[Li Xiang China] ＂The Second Combination＂ and Its Ideological Emancipation Significance

　　From "one combination" to "two combinations" and "six must be adhered to", and then to "‘ The second combination ’ It is another ideological emancipation, etc., and the series of important expositions of the Supreme Leader General Secretary have provided fundamental follow-up for continuously promoting the party’s theoretical innovation and building the modern civilization of the Chinese nation. Standing at a new historical starting point, fully understanding the great ideological emancipation, strategic significance and practical significance of the "second combination", constantly deepening the understanding of the party’s theoretical innovation, cultural construction and the law of the development of Chinese civilization, and taking the "two combinations" as the guide, constantly opening up a new realm of China Marxism and building a modern civilization of the Chinese nation are the historical responsibilities and cultural missions entrusted to philosophical and social scientists in the new era.

　　The key to China’s characteristics lies in "two combinations"

　　When presiding over the sixth collective study in the Political Bureau of the Central Committee, General Secretary of the Supreme Leader pointed out: "The important proposition of the modernization of Marxism in China itself determines that we must never abandon the soul pulse of Marxism and the root pulse of Chinese excellent traditional culture. Sticking to this soul and root is the basis and premise of theoretical innovation. Theoretical innovation must talk about new words, but we can’t lose our ancestors. Counting the ancestors is equivalent to cutting off the soul pulse and the root pulse, and eventually we will make subversive mistakes in losing the soul pulse and the root pulse. " The Chinese nation has read a subset of classics and history for thousands of years, and it has nurtured splendid Chinese excellent traditional culture and Chinese civilization in the pattern of agricultural production and the evolution of the Chinese nation’s pluralistic integration. "To know today’s China and Chinese, we must have a deep understanding of China’s cultural blood and accurately grasp the cultural soil that nourishes Chinese." Chinese culture is the spiritual blood and cultural gene of the Chinese nation and constitutes the "root vein" of the Chinese nation. As one of the four major civilizations in the world, Chinese civilization has lasted for thousands of years, and it is the only uninterrupted civilization in the world with outstanding continuity. Chinese civilization is upright and not conservative, respecting the ancient and not retro, and has outstanding innovation; Chinese civilization is an organic whole of the cultural integration of all ethnic groups in China, which has laid a "unified tradition of China culture with Kyushu, Liuhe and the four seas" and has outstanding unity; Compared with western religious culture,Chinese civilization has outstanding inclusiveness; The stability of agricultural production mode and the self-sufficiency of the community have created the outstanding peace of Chinese civilization. It is these five outstanding characteristics that distinguish Chinese civilization from other civilizations in the world, form a unique and distinctive feature in the pedigree of world civilization, and become a unique spiritual symbol of the Chinese nation.

　　We have read Marxism–Leninism for more than one hundred years. Marxism is the foundation of building the party and the country, rejuvenating the party and the country, and constitutes our "soul vein". How to treat and apply Marxism correctly is a fundamental principle problem related to the essence of Marxism. Historical practice has proved that dogmatism and pragmatism are not desirable, which will not only fail to solve the China issue, but will cause incalculable losses to China’s revolution and construction. Only by combining the universal principles of Marxism with the concrete reality of China and studying the China issue with the methodology of Marxist world outlook can we grasp China’s "special logic as a special object", and then transform the abstract universality into the concreteness of China, so as to truly solve the China issue. This is the inevitable logic of "transforming" China with Marxism. On the other hand, once we have grasped the main contradictions and essential provisions of China society in different periods, we have endowed Marxism with vivid China content and national form, and made it develop into a concrete form of China. This is the inevitable requirement of "transforming" Marxism with China. "The reason why our party has made great achievements in various historical periods of revolution, construction and reform, and has been able to lead the people to accomplish arduous tasks that other political forces in China cannot accomplish lies in mastering Marxist scientific theory and constantly promoting theoretical innovation in light of new realities."Why the Communist Party of China (CPC) can and why Socialism with Chinese characteristics is good is, in the final analysis, a Marxist line, a Marxist line with China’s modernization.

