization.

精神文明建设不是一时之功，而是一项长期的系统工程。推动社会主义精神文明建设高质量发展，需绵绵用力、久久为功，形成齐抓共管的精神文明建设长效机制，为凝聚中国式现代化的磅礴精神力量提供坚实保障和持续动能。

Strengthen the leadership of the Party. Promoting high-quality development of cultural-ethical progress in the New Era is an important cause of the Party and the people. It is necessary to give full play to the Party's core leadership role in exercising overall leadership and coordinating all parties, and to make overall plans for work in propaganda and ideological work, ideology, news and public opinion, philosophy and social sciences, literature and art, and other aspects. On the one hand, Party committees at all levels must shoulder their own responsibilities, insist on placing propaganda and ideological work in an important position in the overall work, strengthen analysis, research, and judgment on major issues and overall guidance on major strategic tasks, firmly grasp the leadership, management, and discourse power over ideological work in their hands, and earnestly implement all tasks of cultural-ethical progress. On the other hand, strengthen assessment and supervision, incorporate the effectiveness of cultural-ethical progress into the assessment of leading cadres' political performance, establish a scientific evaluation system, regularly carry out supervision and evaluation, and ensure implementation and effectiveness. Give play to the exemplary and leading role of Party members and cadres, actively carry out practical activities such as volunteer services and propaganda and education, lead social conduct, and enhance the appeal and influence of cultural-ethical progress.

加强党的领导。推动新时代精神文明建设高质量发展，是党和人民的重要事业，必须充分发挥党总揽全局、协调各方的领导核心作用，统筹做好宣传思想、意识形态、新闻舆论、哲学社会科学、文学艺术等各方面工作。一方面，各级党委必须担负好自己的责任，坚持把宣传思想工作摆在全局工作的重要位置，加强对重大问题的分析研判和重大战略性任务的统筹指导，把意识形态工作的领导权、管理权、话语权牢牢掌握在手中，切实抓好精神文明建设各项工作。另一方面，加强考核督导，将精神文明建设成效纳入领导干部政绩考核，建立科学评价体系，定期开展督查评估，确保落地见效。发挥党员、干部示范带动作用，积极开展志愿服务、宣传教育等实践活动，引领社会风尚，增强精神文明建设的感召力和影响力。

Emphasize coordination and linkage. Establish a leadership system and working mechanism of "unified leadership by Party committees, joint management by the Party and government, organization and coordination by the civilization committee, respective responsibilities of relevant departments, and active participation of the whole society," forming a joint force to promote cultural-ethical progress and solving the problems of fighting separately and dispersing resources. Adhere to the people-centered work orientation, combine serving the masses with educating and guiding them, combine meeting needs with improving literacy, enrich the people's spiritual world, strengthen the people's spiritual strength, and meet the people's spiritual needs. Through holistic thinking, comprehensive arrangements, and systematic deployment, promote the organic connection and orderly coordination of various mechanisms such as organizational leadership, propaganda and education, supervision and inspection, and evaluation and feedback, effectively enabling the value concepts, spiritual pursuits, and social conduct advocated by socialist cultural-ethical progress to permeate people's daily lives and internalize into behavioral norms that are used without conscious awareness. Mobilize and encourage enterprises, social organizations, public welfare groups, and other social forces to participate in the construction of cultural-ethical progress, forming a pattern of co-construction, co-governance, and shared benefits led by the government, supported by society, and participated in by everyone.

注重协同联动。建立“党委统一领导、党政齐抓共管、文明委组织协调、有关部门各负其责、全社会积极参与”的领导体制和工作机制，形成推动精神文明建设的合力，破解各自为战、资源分散的难题。坚持以人民为中心的工作导向，把服务群众同教育引导群众结合起来，把满足需求同提高素养结合起来，丰富人民精神世界，增强人民精神力量，满足人民精神需求。通过整体性思考、全面性安排、系统性部署，促进组织领导、宣传教育、监督检查、评价反馈等各项机制有机衔接、协调有序，有效推动社会主义精神文明所倡导的价值理念、精神追求、社会风尚浸润人们日常生活，内化为日用而不觉的行为准则。动员鼓励企业、社会组织、公益团体等社会力量参与精神文明建设，形成政府主导、社会支持、人人参与的共建共治共享格局。

Deepen reform and innovation. Actively promote innovation in concepts, content, means, and methods, constantly adapt to the development requirements of the times, and ensure that cultural-ethical progress always maintains vigorous vitality and strong vitality. Fully utilize modern information technologies such as the Internet, big data, and artificial intelligence to empower cultural-ethical progress, build and make good use of online platforms, promote the deep integration of content production and information technology, and improve the effectiveness and influence of cultural-ethical progress. Strengthen the construction of online civilization, innovate methods and means, cultivate a positive, healthy, upward, and good online culture, guide netizens, especially young people, to surf the Internet civilly and express themselves rationally, jointly create a clear cyberspace, and maintain a good online ecosystem.

深化改革创新。积极推进理念、内容、手段、方法创新，不断适应时代发展要求，确保精神文明建设始终保持蓬勃生机和旺盛活力。充分运用互联网、大数据、人工智能等现代信息技术赋能精神文明建设，建好用好网络平台，推动内容生产与信息技术高度融合，提高精神文明建设的实效性和影响力。加强网络文明建设，创新方式方法，培育积极健康、向上向善的网络文化，引导广大网民特别是青少年文明上网、理性表达，共同营造清朗网络空间，维护良好网络生态。

(The author is a Wu Yuzhang Chair Professor at Renmin University of China)

（作者系中国人民大学吴玉章讲席教授）

Online editor: Ma Jingren

网络编辑：马京仁