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History may judge the 20th National Congress of the Chinese Communist Party significant in a number of respects--the value of which is bets left to future generations. But most may agree that the full exposition of a now mature elaboration of Chinese Marxist-Leninism for its present historical era is likely to be among its most profoundly important contributions. That, anyway, is the argument that is elaborated in an important essay recently published: 曲青山：深入学习领会习近平新时代中国特色社会主义思想的世界观方法论 [Qu Qingshan: In-depth study and understanding of the worldview methodology of Xi Jinping's socialist thought with Chinese characteristics in the new era]. The essay seeks to extract the essence of New Era thought from the 20th Congress work report delivered by the CPC's general secretary
The essay, in the original Chinese and in a crude English translation follow below. It merits close study - The insights I have mined from its study are these:
1. The object of the essay is to "reveal the theoretical character and distinctive characteristics of Xi Jinping's socialist thought with Chinese characteristics in the new era" [揭示了习近平新时代中国特色社会主义思想的理论品格和鲜明特质]. This act of revelation is grounded in insights about the methodological foundation of Leninism as a pragmatic and dynamic process of refining Marxism to suit the times and the historical conditions in which it is to remain relevant. The essence of theoretical Leninism is to carry forward the theoretical work of Marx and his descendants and project it onto the future. The objective of Marxism as the theory remains the same: the establishment of a communist society in those territories within which the masses have given over the leadership of the collective to its vanguard elements. Likewise the objective of Leninism as a means also remains the same: the organization and institutionalization of the leading forces vanguard and the establishment of the cage of regulation and theory within which it may legitimately carry forward its responsibilities to move society forward toward its Marxist goal. Submerged within this well understood relationship is another--the temporality of theoretical refinements of both Marxism and Leninist organizational theory; each drives changes to the other but neither stands still. And thus the first insight--as powerful as New Era refinement of Marxism-Leninism is in this stage of historical development, it too will eventually be swept aside as it makes possible the movement of both Party and State towards the next era of development. And, indeed, the core objective of New Era theoretical refinement must then to be succeed in such a way that it may be made historically significant but as another step in development.
2. It is only by gasping this sense of structural temporality that one can precisely situate the then quite reasonable insight that "推进马克思主义中国化时代化是一个追求真理、揭示真理、笃行真理的过程" ["Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era has achieved a new leap in the modernization of Marxism in China"]. Just as the CPC is the fundamental guiding institution for the nation (the essence of Leninist institutionalization), so "Marxism is the fundamental guiding ideology for our party building and rejuvenating the country" ["马克思主义是我们立党立国、兴党兴国的根本指导思想。"]. But this turns not on historical Marxism, but modernized Chinese Marxism that is the key. And the doorway to both sinicization and modernization falls to the CPC. And the task of such modernization must necessarily be undertaken through the application of Leninist principles suited to the times. This is understood as Chinese scientific Marxism.
3. There is an essential truthiness to the process of modernization. ("a process of pursuing truth, revealing truth, and practicing truth"--"推进马克思主义中国化时代化是一个追求真理、揭示真理、笃行真理的过程。"). This pursuit is undertaken within history rather than beyond it. Thus incrementalism, and the dialectic of past, present, and future--interpreted within the foundational rationalizing lends of Marxism (another aspect of its scientism)--serve as the foundation stones for the erection of guiding ideology (Marxism) and the principles of its legitimate application in the face of the challenge of contradiction and the duty to move theory forward through stages of historical development (Leninism). In this case, and unremarkably, it follows that the foundations are Marxist, migrating from Europe to Asia in the last century and expressed in every era as successive waves of refinement to make theory relevant to the times. However, what makes theory relevant to the place is something entirely distinct (and here a break with some classical interpretations of historical Maoism): "in line with China's excellent traditional culture" ["同中华优秀传统文化相"].
4. This brings one back from the theory of dynamic and temporally relevant innovation (refinement) of historically relevant interpretation of Marxism by an equally evolving Leninist institutional enterprise to the pragmatics of its application in situ. That produces, then, a sensitivity to an interpretive project functionally dependent on facts (and thus the Facts part of truth from facts): referenced in the essay as the need to develop a contemporary Marxism that must be integrated with China's "concrete reality" ["坚持和发展马克思主义，必须同中国具体实际相结合。"]. The performance of this insight is measured in the breadth of innovation suitable to the times, the place, and the audience. It suggests that Marxism, and its Leninist architecture--like liberal democracy--is a bespoke project aligned with a unifying core objective exogenous to the momentary desires and practices of the collective. But it is in that unifying exogenous project (Marxism) that Marxist-Leninism differentiates itself from liberal democracy--the bespoke characteristics of which are meant not to achieve a particular objective but rather to ensure that the system maximizes collective self-determination (the ideological error trap of many in the liberal democratic left and right is in the belief that they are chosen to push the collective to this or that socially appealing (at the time) objective).