　　Contemporary China is the continuation and development of historical China. General Secretary of the Supreme Leader pointed out: "It is the only way to open up and develop Socialism with Chinese characteristics on the profound foundation of Chinese civilization for more than 5,000 years, and to combine the basic principles of Marxism with the concrete reality of China and the excellent traditional Chinese culture. This is our regular understanding in exploring the road to Socialism with Chinese characteristics and the greatest magic weapon for our success. " "Two combinations" is not only a key to understand China in the new era, but also an eye for observing Chinese modernization and new forms of human civilization. The road of Socialism with Chinese characteristics came out under the guidance of Marxism and the history of Chinese civilization for more than 5,000 years. "Why is our socialism different?"? Why can it be full of vitality? The key lies in the characteristics of China, and the key to the characteristics of China lies in ‘ Two combinations ’ " . Therefore, to grasp the China characteristics and essential requirements of China Road and Chinese modernization practice, it is inseparable from the history of Chinese civilization of more than 5,000 years, the development process of Marxism and its China modernization, and the "two combinations".

　　How is the "second combination" possible

　　Judging from the social and historical conditions, Marxism is the wisdom crystallization of industrial and commercial civilization and outstanding human civilization achievements, while China traditional culture is the result of farming civilization and traditional society, both of which are the products of different times. Geographically, Marxism originated in the west and belongs to foreign culture; Chinese excellent traditional culture belongs to local culture. So, how is the combination of the two possible?

　　First of all, from the perspective of historical genesis, the relationship between Marxism and Chinese excellent traditional culture is firstly an existential problem. The encounter between the two stems from the crisis of the Chinese nation in modern times. Traditional culture came into being in a specific soil, that is, traditional farming production mode and ethical society based on patriarchal community, which inevitably has certain limitations of the times. After the Opium War, the fate of the Chinese nation took a historic turn, and the once brilliant Chinese culture gradually became dim. Facing domestic troubles and foreign invasion, where the Chinese nation should go is a matter of life and death. Historical practice has proved that traditional culture is not only unable to cope with the huge impact brought by western industrial civilization, but also unable to solve the problem of China’s future outlet. On the contrary, it is in danger of declining and even cutting off with modern China society. It is precisely because traditional culture can’t solve the problem of China’s modern transformation and outlet that Marxism was introduced into China and took root in China. Historical practice has proved that Marxism and China-era Marxism have saved China and the Chinese nation. It is Marxism and China-era Marxism that have changed and developed China, saved the excellent traditional Chinese culture, not only avoided the interruption of Chinese civilization, but also opened the way to build a modern Chinese civilization.

　　Secondly, the "two combinations" is a comprehensive deepening of the development law of Marxism in China. China itself is the whole of political, economic, cultural and other pluralistic structures. The "first combination" includes not only the combination of Marxism with China’s economic, political, social and other specific situations, but also the combination with China’s cultural traditions. Therefore, the "second combination" itself is implied in the "first combination". In different historical periods, China is in different stages of social development, and there are also important differences in the main contradictions and fundamental tasks it faces. Therefore, the "first combination" has always existed as the fundamental principle of the modernization of Marxism in China, while the "second combination" is more the internal composition and concrete expression of the "first combination", so it has not been promoted as a fundamental principle of the modernization of Marxism in China. Since the 18th National Congress of the Communist Party of China, Socialism with Chinese characteristics has entered a new era, the Chinese nation has ushered in a great leap from standing up, becoming rich and becoming strong, and the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation has entered an irreversible historical process. "Culture is related to the country and the country." Without strong cultural support, any nation or country can’t become a real giant without a soul. In this context,On the basis of the "first combination", General Secretary of the Supreme Leader clearly put forward the "second combination" and promoted it as a fundamental principle of the modernization of Marxism in China, which fully reflected the comprehensive deepening of the CPC Central Committee with Comrade Supreme Leader as the core’s understanding of the law of the modernization of Marxism in China, as well as a high degree of consciousness and profound grasp of the law of the development of Chinese civilization.

