Mutual compatibility: The profound cultural heritage of combining the basic principles of Marxism with excellent traditional Chinese culture | China | Basic Principles

Author: Zhang Taiyuan

This is the systematic understanding we have gained in exploring the path of socialism with Chinese characteristics, and it is the greatest weapon for us to achieve success. The premise of "combination" is mutual agreement. Marxism and excellent traditional Chinese culture have different sources, but they have a high degree of compatibility with each other. Mutual compatibility is the key to organic integration. Looking at the long history, it can be found that the combination of the basic principles of Marxism with excellent traditional Chinese culture has deeply influenced the evolution of modern Chinese thought and culture, promoting Marxism to stand out among various conflicting ideological trends and gradually taking root in China. Marxism has provided a powerful ideological weapon for China's revolution, construction, and reform, enabling China, an ancient Eastern power, to create an unprecedented miracle of development in human history.

Part of the collections of the Central General Library of the National Version Museum of China. Shen Jizhong

The report of the 20th National Congress of the Communist Party of China pointed out that "only by combining the basic principles of Marxism with China's specific realities, combining with China's excellent traditional culture, and adhering to the application of dialectical materialism and historical materialism, can we correctly answer the major questions raised by the times and practice, and always maintain the vigorous vitality and vigor of Marxism.". Since Marxism was introduced into China and became the guiding ideology of the CPC, it has always faced the problem of combining with the excellent traditional Chinese culture. Comrade Mao Zedong pointed out, "Today's China is a development of historical China; we are Marxist historians, and we should not cut off history. From Confucius to Sun Yat sen, we should summarize and inherit this precious heritage."

Marxism must be combined with the specific characteristics of our country and achieved through certain ethnic forms."Daily use without awareness" refers to the "coincidence" or "unconscious integration" of thinking patterns. This "unconscious integration" laid the cultural foundation for the combination of Marxist basic principles with excellent traditional Chinese culture. This article only briefly describes a few aspects.

The world for the public and seeking liberation for humanity

Traditional Chinese culture also emphasizes "using the great sages of the world to accomplish great things", "promoting the benefits of the world and eliminating its harms", "worrying about the worries of the world first, and enjoying the happiness of the world later". The Chinese nation emphasizes "practical application" and emphasizes "practice". To govern the world, it is necessary to cultivate one's character in daily life, form an internal constraint, so as to do something and not do anything. It can be said that China has always had a tradition of "governing the country with ideology", and Marxists also pay attention to personal cultivation and "ideological construction", advocating that the transformation of society should first be armed with theory, and requiring people to take communist moral cultivation as a guide for action.

Embracing the world and adhering to the path of "cultivating oneself, governing the country, and stabilizing the world" is very consistent with the requirements of Marxism to master advanced theories, establish ideals and beliefs, and seek liberation for humanity. Comrade Mao Zedong, in the process of accepting Marxism, once called on the Chinese people to "transform China and the world". "We must always work hard! We must always strive forward! Our golden world, a brilliant world, is right in front of us!" His cosmopolitan ideal is "wishing ourselves and others good, in other words, wishing everyone good". This not only reflects the traditional Chinese concept of "the world", but also reflects the persistent pursuit of Marxism for human liberation. It can be said that the combination of the basic principles of Marxism and excellent traditional Chinese culture is a typical embodiment of the CPC people, and it is also the spirit and internal pursuit of the CPC people.

The Unity of Heaven and Man and Materialism

In Marx's view, "only in society, the natural world is the foundation of human existence.". Starting from materialism, Marx regarded humans as "a part of nature" and advocated for "humanizing nature" from a practical perspective and from the perspective of human subjectivity. This is internally consistent with the concept of "harmony between heaven and man" and "the way of nature" in the excellent traditional Chinese culture. The Zhuangzi states: "Heaven and earth coexist with me, and all things are one with me." The Book of Changes points out that the way of heaven lies in "starting all things", the way of earth lies in "generating all things", and the way of man lies in "achieving all things". In nature, although the three have their own paths, they are also interrelated, interconnected, and influencing each other. This kind of "cosmology" of harmonious coexistence between humans and nature has given the excellent traditional Chinese culture a simple materialistic color since ancient times.

The excellent traditional Chinese culture has a clear materialist tendency. Confucius said, "Without knowing life, how can one know death?" In Zhuangzi, it is said, "Beyond the Six Harmonies, sages exist without regard." Wang Chong's "Lunheng" of the Eastern Han Dynasty further embodies a more systematic atheism. The ancient Chinese often said, "Readers do not believe in ghosts and gods!" Therefore, when Chinese people who seek a new spiritual home first came into contact with Marxist materialist historical views, they would feel a rare intellectual resonance. Comrade Mao Zedong once pointed out, "The living people of the world are all one entity of the universe, that is, the truth of the universe, which is inherent in the hearts of everyone. Although there may be partial differences, there are always some parts that exist. Today, I call on the fundamental and fundamental principles, and do the hearts of the world remain motionless? Do all the hearts of the world move, and are there things that cannot be done? Are there things that can be done, and are countries that are not rich, strong, or happy?" "The people" are part of the "universe", and if their hearts "move", they can be "things that are done.". This kind of cognition clearly provides conditions for accepting Marxism's concept of "humanizing nature". In his article "Material Changes and Moral Changes", Li Dazhao applied the materialist view of history to point out that "material changes frequently, and the construction of spirit also changes accordingly", and morality "is formed by adapting to the requirements of material society.".