5. That brings one back to the characterization of New Era refinement as the product of the marriage of Sinicized Marxist-Leninism with extractable and enduring Chinese pre-Marxist cultural production. "The tree of truth of Marxism can take root and flourish only if it is rooted in the country, the fertile soil of the nation's history and culture " ["只有植根本国、本民族历史文化沃土，马克思主义真理之树才能根深叶茂"]. This union of past and prsent, of culture and collective, and of the obligation of leading social forces to marshal the collective to the task of objectifying the past as instruments that must be deployed to push society forward is the essence of the idea. Here, it is evidenced by the alignment of New Era foregrounding on trustworthiness, sustainability, virtue and the like as essential normative elements of Marxist theory and Leninist practice--both of which derive from or adsorb the cultural foundations of the place in which it is rooted. This, perhapsd, provides the clearest window onto the normative core of New Era innovation:
We must be firm in our historical and cultural self-confidence, insist on using the past for the present, weeding out the old to bring forth the new, linking the essence of Marxist thought with the essence of Chinese excellent traditional culture and the common values that the people use every day without realizing it, and constantly endowing China with distinctive scientific theories. characteristics, and constantly consolidate the historical foundation and mass foundation of the Sinicization and modernization of Marxism, so that Marxism can firmly take root in China. ["我们必须坚定历史自信、文化自信，坚持古为今用、推陈出新，把马克思主义思想精髓同中华优秀传统文化精华贯通起来、同人民群众日用而不觉的共同价值观念融通起来，不断赋予科学理论鲜明的中国特色，不断夯实马克思主义中国化时代化的历史基础和群众基础，让马克思主义在中国牢牢扎根。"]6. At last, then, the consequences of this structural refinement of Marxism and Leninism might be better exposed--the understanding that neither stands still, that legitimacy is dependent on relevance to the times and the place where it is applied, and that even the most brilliant contemporary expression of both marks its success by the shortness of its relevance. In a sense, then, New Era refinement already prepares both the CPC and its core for its replacement by what must inevitably come later. The task of accelerating that movement forward, of course, is itself inherent in the Leninist ideal of democratic centralism, and of the reliance on the collective wisdom of the vanguard to ensure that core principles of Marxist collectivity (from class struggle through cultural solidarity) are not abandoned.
7. To that end of continuous innovation, the author suggests that the New Era Leninist refinement offers a trans-historical performative structure through the so-called six persistence development principles (first circulated in 2015 as part of the "Proposals of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China on Formulating the Thirteenth Five-Year Plan for National Economic and Social Development" [《中共中央关于制定国民经济和社会发展第十三个五年规划的建议》]. "These six persistences are: Adhere to the people first, adhere to self-confidence and self-reliance, adhere to integrity and innovation, adhere to problem orientation, adhere to system concepts, and persist in thinking about the world" [这六个坚持是，坚持人民至上、坚持自信自立、坚持守正创新、坚持问题导向、坚持系统观念、坚持胸怀天下"]. One hears echos of the Four Cardinal Principles of course--and to other expressions of ideological foregrounding suitable to the times. Their interpretation and application can both guide contemporary application of the CPC Basic Line in any era and serve as the bridge between ideological eras. And indeed, Even as New Era refinements join Reform and Opening Up, Sange Daibiao and other expressions that have become historically situated--its core insights remain important elements of contemporary innovation int he sense that their principles provide the structure within which contemporaneity interpretation and innovation may be founded and legitimated.8. Thus constructed, the ideology can be understood as a set of objectified thought-objects the arrangement of which can be specifically targeted. The foundation, of course, is in them mass line. And the ongoing project of Leninist perfectibility is grounded in developing operationally legitimate inter-connected modalities of self reflexivity between collectives and leadership cores. But that too is functionally dependent on place and time. And again--the building block of core and collective is dependent on a managed (from the top) interaction between guide and guided, where the guided are meant to feel a large stake in the development of guidance. Or in the language of the essay: "Questions are the voice of the times, and answering and guiding the solution of them is the fundamental task of theory. Everything is interrelated and interdependent. Only by observing things from a universally connected, comprehensive and systematic perspective of development and change can we grasp the laws of development of things" ["问题是时代的声音，回答并指导解决问题是理论的根本任务。万事万物是相互联系、相互依存的，只有用普遍联系的、全面系统的、发展变化的观点观察事物，才能把握事物发展规律。"]. This applies both to the inward and outward expression of dynamic Marxism and Leninism.
Where this will go remains to be seen; its application on a more granular level--especially to the caging of administrative discretion and the guidance of officials in translating theory to policy--and the ability of the center to effectively coordinate and direct the elaboration of New Era principles on the ground remains to be seen. In that context, though, the more transparent basis for these tasks, bound up in an embedding of curated cultural practices and values, and of the necessarily temporary basis of any expression of (at least in the margins) the Basic Line, provides an interesting space for innovation, within a system that as expressed outwardly values prosperity and stability most.
