Thinker | Wu Xiaoming: Chinese path to modernization and Marxism Sinicization Modernization | China | Marxism
[Editor's Note] The report of the 20th National Congress of the Communist Party of China proposed to comprehensively promote the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation with Chinese path to modernization. What is the relationship between Chinese path to modernization and the sinicization and modernization of Marxism? What is the significance of this connection throughout the entire historical process? Professor Wu Xiaoming of Fudan University delivered a speech on this topic at the Oriental Forum "Chinese path to modernization Theory Learning Series Lecture".
In the report to the Twentieth National Congress of the Communist Party of China, there is a very important and special concern, that is, Chinese path to modernization. What is the relationship between Chinese path to modernization and the sinicization and modernization of Marxism? What is the significance of this connection throughout the entire historical process? In today's speech, I will discuss the above issues with everyone.
The task of modernization is universal, but its practical implementation is concrete
Let's talk about Chinese path to modernization first. The Communist Manifesto states that due to the opening up of the world market by the bourgeoisie, the entire world is united. The original history was regional and national, but the power of modernity opened up world history. In other words, both regional and national histories have become part of world history. Since modernity opened up world history, modernization has become a universal historical destiny for all ethnic groups. Any nation, as long as it does not want to be destroyed, cannot avoid being involved in the process of modernization. So, we must first recognize that modernization is an inevitable universality for any nation, including the Chinese nation.
But how to understand this universality? What I particularly emphasize here is the understanding of universality since Hegel and Marx, which is that it must be concretized based on specific social conditions and historical environments. If we only focus on abstract universality and impose it on any object when grasping this universality, it would be a mistake of the times. Hegel once said, there is no abstract truth, truth is concrete, and true universality is not abstract universality, but can go deep into concrete and grasp concrete universality. This is a high ideological and theoretical requirement.
Here, I can give two examples.
In 1843, Marx once talked about the question of what path Germany should take. At that time, the advanced countries in the world were Britain and France, especially in the field of social revolution, without a doubt the most advanced were France. Marx's answer to what path Germany will take is very concise and clear: the possibility of the German path lies in the impossibility of following the French path. This is too surprising because we thought that developing countries could only repeat the path of developed countries. At that time, many Germans advocated following the path of France or Britain. But Marx believed that Germany could not follow the path of France because Germany has very unique social conditions and historical environment. In his view, Germany must enter the process of modernization, but the German path can only be truly realistic if it is concretized based on its specific social conditions and historical environment.
In Marx's later years, a large number of advanced Russian elements also sought advice from him on what path Russia should take. Marx made a clear statement in his letters to the editorial department of "The Chronicles of the Motherland" and to Cha Sulich. He pointed out that if the path originating from Western European capitalist development is transformed into a formula of "general development path", and this "super historical" formula is imposed on any nation a priori, it will only lead to completely mindless and absurd conclusions; And Russian rural communes are unique, and it is impossible for them to use British leasing methods to get rid of their difficulties.
Only when we grasp specific universality through specific social conditions and historical environments, can we truly achieve universality, rather than staying at abstract universality. Marx said in the Introduction that this method is dialectics. What does dialectics mean, summarized in one sentence, is to go from abstract to concrete. Or to put it in a familiar phrase, it is to analyze the specific situation, which is the living soul of Marxism.
Although the task of modernization may seem universal, its development and implementation must be concretized based on specific social conditions and historical environments. For China, concretization based on its specific social conditions and historical environment is called "sinicization". The proposal of "Chinese path to modernization" not only summarizes a series of development processes in theory and practice, but also highly reflects the broad creative space that Marxist philosophy can launch in this regard. Without Chinese path to modernization, China's modernization cannot have real reality, and China's modernization process will face many obstacles and setbacks.
The essential connection established with China's modernization process is the sinicization and modernization of Marxism
Practically speaking, the process of Chinese path to modernization is also the process of Marxism sinicization and modernization. Marked by the establishment of the CPC, China's modernization process has established an essential link with Marxism. Perhaps some people may ask that in the early capitalist countries, their modernization had nothing to do with Marxism. Many countries need modernization, but it doesn't seem to have much to do with Marxism either. Why does China's modernization process need to establish a connection with Marxism, and it is an essential connection?