Putting the People First and Creating History for the People

Marxism believes that the people are the subject and creators of history. Without the people, no picture of history can be unfolded. Chinese excellent traditional culture has had a strong people-oriented ideology since ancient times, such as "the people can be approached, not down", "the rise of politics is in accordance with the people's hearts, the abolition of politics is in opposition to the people's hearts", "generosity to the people can help the people", "heaven regards oneself as the people, heaven listens to oneself as the people", "if one gains the people, they will gain the country; if one loses the people, they will lose the country", "people see the water as the form, and they see the people as the governance is not possible", and so on. Putting the people first and seeking benefits for the people is one of the core contents of excellent traditional Chinese culture.

In 1919, Comrade Mao Zedong wrote "The Great Unity of the People", which on the one hand stated: "There is a very fierce faction that uses the method of 'treating others with their own way'... The leader of this faction is a German named Max." On the other hand, he also said: "Our Chinese nation has great capabilities! The deeper the oppression, the greater the reactionary force, and the longer it is stored, the faster it will develop. I dare to say a strange thing, the reform of the Chinese nation in the future will be more thorough than any other nation. The society of the Chinese nation will be brighter than any other nation. The great unity of the Chinese nation will be brighter than any other region." "The nation leads to success." This not only talks about the Marxist method, but also about the "great ability of the Chinese nation", reflecting the combination of "the people are the foundation of the country" and "the people create history.".

Datong Society and Communism

China has had the ideal of a Datong society since ancient times: "In the journey of the great road, the world is for the public, selecting talents and abilities, and promoting honesty and harmony. Therefore, people do not only care about their own relatives or children, so that they can have a good future in old age, be strong and useful, have their strengths in young age, and be raised for those who are reserved, widowed, lonely, single, or disabled. Men have a share, and women have a place to return. Goods and evil are abandoned on the ground, and there is no need to hide them in themselves; strength and evil do not come from their own bodies, and there is no need to be for themselves. This is why they plan to shut down but do not prosper, steal and do not act, and therefore, they do not close their homes, which is called Datong." Marx described a situation where there is no one. A communist society characterized by exploitation, no oppression, each doing their best, each taking their own needs, and perfection: "What replaces the old bourgeois society with class and class opposition will be such a union, where the free development of each person is a condition for the free development of all." The ideal society outlined by these two ideas has inherent similarities.

Liang Qichao referred to Marx as the "leader of socialism". "Socialists, who have been a specialty of the world for nearly a hundred years, summarize their most important meaning, but say that land and capital are returned to the public, and labor is the source of value for all things." "China has a long history of this." "The ancient Chinese well field system is the same starting point as modern socialism, and many modern people can speak of it.". In 1919, under the new world situation, Li Dazhao proposed that the working class unite to "break national borders and overthrow the capitalist classes of the world" and "strive forward step by step until the Great Harmony of the World". He also called for the organization of a human union in the world, to completely break down the boundaries of species. This is the world unity that we all pray for, and to create an equal, free, and distant world. It is not difficult to see that Li Dazhao, who was moving towards Marxism, clearly understood and interpreted communist society with the concept of Great Harmony.

In 1923, Qu Qiubai praised the October Revolution in his "Red Tide Song", writing: "In the ancient country of the Far East, forty million compatriots sang the praises of sacred labor together." From now on, the gospel will be everywhere, and the world will be civilized. Only for the Great Harmony of Communism! "The combination of" communism "and" great harmony "fully explains the connection and compatibility between the two, as well as the author's understanding of" communism "through" great harmony ". In Aisiqi's view, "the Chinese nation and its excellent traditions have long had the seeds of Marxism." These "seeds" are scattered in various traditional Chinese thoughts and theories, and regardless of the ideas of various dynasties in China, most of them have a positive and upward pursuit, which is the pursuit of an ideal life and society. He believes that this is the most in line with the basic principles of Marxism. "Marxism is scientific communism, and communist society was once an ideal shared by all great thinkers in Chinese history. From Laozi, Mozi, Confucius, Mencius, and even Mr. Sun Zhongshan, they all hope that a 'world for all' Datong society can emerge in the world. Chinese Marxism is nurtured by Marx's theory of scientific communism and grew up from the seeds of the Chinese nation's own communism.". French sinologist Xie Henai once pointed out that "the theory of the five stages of human development from primitive communism to future socialism is reminiscent of the Gongyang School's Confucian view on 'Great Harmony'." "In all Western philosophy, Marxism is undoubtedly the closest to the fundamental direction of Chinese thought.". This kind of similarity, similarity, and consistency is undoubtedly an important factor for Chinese people to choose Marxism among various conflicting political trends after the May Fourth Movement, and can also explain the trend and results of the evolution of modern Chinese thought.

Guangming Daily

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