　　Finally, Marxism is highly compatible with Chinese excellent traditional culture. Compared with western European society, the evolution of China society follows its own objective logic. We have not experienced the medieval stage of the western style, nor the Christian world in the western sense, and naturally we cannot breed a civil society in the western sense. The excellent Chinese traditional culture bred on the basis of the Chinese national community and the traditional ethical society is naturally different from the western culture bred on the basis of the Christian world and the civil society. Marxism itself is developed on the basis of fully absorbing the outstanding achievements of human civilization, especially revealing the operating mechanism and development law of capitalist society and criticizing and sublating the disadvantages of capitalist society. Although there are important differences in social conditions, background of the times and ideological sources, they are highly consistent with each other: they are highly consistent in opposing individualism, liberalism and private ownership, and the "world view, world view, social view and moral view" contained in Chinese excellent traditional culture … … It is highly compatible with the scientific socialist values. " Traditional China advocates "the world is public" and pursues the social ideal of a well-off society and a world of great harmony; Marxism should go beyond the stage of civil society and capitalism and promote the development and evolution of human society to a higher social form, namely socialism and communism.Chinese excellent traditional culture advocates that "the people are the most important, the country is the second, and the monarch is the light", emphasizing that "the people are the foundation of the country"; Marxism, on the other hand, fully affirms the people’s historical dominant position and emphasizes that the people are the creators of history. Chinese excellent traditional culture advocates "Taoism is natural" and "harmony between man and nature"; Marxism emphasizes that man is the product of nature and pursues the harmonious symbiosis between man and nature. China’s excellent traditional culture advocates transcending narrow nationalism and nationalism, viewing the world from the world, and pursuing harmony and peace. Marxism, on the other hand, stands at the height of world history, emphasizing that the proletariat should "cherish the world", pursue the liberation of all mankind, and devote itself to establishing a consortium of free people. All these fully prove that Marxism is highly compatible with Chinese excellent traditional culture.

　　"The second combination" is a "profound chemical reaction"

　　Only when they fit each other can they be organically combined. So, how to combine? Marxism is the "soul vein" and Chinese excellent traditional culture is the "root vein". The combination of the two is neither a mechanical platter of content nor a simple mix of words and categories, nor is it a Confucianism dominated by Chinese excellent traditional culture. On the contrary, it is necessary to realize the chemical reaction of "soul" and "root" on the basis of Chinese modernization practice. "Combination is not a platter, not a simple physical reaction, but a profound chemical reaction."

　　First of all, take the Chinese modernization practice as the axis, and constantly promote the internal integration of the two. As some scholars have pointed out: "What to inherit and discard from China traditional culture and how to transform and develop excellent traditional culture do not depend on the traditional culture itself, but on the practice of contemporary China. Culture is not a solidified sculpture, but flowing living water, but which direction the water flows is inseparable from the practical needs of reality and the social system. " Only based on the practice of Chinese modernization and guided by the "soul vein" of Marxism can we fully activate the outstanding factors full of vitality in Chinese excellent traditional culture, better realize the creative transformation and innovative development of Chinese excellent traditional culture, and give it a brand-new connotation of the times, so as to make the "root vein" of Chinese excellent traditional culture glow with enduring contemporary vitality. On the other hand, only on the basis of Chinese-style modernization practice can we inject the great spirit and rich wisdom of the Chinese nation into Marxism at a deeper level, truly integrate the essence of Marxist thought with the essence of Chinese excellent traditional culture, and merge with the common values that the people do not realize every day, so as to continuously endow Marxism with distinctive China characteristics and national forms, and make the "soul pulse" of Marxism deeply rooted in the "root pulse" of Chinese excellent traditional culture.Deeply rooted in the historical and cultural fertile soil of our country and nation, we can ensure that the tree of Marxist truth is deeply rooted.