Simply put, any large-scale modernization process requires a specific social revolution to lay its foundation, but the form of this social revolution depends on specific social conditions and historical environment. China's social revolution historically adopted the orientation of New Democracy Socialism, which first established an essential connection between China's modernization process and Marxism. It should be pointed out that Marxism with Chinese characteristics and modernization is the essential link established with China's modernization process. Of course, introducing the theory of Marxism is a very important contribution, but it is not abstract Marxism or Marxism that remains in books that establishes an essential connection with China's modernization process, but rather Marxism with Chinese characteristics and modernization. As we all know, in the early stages of the Chinese revolution, some Marxists were called dogmatic Marxists. Most of them returned from studying in Russia and recited the classics of Marx and Engels, admiring Russia's experience to the point of being completely devoted. We should not think that these people are ignorant and ignorant. They are very knowledgeable and have extensive knowledge. I once joked that among Chinese overseas students, the first one was Xuanzang, and the second one was "28 Bolsheviks.".
It should be acknowledged that these dogmatic Marxists have made contributions to the dissemination of Marxism in China. However, if the theory of Marxism and its theories are only limited to abstract aspects and have only accidental connections with China's historical process and modernization process, without establishing essential connections, it will come at a cost, as evidenced by facts. So, in China's modernization process, whether it is social revolution or construction, what has essential connections is not abstract Marxism, but Marxism that is related to specific social environments and historical conditions, which is a Marxism with Chinese characteristics and modernization.
Unfortunately, in today's field of philosophy and social sciences, such dogmatism still exists, but most of today's dogma comes from the West. Hegel said that there is a type of individual in world history called the "World Historical Individual", who almost stands at the pinnacle of historical development. In Hegel's eyes, Napoleon was the individual of world history, and he even referred to him as the "world spirit riding on horseback.". However, even so, Hegel once criticized Napoleon for attempting to impose France's liberal system on Spain, which ultimately failed. I told my students that I can think of two questions about this matter: the first question, how much difference is there between France and Spain? This difference is very small, and in the eyes of us Chinese people, there is almost no difference. They all belong to Europe and the broad Christian world. Let's think of another question. Napoleon was such a remarkable genius, but even such a remarkable genius could not impose France's liberal system on the Spanish. So, is it possible for someone to try to impose America's freedom system on Chinese people?
Marxism, as a principle or principle, has universality. But as a universal thing, it must also be concretized. So, what has established an essential connection with China's historical practice and modernization process is not abstract Marxism, but Marxism with Chinese characteristics and modernization. In other words, as long as this Marxism remains abstract and universal, and is not concretized according to specific social conditions and historical environments, there is no essential connection between this Marxism and China's specific historical process. Therefore, the sinicization and modernization of Marxism must be concretized according to different historical scenarios and specific social conditions, in order to complete its historical task.
Chinese path to modernization has world historical significance and creates a new form of human civilization
As I said earlier, the process of Chinese path to modernization is also the process of the modernization of Marxism in China. In other words, Chinese path to modernization and the modernization of Marxism in China are the same process. Socialism with Chinese characteristics is not only the development of Chinese path to modernization, but also the development of Marxism in China and the times. And this historical process is opening up a new form of human civilization.
Modernization needs to be concretized based on specific social conditions and historical environments. In other words, different ethnic groups and regions face universal modernization tasks, but the ways in which modernization unfolds are very different. For today's China, if we want to grasp Chinese path to modernization, we should not only recognize that it is related to specific social conditions and historical environment, but also understand that it is opening a new form of human civilization. This is particularly important for today's understanding of Chinese path to modernization.
Socialism with Chinese characteristics has entered a new era, which is a new historical orientation. In this new historical position, socialism with Chinese characteristics, or we can also say that Chinese path to modernization and the sinicization of Marxism have reached a specific turning point. At this turning point, Chinese path to modernization shows its triple significance: historical significance for the Chinese nation, historical significance for world socialism, and historical significance for the overall development of mankind. At a higher level, these three meanings can be summarized as world historical significance. What is the significance of world history? It is a specific historical task undertaken by a particular world historical nation at a specific turning point in history. Due to the higher universality of such historical tasks, it has global historical significance. The reason why this historical significance of the world has emerged is that the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation is opening up a new form of human civilization while completing the modernization task. This is not only of great significance to the Chinese nation, but also has profound significance for the development and progress of world socialism and humanity as a whole.
