In the process of establishing and developing historical materialism, Marx and Engels expounded in detail on the historical nature, roots, social functions, and development trends of culture, and formed the Marxist theory of culture. This theory is not a subjective construct of Marx and Engels, but an objective conclusion drawn from their in-depth study and systematic reflection on the practice of social history. This socio-historical practice is the transformation of human society from tradition to modernity and the arrangement of its modernization path. In other words, the formation and development of Marxist cultural theory has always been linked to modernization. Chinese modernization is a major innovation in human modernization, which not only opens up a new path for mankind to achieve modernization, but also opens up a new realm of Marxist cultural theory. On the journey of comprehensively promoting the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation with Chinese-style modernization, cultural thought plays a huge leading role. The modern foundations of Marx and Engels' cultural narratives
Although the founder of Marxism did not explicitly use the concept of "modernization", in the process of his ideological development, it was a clear main line from "criticizing German modernization with British and French modernization, reflecting on British and French modernization as a whole, and exploring the new modernization path of Eastern society". Modernization is the realistic basis of Marx and Engels' historical materialist narrative, as well as the realistic basis of their cultural narrative. Based on the analysis of modernization, Marx and Engels carried out an in-depth study of "culture".
First, "modernization" is a holistic concept that inherently includes cultural modernization. Human society is a "social organism in which all relations coexist simultaneously and interdependently", in which "the sum of the relations of production constitutes the economic structure of society, that is, the basis of reality on which a legal and political superstructure is erected and to which certain forms of social consciousness are adapted". Modernization is a historical transformation of human society from tradition to modernity, which not only includes the transformation of the economic base and superstructure, but also the transformation of ideological and cultural concepts.
Second, modernization is an irreversible historical trend, and the modern transformation of culture is a historical inevitability. Moving from tradition to modernity is an objective law of the development of human society, and "even if a society explores the natural law of its own movement", "it can neither skip nor cancel the natural stage of development by decree". This means that the direction of cultural evolution is inevitably oriented to modernization, and the "one-sidedness and limitations of the nation" in traditional culture are becoming increasingly impossible.
Third, the fundamental driving force of modernization is the transformation of the mode of production, and the modernization of the mode of production is the foundation of cultural modernization. The transformation of the mode of production is the fundamental driving force of social development and historical changes, and "the modern bourgeoisie itself is the product of a long-term process of development, the product of a series of changes in the mode of production and the mode of exchange".
Marx and Engels lived in an era when "cultural history" was prevalent in emphasizing the decisive role of conceptual change in social development, and in the view of the advocates of "cultural history", modern society was opened up by cultural criticism, especially religious criticism and philosophical criticism. In this regard, Marx and Engels pointed out that "the so-called cultural history is all religious history and political history," and its fundamental shortcoming lies in the reversal of "the relationship between the historical narrative of ideas and the historical narrative of reality" and the failure to see that the basis of cultural development is the transformation of the mode of production.
Fourth, in the process of modernization, cultural development is relatively independent and can play a leading role. Engels said: "The development of politics, law, philosophy, religion, literature, art, and so on is based on economic development. However, they all interact with each other and act on the economic base". To promote cultural modernization, we must not passively wait for the spontaneous role of the economic base, but give full play to the initiative and creativity of culture. Philosophy, for example, is because "philosophy, as a particular field of division of labor, in every epoch is premised on a particular material of thought that has been transmitted to it by its forerunners and from which it proceeds." ......Thus, economically backward countries are still philosophically able to play the first violin".
The relevant expositions of Marx and Engels on culture constitute the source of Marxist cultural theory and lay the foundation for our theoretical and practical work. At the same time, we must also realize that due to the reasons of the times, some of their theoretical explorations have not yet been completed. One of the major questions that Marx pondered and asked in his later years was the question of whether the modern transformation of Eastern society must be modeled on Western Europe, and this "Marx's question" was also developed into the question of whether the cultural forms of modern society were pluralistic. Although we can grasp Marx's general view on this question from his opposition to the conclusions of the study of the origin of capitalist production in Western Europe in Capital as a "general philosophy of history", objectively speaking, Marx did not make a direct judgment and a comprehensive exposition on the question of the pluralism of modern cultural forms because a new road of modernization had not yet emerged in that era. This also shows that the answers to relevant questions, including the above questions, constitute an important direction for the development of Marxist cultural theory.