　　Secondly, the result of the "second combination" is mutual achievement, creating an organic and unified new cultural life. On the one hand, the "second combination" has liberated Chinese excellent traditional culture from the past social foundation and social system, and has continuously become a modern culture that meets the requirements of today’s times and meets the needs of contemporary practice; On the other hand, the "second combination" has constantly endowed Marxism with new China connotation, China characteristics and national forms, making it a contemporary China. More importantly, the combination of the essence of Marxism and Chinese excellent traditional culture will inevitably lead to a new chemical reaction and fission in the cultural connotation of Socialism with Chinese characteristics in the new era, which will be cast into a brand-new cultural life, so that the combined new culture will truly become a Chinese-style modern cultural form. For example, the Chinese dream highlights the organic unity of Marxist social ideals and the Millennium dream of the Chinese nation; The people-oriented and people-centered development thought embodies the creative integration of Marxist people’s position and traditional people-oriented thought; The supreme leader’s ecological civilization thought not only realized the inheritance and innovative development of Marxist natural ecological view, but also realized the creative transformation and innovative development of Chinese excellent traditional ecological wisdom; The construction of ecological civilization in China is a vivid practice of this combination in contemporary China. Minding the world itself is the traditional world system, harmony between all nations and Marxism "seeking liberation for mankind"Creative combination, and the concept of community of human destiny is the concentrated embodiment of this creative combination, and so on. All these clearly show that if we don’t start from the "second combination", we can’t fully understand the rich connotation and core essence of the Supreme Leader’s Socialism with Chinese characteristics Thought in the new era, can’t accurately see through the essential attributes of Chinese modernization practice, China characteristics and its development law, and naturally can’t really shoulder the important task of building the modern civilization of the Chinese nation.

　　Finally, the "second combination" will inevitably cast a brand-new form of human civilization. Both "root pulse" and "soul pulse" contain civilization genes different from or surpassing western capitalism, and their combination is bound to create a brand-new cultural life. Create a new form of human civilization different from western capitalism: pacifism transcends the road of external expansion, people-centered sublation of capital-centered, common prosperity transcends polarization, coordinated development of material civilization and spiritual civilization sublates materialism, from tense opposition between man and nature to harmonious coexistence between man and nature, From the old international order of the law of the jungle with the nation-state as the axis to the concept of a community of human destiny based on thinking of the world, from the zero-sum game of hegemonism to the common value of all mankind in win-win cooperation, from formal democracy to people’s democracy in the whole process, from competitive civilization concept to the concept of civilized coexistence of "harmony but difference", and so on. All these have gone far beyond the overall framework of western capitalist civilization, showing a brand-new picture of modernization and human civilization in terms of world outlook, values and methodology, representing the development direction of human civilization progress, and thus will certainly radiate unprecedented charm and brilliant light in the pedigree of world civilization.

　　"The second combination" is another emancipation of the mind.

　　Emancipating the mind means that our ideological understanding conforms to the objective reality, that is, under the guidance of Marxism, we should break through the shackles of backward concepts, habitual forces and subjective prejudices, constantly study new situations and solve new problems. Facing the dogmatism in the early party, Mao Zedong pointed out: "To concretize Marxism in China and make it have the characteristics of China in every performance, that is to say, to apply it according to the characteristics of China has become an urgent problem for the whole party to understand and solve." The proposal of "the China of Marxism" and "the first combination" is itself an ideological emancipation, which has greatly liberated the thoughts of the whole party and the vast number of party member cadres, established the ideological line of seeking truth from facts, and provided scientific guidance for the victory of the China revolution. In 1978, in the face of the "Left" erroneous trend of thought, the whole party and society launched a big discussion on the standard of truth, which formed a rolling tide of ideological emancipation, re-established the Marxist ideological line, and made important ideological guidance and theoretical preparations for opening a new era of reform, opening up and socialist modernization. When the Supreme Leader General Secretary said "‘ The second combination ’ It is another emancipation of the mind, which fully shows the great significance of the "second combination".

　　First of all, as far as the relationship between Marxism and Chinese excellent traditional culture is concerned, the "second combination" has achieved great ideological emancipation. In a certain period of time, there was an understanding in academic circles and society that Marxism and Chinese excellent traditional culture were formed in different regions, historical backgrounds, social foundations and ideological sources, so they did not recognize the possibility and reality of their combination and integration, and even there was such an extreme trend that Marxism and Chinese excellent traditional culture were abstractly opposed: either Marxism was used to deny Chinese excellent traditional culture and move towards historical nihilism and cultural nihilism; Either use China’s traditional culture to deny Marxism and fall into the trap of cultural retro-ism. The "second combination" comprehensively expounds the dialectical relationship between "soul pulse" and "root pulse", expounds the possibility, reality and inevitability of the combination of the two, points out the scientific method, concrete path and modern civilization significance of the combination of the two, and clarifies all kinds of misunderstandings and mistakes in the understanding of the relationship between Marxism and Chinese excellent traditional culture, so it is a major ideological liberation.