The report of the 20th National Congress of the Communist Party of China mentioned that Chinese path to modernization has created a new form of human civilization. This is not a casual statement, let alone a cosmetic statement. It describes what is actually happening. In the process of its development, Chinese path to modernization is showing its world historical significance in a new historical position, that is, creating a new form of human civilization. If Chinese path to modernization is only one of the various modernizations in the world, and ultimately becomes a modern country like Germany and France, it will not have world historical significance, but as a special case, as a token, subordinate to the civilization of capitalism, it cannot have higher world historical significance.
What is a new form of human civilization? Firstly, it must complete the task of modernization and possess the fruits of modern civilization. According to Marx's theory, if this is not the case, there will only be the generalization of poverty, so any new civilization must possess the achievements of the previous stage of civilization. When discussing the Russian path, Marx once said that Russia may take this path or that path based on specific social conditions and historical environment, but no matter which path it takes, it must fully possess the achievements of modern civilization. Secondly, the new form of human civilization not only possesses the achievements of modern civilization, but also needs to abandon modernity itself in the process of possessing the achievements of modern civilization. If it cannot surpass or abandon modernity, then it is not a new civilization and cannot have world historical significance. In summary, the new form of civilization should not only fully occupy the achievements of modern civilization, but also promote and surpass modernity itself.
Why does Chinese path to modernization create a new form of human civilization? The report of the 20th National Congress of the Communist Party of China proposed that Chinese path to modernization has five characteristics, which all reflect the characteristics of the new form of human civilization. Due to time constraints, I will only give one example here.
Chinese path to modernization is the modernization of common prosperity for all people, which means that we should make all people prosperous by completing the task of modernization. This statement not only demands possession of the achievements of modern civilization, but also demands transcendence of modernity itself. Capital, as the most important foundation of modernity, its natural and spontaneous trend must be wealth differentiation, rather than common prosperity. Therefore, only by transcending capital, or the absolute power of transcending capital, can this modernization become a modernization of common prosperity for all people.
The new form of human civilization was created in the process of Chinese path to modernization. Our future goal is to comprehensively build a socialist modernized strong country. On the one hand, it is highly modernized and fully modernized, and on the other hand, it is oriented towards socialism, requiring the abandonment and transcendence of modernity itself. So, the historical practices currently being carried out must revolve around the above two aspects: national construction, the new type of major country relations, and the construction of a community with a shared future for mankind.
Tradition is not a pure past, but a past that still exists in the present
Finally, I would like to emphasize that as our modernization task is carried out within specific social conditions, historical environments, and cultural traditions, there must be a question of how to approach tradition in the process of modernization.
Previously, our understanding of tradition was too narrow and one-sided, only treating it as a purely negative thing that we must abandon or block in the process of modernization. But in fact, all the historical practices of the Chinese nation since modern times have never ceased to reveal its cultural traditions as a practical and significant force in reality. Tradition is not a pure past, but a past that still exists in the present. Excellent traditional culture has been opened, revived, and rebuilt in our historic journey. In this sense, Chinese path to modernization shows its new cultural mission. This mission is not to return to the pure past, but to promote the creative transformation and innovative development of excellent traditional Chinese culture. The historical practice of Chinese path to modernization provides a realistic premise for the continuation of Chinese cultural traditions. The development required by this practice not only opens up the inherent locking form of tradition itself, but also creates conditions and sets the basic direction for the selection and development of this tradition.
Biography of Thinkers
Wu Xiaoming, Senior Professor of Humanities at Fudan University, Professor and Doctoral Supervisor at the School of Philosophy, and President of the Shanghai Philosophical Society. The research areas include the history of Marxist philosophy, philosophy of science, and comparative philosophy. He has written works such as "Thinking into the Depth of the Era", "The Decline of Metaphysics", "The Logical Development of Early Marxist Thought", "Science and Society", "The Subjective Concepts of Historical Materialism", etc.
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