New Developments in Marxist Cultural Theory
Following the path opened up by Marx and Engels, Lenin made useful explorations on what kind of culture is needed for socialist modernization and how to develop socialist culture by criticizing the "economic determinism" of the thinkers of the Second International and leading the practice of revolution and modernization, and achieved a series of major results. It is a pity that after Lenin, the modernization of the Soviet Union gradually fell into ossification while achieving outstanding results, and the development of Marxist cultural theory also came to a standstill. Based on the reflection on the path of cultural development in the Soviet Union, whether it is Western Marxism, Eastern European Marxism, or so-called cultural Marxism, Marxist cultural theory has been reinterpreted, but due to the lack of a modern foundation, these interpretations have fallen into difficulties one after another. In the history of the development of Marxism, it is the Chinese communists who have really promoted the new and major leap forward of Marxist cultural theory with the practice of brand-new modernization. In the course of China's revolution, construction, reform and opening up, the Communist Party of China (CPC) has led the people to create a Chinese-style path to modernization and opened up a new realm of Marxist cultural theory. Specifically, this "new realm" manifests itself in the following ways.
First, it profoundly answered "Marx's question" and scientifically expounded that the road to modernization is the dialectical unity of universality and particularity, and the cultural pattern of modern society is also the dialectical unity of universality and particularity. Chinese modernization fully proves that "when a country moves toward modernization, it must not only follow the general laws of modernization, but also conform to its own reality and have its own characteristics." The "general law" and "national characteristics" of modernization determine that the cultural development of modern society should be oriented not only to modernization, the world, and the future, but also to its own country, nation, and history. This shows that the Western culture, which is based on the road of Western modernization, does not have natural superiority and legitimacy for compulsory export to foreign countries, and that "the ideology and culture of different countries and nations have their own merits, and there is only a difference between the best and the best, and there is no distinction between superior and inferior."
Second, it profoundly answered the "Lenin's question" and scientifically expounded the standpoint, viewpoint, and method of socialist cultural construction. What is socialist culture and how to build and develop socialist culture are major questions that Lenin has been pondering for a long time. Based on Chinese-style modernization, the first cultural thought has comprehensively and systematically answered this question with a series of important expositions such as "two combinations", "three concerns", "seven efforts", "nine insistences" and "fourteen emphasis", and has realized the sinicization and modernization of Marxist cultural thought in promoting the construction of a socialist cultural power with Chinese characteristics.
Third, it profoundly answered the "question of China" and scientifically expounded the relationship between Marxism and the excellent traditional Chinese culture, the outstanding characteristics of the Chinese civilization, and the stance and principle of building the modern civilization of the Chinese nation. How to view the relationship between the basic tenets of Marxism and the excellent traditional Chinese culture and how to understand the relationship between the new form of human civilization and the Chinese civilization, especially the modern civilization of the Chinese nation, are the core issues that have run through the history of the party over the past century. ** The cultural thought points out the essential relationship between Marxism and the excellent traditional Chinese culture with the major thesis of "the second combination", accurately summarizes the outstanding characteristics of Chinese civilization with "continuity, innovation, unity, inclusiveness, and peace", and points out the direction for the construction of modern civilization of the Chinese nation in the new era.
Fourth, it profoundly answered the "questions of the times" and contributed Chinese wisdom and Chinese solutions to the coordinated development of global culture. "Where is the world going?Peace or War?Development or recession?Open or closed?Cooperation or confrontation?It is the question of the times before all mankind." Different cultural stances determine different answers to the "questions of the times". Chinese modernization fully proves that the "zero-sum game" and "hegemony of a strong country" are not the inevitable trend of modernization, and that mankind can achieve modernization on the basis of inclusiveness, mutual learning and peaceful development. Based on this, with major innovative concepts such as "common values of all mankind", "global civilization initiative" and "building a community with a shared future for mankind", the first cultural thought provides a feasible plan for the development of global culture in the era of "great changes unseen in a century", and effectively expands the international vision of Marxist cultural theory.
Promote the construction of a Chinese-style modern cultural form with first-class cultural thought
As the cultural chapter of the socialist thought with Chinese characteristics in the new era, the cultural thought constitutes a powerful spiritual guide for the new era and new journey to comprehensively promote the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation with Chinese-style modernization, especially the construction of a Chinese-style modern cultural form and the construction of a socialist cultural power.