　　Secondly, as far as the relationship between traditional civilization and modern civilization is concerned, the "second combination" has promoted the liberation of knowledge. In the past, there was such a metaphysical prejudice that tradition was outdated, backward and stale, and to build modern civilization, we must abandon tradition, and then rigidly oppose tradition and modern civilization. The "second combination" has achieved great liberation in this respect. General Secretary of the Supreme Leader pointed out: "Chinese-style modernization is to continue the modernization of ancient civilization, not to eliminate it;" It is a modernization that grows from the land of China, not the modernization of other countries; It is the result of the renewal of civilization, not the product of the fracture of civilization. " Metaphysical thinking excessively strengthens the fracture between tradition and modernity, and ignores the continuity between them. The "second combination" advocates that China should be regarded as a whole with continuous development, and emphasizes understanding the development and evolution from "Zhai Zi China" to "Why China" from the dimensions of grand historical view and continuity. General Secretary of the Supreme Leader pointed out: "If we don’t know China from the long-standing historical continuity, we can’t understand ancient China, modern China, and even China in the future." In this way, the relationship between tradition and modernity has been completely clarified, and the cultural foundation of Socialism with Chinese characteristics Road has been further expanded and built.It reveals the internal relationship between Chinese modernization and Chinese civilization, and expounds the inheritance and development relationship between modern civilization and traditional civilization of the Chinese nation.

　　Finally, as far as traditional wisdom and overall innovation are concerned, the "second combination" further emancipates the mind. Road self-confidence, theoretical self-confidence, institutional self-confidence and cultural self-confidence are an organic whole. In the past, we often focused on some fields or aspects to talk about the innovation and development of Chinese excellent traditional culture, while the "second combination" broke through this partial understanding and expounded the inheritance and development relationship between "four self-confidences" and Chinese excellent traditional culture from the overall height. The "second combination" further strengthened the cultural foundation of Socialism with Chinese characteristics Road, further consolidated the cultural subjectivity, enabled us to master the ideological and cultural initiative, created the Supreme Leader’s New Era Socialism with Chinese characteristics Thought, and achieved a new leap in the modernization of Marxism in China. The "second combination" further opens up the space for innovation, which not only enables us to better understand the cultural foundation of the Socialism with Chinese characteristics system, but also "enables us to make full use of the valuable resources of Chinese excellent traditional culture in a broader cultural space and explore future-oriented theoretical and institutional innovations". Therefore, General Secretary of the Supreme Leader pointed out: "The people’s congress system and political consultation system initiated by our party are in line with the people-oriented thought of Chinese civilization and the idea of ruling the world together, ‘ Republic ’ 、‘Discuss ’ The tradition of governance, ‘ Compatible and inclusive, seeking common ground while reserving differences ’ Are deeply related to the political wisdom. Instead of federalism and confederation, we have established a unitary state form and implemented a system of regional ethnic autonomy, which is to conform to the general trend of the development of the Chinese nation, which is inward cohesion and pluralism, and to inherit the tradition of China’s cultural unification, which is based on the unity of Kyushu, Liuhe and the world. From the perspective of cultural self-confidence, the "second combination" has pointed out the direction and provided the fundamental follow-up for creating a new culture belonging to our time and building a modern civilization of the Chinese nation. In this regard, the "second combination" shows that our party’s understanding of China’s road, theory and system has reached a new height, that our party’s historical self-confidence and cultural self-confidence have reached a new height, and that our party’s consciousness of promoting cultural innovation in inheriting Chinese excellent traditional culture has reached a new height, so it is a major ideological liberation.

　　(The author is a researcher at Nanjing University Base of Socialism with Chinese characteristics Thought Research Center, the supreme leader of Jiangsu Province.)

　　Audit: Li Jianjun

　　Editor in charge: Jiang Jingliu

　　Network Editor: Zhang Yunan