Cultural confidence comes from our cultural subjectivity (academic essay)
Since modern times, there have been many debates on how to view Chinese and Western cultures. Over 100 years ago, some people doubted or even denied their traditional culture when they saw Western countries being strong and expanding everywhere, believing that everything in the West was good and that they were inferior to others in every aspect. Some people also hope to learn the strengths of the West while maintaining their own traditions, proposing concepts such as "learning as the body, learning as the application" or "learning as the body, learning as the application".
There are indeed differences between different cultures, and a rational understanding of these differences is necessary. It should be noted that cultural differences cannot be viewed solely from the perspective of development stages. These differences mainly manifest as some cultures developing first and others developing later; It should also be noted that there are typological differences between different cultures. Different countries and ethnic groups in the world have different geographical environments and historical processes, as well as different systems, mechanisms, and customs for inheritance. Therefore, it is not easy to form the same kind of culture. These different types of cultures have different characteristics and styles, but they are all part of the Hundred Flowers Garden of human civilization.
Due to some Western countries being the first to initiate modernization, some people believe that Western civilization is a model for the development of civilization. However, some latecomer countries have copied the development model of Western civilization and have not embarked on the path of modernization. Instead, they have become dissatisfied with the local conditions and have fallen into political and social turmoil. In modern China, many people with lofty ideals explored the path of saving the nation and striving for survival, attempting to imitate the West in terms of systems, concepts, and other aspects, but ultimately ended in failure. From a cultural perspective, if two different types of cultures are rigidly grafted together, it may be difficult to produce fragrant flowers and sweet fruits. The important task of history falls on the CPC. The CPC people find Marxism, resolutely oppose historical nihilism and cultural nihilism, and combine the basic principles of Marxism with China's specific reality and excellent traditional Chinese culture, not only making Marxism have distinctive Chinese characteristics, Chinese style and Chinese style, but also promoting the excellent traditional Chinese culture from tradition to modernity.
After the end of World War II, some developing countries underwent tremendous changes, not only freeing themselves from colonial or semi colonial status politically and achieving independence, but also achieving significant economic development. The changes in economic, political, and social conditions have prompted developing countries to reflect on their cultural traditions, uplift cultural self-esteem and confidence, and more consciously protect their own cultural traditions and build modern culture. For China, especially since the establishment of the People's Republic of China and the reform and opening up, we have spent several decades walking the industrialization process that developed Western countries have gone through for hundreds of years, creating miracles of rapid economic development and long-term social stability, and successfully opening up the path of socialism with Chinese characteristics.
If the differences in the development level of science, technology, and productivity can be caught up with or even eliminated through conceptual and social changes, then cultural differences cannot be solved through the method of catching up, and it is also impossible and unnecessary to solve. A country or a nation must have cultural subjectivity in order to embark on its own path of modernization. Cultural subjectivity is a prerequisite for cultural confidence, and cultural confidence is an important manifestation of cultural subjectivity.Through long-term communication, exchange, and integration, various ethnic groups have developed a sense of unity, integration, and centripetal subjectivity in social and cultural life. The Chinese nation follows a path of civilization development that is different from other countries and ethnic groups. The excellent traditional Chinese culture nourishes the sustainable development of the Chinese nation. The CPC has further consolidated cultural subjectivity by promoting "two combinations". With cultural subjectivity, the Chinese nation and people have a solid cultural foundation of national identity, and can stand firm in the fierce world cultural turbulence, independent and independent in their own path.
Of course, this does not mean that there is no need for communication between different types of cultures. In fact, communication has been ongoing between different types of cultures from ancient times to the present day.The civilizations of different countries and ethnic groups are rooted in the soil of their own countries and ethnic groups, each with its own characteristics, strengths, and advantages. Different civilizations should adhere to mutual exchange, learning from each other, and learning from each other, rather than being separated, excluded, or replaced by each other, so that the world's civilization garden can be colorful and vibrant.
Learning alone without friends is solitary and ignorant. In the long historical process, Chinese civilization has embraced the world with a broad and broad mind, coordinated with all nations, learned from the strengths of others, and embraced everything. We are firm in our cultural subjectivity, and with a broad mind, we draw on the excellent cultural achievements created by different countries and ethnic groups, engage in cultural exchanges and cooperation with countries around the world, and more confidently build the modern civilization of the Chinese nation.