The first is to uphold the unity of the party's leadership and the people-centeredness. Chinese-style modernization is socialist modernization under the leadership of the Communist Party of China, and to build a cultural form of Chinese-style modernization, we must adhere to the leadership of the Communist Party of China, and "we must firmly grasp the leadership, management, and discourse power of ideological work, and we must not leave it behind at any time." Chinese modernization is a people-centered modernization, which is essentially different from the capital-centered modernization of the West. To build a Chinese-style modern cultural form, we must stand firmly on the people's position and adhere to the supremacy of the people. In the creation of literary and artistic works, it is necessary to "take satisfying the spiritual and cultural needs of the people as the starting point and end point of literary and artistic work." In the development of cultural undertakings and cultural industries, it is necessary to "adhere to the people-centered creative orientation and launch more excellent works that enhance the spiritual strength of the people." In the work of philosophy and social sciences, it is necessary to "uphold the viewpoint that the people are the creators of history and establish the ideal of doing scholarship for the people."
Second, it is necessary to persist in the integration of the building of material civilization and the building of spiritual civilization. Chinese modernization is the modernization of material civilization and spiritual civilization in harmony, which determines that the construction of a cultural form of Chinese modernization must be based on economic development and people's prosperity. "The spirit is the soul of a nation's long-term survival, and only when the spirit reaches a certain height can the nation stand firm and move forward bravely in the torrent of history. Therefore, it is necessary to vigorously develop the advanced socialist culture, promote economic development, people's prosperity, and spiritual prosperity with cultural self-confidence and self-reliance, and promote the all-round development of people.
The third is to adhere to the unity of the "two combinations" of Marxism. The construction of a Chinese-style modern cultural form is the due meaning and inevitable result of promoting the "two combinations". On the one hand, theory is the best in practice, and the cultural form of Chinese-style modernization is first and foremost the cultural expression of the practice of Chinese-style modernization under the guidance of Marxism, so we must always adhere to the combination of the basic tenets of Marxism with China's specific reality, and constantly open up new practices of Chinese-style modernization. On the other hand, culture has the nature of inheritance, integration, and innovation, and it is precisely "the 'second combination' that makes Marxism China, and China's excellent traditional culture modern", so we must always adhere to the combination of the basic tenets of Marxism with China's excellent traditional culture, and "let the new culture formed through 'integration' become a cultural form of Chinese-style modernization."
Fourth, adhere to the unity of the cultivation of values and the construction of theoretical systems. Any culture is the unity of "view" and "system". Values are the core and soul of culture, and "for a nation and a country, the most lasting and deepest strength is the core values that are recognized by the whole society." Cultivating and practicing the core values of socialism undertakes the important task of gathering strength and strengthening the foundation for Chinese-style modernization. To build a cultural form of Chinese-style modernization, it is necessary to run through the core values of socialism, and shoulder the historical mission of cultivating people with virtue and culture in the new era. In modern society, culture is the organic combination of discipline system, academic system and discourse system, and the construction of the "three systems" of philosophy and social sciences with Chinese characteristics is the basic path to create a Chinese-style modern cultural form. In this process, first, it is necessary to embody the inheritance and nationality, second, to reflect the originality and modernity, and third, to reflect the systematization and professionalism, so as to comprehensively, systematically and accurately present the cultural form of Chinese-style modernization with philosophy and social sciences with Chinese characteristics, Chinese style and Chinese style.
Fifth, we should adhere to the unity of national character and global character. The subjectivity of culture and the public nature of culture are dialectically unified. In the context of the overall strategy of the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation and the great changes in the world unseen in a century, the construction of a cultural form of Chinese-style modernization should, on the one hand, be based on the position of the cultural subjectivity of the Chinese nation, "summarize the Chinese experience with Chinese principles, and elevate the Chinese experience to Chinese theory", and on the basis of fully drawing on the positive achievements of human cultural development, promote the Sinicization of Marxism and the creative transformation and innovative development of China's excellent traditional culture. On the other hand, based on the public stance of world cultural development, we should advocate respect for the diversity of global cultures and civilizations, promote international people-to-people exchanges and cooperation, promote the common values of all mankind, and inject strong impetus into global peace and development and the progress of human civilization through cultural exchanges and mutual learning among civilizations.
The author is a professor at the School of Politics and Public Administration, Soochow University).
Author: Sang Mingxu **China Social Sciences Daily, Issue 2789, December 7, 2023.