Liu Lintao: Looking at the History of the "Second Combination" from Three Dimensions | China | Liu Lintao
Text | Liu Lintao
"The'second combination' is our party's profound summary of the historical experience of the modernization of Marxism in China, and a profound grasp of the law of the development of Chinese civilization." "The'second combination' is another ideological emancipation." General Secretary Xi Jinping's important speech at the forum on cultural inheritance and development profoundly revealed the great significance of the "two combinations", especially the theoretical connotation, quintessence and spiritual essence of the "second combination." it has pointed out the direction for us to strengthen cultural self-confidence, assume the mission, work hard and make joint efforts to create a new culture belonging to our time, and build a modern civilization of the Chinese nation, it highlights the important theoretical significance and practical value of the "second combination.
The second combination is an organic unity of premise and result
The premise of "combination" is mutual agreement. Marxism and excellent traditional Chinese culture originate from different historical circumstances, economic and cultural fields, and their distinct personalities determine the necessity of their combination. From a theoretical perspective, Marxism originated in Europe in the 1840s, mainly from classical philosophy in Germany, political economy in Britain, and utopian socialism in Europe. The mainstream of excellent traditional Chinese culture is Confucianism and Taoism, which can be traced back to the Spring and Autumn Period and the Warring States Period. From a theoretical perspective, Marxism, which emerged in the era of industrial civilization, aims to transform the world and achieve human freedom and comprehensive development by revealing the general laws of human social development. On the other hand, the excellent traditional Chinese culture, especially the Confucian culture, which emerged in the era of agricultural civilization, places greater emphasis on the unity of benevolence and propriety in human relationships and social stability. Therefore, the differences between the two promote complementarity and provide different perspectives for solving China's problems and global challenges. The two have multidimensional compatibility. From a perspective, both Marxism and traditional Chinese culture are comprehensive ideological systems that focus on the field of human social history. From a content perspective, there are commonalities between the "Great Harmony Ideal" and the "people-oriented concept" pursued by excellent traditional Chinese culture, as well as the Marxist ideal of establishing a communist society and the people's stance of historical materialism. From a methodological perspective, the exposition of philosophical ideas, humanistic spirit, educational ideas, moral concepts, and other aspects advocated by excellent traditional Chinese culture, as well as the discourse of dialectical materialism and historical materialism in Marxist philosophy, have mutual reference.
The result of "combination" is mutual achievement. Firstly, the combination of the two is conducive to the creative transformation and innovative development of excellent traditional Chinese culture. The excellent traditional Chinese culture fully demonstrates the theoretical essence and cultural resources of the Chinese nation. Only by adhering to the basic principles of Marxism in practice and exploring the ideological essence of excellent traditional Chinese culture, can we promote the creative transformation and innovative development of excellent traditional Chinese culture in solving the problems of the times and reality; Secondly, the combination of the two promotes the great practice of building a community with a shared future for mankind. The excellent traditional Chinese culture showcases practical wisdom in personal development, social progress, and national governance, while the basic principles of Marxism emphasize the consistency between respecting natural laws and exerting subjective initiative. The former aims to build a harmonious coexistence concept of "harmony between heaven and man" and "the law of nature", while the latter regards the realization of human freedom and comprehensive development as its ultimate goal. These provide important ideological sources for building a community with a shared future for mankind.
The second combination is the organic unity of history and reality
General Secretary Xi Jinping pointed out: "It is not accidental that we have opened up the path of socialism with Chinese characteristics. It is determined by our country's historical heritage and cultural traditions." "If there is no five thousand years of Chinese civilization, where is there any Chinese characteristics? If not Chinese characteristics, how can we have such a successful path of socialism with Chinese characteristics today?" Looking at the glorious history of the Chinese Communist Party for more than 100 years, it is actually a history of continuously promoting the Sinicization of Marxism and continuously strengthening theoretical innovation and theoretical creation.
This century long struggle has not only demonstrated the strong vitality of Marxism to the world, but also demonstrated the charm of China's excellent traditional culture of the times. General Secretary emphasized that "the outstanding traditional culture of China is a prominent advantage of the Chinese nation, and it is the foundation for us to stand firm in the world cultural turmoil. It must be inherited and promoted in conjunction with the new era conditions." This is not only cultural confidence and civilization consciousness, but also a reflection of historical initiative and spiritual initiative. Constantly drawing wisdom and nutrition from China's historical experience and foreign development experience to form new theoretical creation is the internal requirement of the CPC's theoretical innovation. People of the CPC in the new era increasingly realize that carrying forward the excellent traditional Chinese culture is the essence and value of adhering to and developing Marxism. Only by strengthening the roots of excellent traditional Chinese culture can we consolidate the foundation of the great cause of national history; Only by truly doing a good job of "two combinations" can we better promote the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation in an all-round way with Chinese path to modernization.
The second combination is the organic unity of thought and action
Looking back at the glorious history of the Communist Party of China over a hundred years, it can be said that it is not only a history of ideological development combining Marxism with excellent traditional Chinese culture, but also a history of practical development combining Marxism with excellent traditional Chinese culture.
Adhering to and developing Marxism must be combined with the excellent traditional Chinese culture. The tree of Marxist truth can only be deeply rooted in the fertile soil of Chinese history and culture. That is to say, the excellent traditional Chinese culture has always been the ideological and cultural foundation for Chinese people to understand Marxism and let Marx speak Chinese.
The excellent traditional culture of China is the wisdom crystallization of Chinese civilization, which is an important embodiment of the cosmology, worldview, social view, and moral view, such as the unity of heaven and humanity, the world for the public, the people for the country, and the concept of carrying virtue and material. It is highly consistent with the values and propositions of scientific socialism. If we want Marxism to firmly take root in China, we can't get away from the historical basis and mass basis of the Party's great social change of more than one hundred years. With firm historical confidence and cultural confidence, we can connect the essence of Marxist thought with the essence of China's excellent traditional culture, and integrate with the common values that people use daily without being aware of.
The "second combination" consolidates cultural subjectivity, strengthens historical self-confidence and historical initiative, and creates Xi Jinping's thought of socialism with Chinese characteristics in the new era. it has realized a new leap in the Sinicization of Marxism and a new sublimation of Chinese culture and Chinese spirit, and will certainly become the common ideological wealth of all mankind and an important key to solving the problems of the current era.
The author is a teacher at the School of Marxism, Guangdong Pharmaceutical University
This paper is the phased achievement of the 2021 educational science planning project of the Guangdong Provincial Department of Education, "Xi Jinping's Methodological Research on the Important Exposition of Firm Cultural Confidence".
