On June 2, 2023, General Secretary ** pointed out in his important speech at the Symposium on Cultural Inheritance and Development that Chinese civilization has outstanding continuity, innovation, unity, inclusiveness and peace. What is the intrinsic relationship between the "five outstanding characteristics" of Chinese civilization? In my opinion, it is of great significance to understand the intrinsic characteristics of Chinese civilization and understand the spirit of the important speech of the general secretary at the symposium on cultural inheritance and development.
Among the outstanding characteristics of Chinese civilization, continuity is the most fundamental. Continuity is the basis and premise of several other outstanding features. If there is no continuity, then there is no other characteristic. Political continuity provides a solid guarantee for the continuity of Chinese civilization. The academic continuity of ancient China is also one of the manifestations of the continuity of Chinese civilization, and the academic tradition of ancient China can be traced back to the Xia, Shang, and Third civilizations. It is precisely because of this that the inner spirit and main characteristics of Chinese civilization have been continued. Only by fully understanding the continuity of Chinese civilization can we better understand the path of Chinese-style modernization.
The innovation of Chinese civilization is the guarantee of continuity. The key to the survival of Chinese civilization in the long history of more than 5,000 years lies in its innovation. Since ancient times, the Chinese nation has been constantly exploring and pursuing innovation. The "reform of the old and the new" and "the glow of the day" mentioned in "Zhou Yi", and the "profit and loss" mentioned by Confucius are all manifestations of the pursuit of innovation in Chinese civilization. It is precisely because of this spirit of innovation that we can continue to create our own material, spiritual and political civilization; It is precisely because of this spirit of innovation that the Chinese civilization has been able to continue from ancient times to the present.
The unity of the Chinese civilization is built on the basis of the continuity and innovation of the Chinese civilization. If the continuity of Chinese civilization is in terms of time, then the unity of Chinese civilization is mainly in terms of space. If a civilization is to be unified in space, it should have continuity in time. On the other hand, continuity needs to be premised on unity. The unity of Chinese civilization is not identity, but pluralistic unity, unity and concentration. The unity of Chinese civilization is not based on blood and ethnic groups, which also determines that Chinese civilization must have an inclusive aspect.
The inclusiveness of Chinese civilization is the proper meaning of unity. The unity of Chinese civilization is eclectic and pluralistic. Judging from historical development, the Chinese nation was gradually formed on the basis of mutual exchanges, mutual exchanges, and mutual integration of various ethnic groups. Chinese culture has also gradually developed on the basis of the integrated development of Confucianism, Moism, Taoism, and Law. Chinese culture not only integrates and exchanges with each other internally, but also has a great spirit of openness and tolerance towards foreign cultures. This open and inclusive civilization has not weakened the unity of Chinese civilization, but has further promoted the formation of the unity of Chinese civilization.
The peaceful nature of Chinese civilization is the inevitable result of inclusiveness. The inclusiveness of Chinese civilization determines that Chinese civilization is not aggressive and combative, but peaceful. The concepts of peace, harmony and harmony have always been an important part of Chinese civilization. Confucianism's advocacy of "benevolence loves others" and "harmony is precious", Taoism's advocacy of "soldiers' ominous weapons", and Moism's advocacy of "both love" and "non-attack" are all manifestations of this thought. The peaceful nature of Chinese civilization is mainly reflected in opposing war, advocating the concept of peace, and pursuing the ideal goal of peace in the world. The peaceful nature of Chinese civilization is based on respect for and tolerance of various cultures.
From the above, it can be seen that the relationship between the outstanding characteristics of Chinese civilization is not random and mixed, but has its own internal logical relationship. Specifically, the continuity of Chinese civilization is the foundation and premise of several other characteristics, and innovation is the guarantee of continuity; Uniformity is based on continuity and innovation; Inclusiveness is the proper meaning of unity; Peace is also an inevitable consequence of inclusiveness. Only by having a comprehensive and in-depth understanding of the Chinese civilization can we more effectively promote the construction of socialist culture with Chinese characteristics and build the modern civilization of the Chinese nation.
Author: Ren Milin, researcher at the Institute of Philosophy, Chinese Academy of Social Sciences
Review: Yin Shubo.
*: China Social Science Net.