曲青山：深入学习领会习近平新时代中国特色社会主义思想的世界观方法论
习近平总书记在党的二十大报告中指出，要把握好新时代中国特色社会主义思想的世界观和方法论，坚持好、运用好贯穿其中的立场观点方法。这深刻揭示了习近平新时代中国特色社会主义思想的理论品格和鲜明特质。
习近平新时代中国特色社会主义思想实现了马克思主义中国化时代化新的飞跃。马克思主义是我们立党立国、兴党兴国的根本指导思想。实践告诉我们，中国共产党为什么能，中国特色社会主义为什么好，归根到底是马克思主义行，是中国化时代化的马克思主义行。拥有马克思主义科学理论指导是我们党坚定信仰信念、把握历史主动的根本所在。
推进马克思主义中国化时代化是一个追求真理、揭示真理、笃行真理的过程。党的十八大以来，面对国内外形势新变化和实践新要求，以习近平同志为主要代表的中国共产党人，坚持把马克思主义基本原理同中国具体实际相结合、同中华优秀传统文化相结合，坚持毛泽东思想、邓小平理论、“三个代表”重要思想、科学发展观，深刻总结并充分运用党成立以来的历史经验，从新的实际出发，创立了习近平新时代中国特色社会主义思想，以全新的视野深化对共产党执政规律、社会主义建设规律、人类社会发展规律的认识，为推进中国特色社会主义事业提供了科学思想指引。
坚持和发展马克思主义，必须同中国具体实际相结合。马克思主义的生命力、活力、魅力在于创新，在于同各个国家、民族的具体实际和时代特征相结合。马克思主义是我们行动的指南，而不是一成不变的教条。我们必须坚持解放思想、实事求是、与时俱进、求真务实，一切从实际出发，着眼解决新时代改革开放和社会主义现代化建设的实际问题，不断回答中国之问、世界之问、人民之问、时代之问，作出符合中国实际和时代要求的正确回答，得出符合客观规律的科学认识，形成与时俱进的理论成果，更好指导中国实践。
坚持和发展马克思主义，必须同中华优秀传统文化相结合。只有植根本国、本民族历史文化沃土，马克思主义真理之树才能根深叶茂。中华优秀传统文化源远流长、博大精深，是中华文明的智慧结晶，其中蕴含的天下为公、民为邦本、为政以德、革故鼎新、任人唯贤、天人合一、自强不息、厚德载物、讲信修睦、亲仁善邻等，是中国人民在长期生产生活中积累的宇宙观、天下观、社会观、道德观的重要体现，同科学社会主义价值观主张具有高度契合性。我们必须坚定历史自信、文化自信，坚持古为今用、推陈出新，把马克思主义思想精髓同中华优秀传统文化精华贯通起来、同人民群众日用而不觉的共同价值观念融通起来，不断赋予科学理论鲜明的中国特色，不断夯实马克思主义中国化时代化的历史基础和群众基础，让马克思主义在中国牢牢扎根。
实践没有止境，理论创新也没有止境。不断谱写马克思主义中国化时代化新篇章，是当代中国共产党人的庄严历史责任。只有把马克思主义基本原理同中国具体实际相结合、同中华优秀传统文化相结合，坚持运用辩证唯物主义和历史唯物主义，才能正确回答时代和实践提出的重大问题，才能始终保持马克思主义的蓬勃生机和旺盛活力。
继续推进实践基础上的理论创新，首先要把握好习近平新时代中国特色社会主义思想的世界观和方法论，坚持好、运用好贯穿其中的立场观点方法。“六个坚持”是贯穿习近平新时代中国特色社会主义思想的立场观点方法。这六个坚持是，坚持人民至上、坚持自信自立、坚持守正创新、坚持问题导向、坚持系统观念、坚持胸怀天下。
人民性是马克思主义的本质属性，党的理论是来自人民、为了人民、造福人民的理论，人民的创造性实践是理论创新的不竭源泉。自信自立是党和人民历史经验的深刻总结，党的百年奋斗成功道路是党领导人民独立自主探索开辟出来的，马克思主义的中国篇章是中国共产党人依靠自身力量实践出来的，贯穿其中的一个基本点就是中国的问题必须从中国基本国情出发，由中国人自己来解答。我们党在实践探索中坚持守正创新，我们从事的是前无古人的伟大事业，守正才能不迷失方向、不犯颠覆性错误，创新才能把握时代、引领时代。问题是时代的声音，回答并指导解决问题是理论的根本任务。万事万物是相互联系、相互依存的，只有用普遍联系的、全面系统的、发展变化的观点观察事物，才能把握事物发展规律。我们党是为中国人民谋幸福、为中华民族谋复兴的党，也是为人类谋进步、为世界谋大同的党，我们要拓展世界眼光，深刻洞察人类发展进步潮流，积极回应各国人民普遍关切，为解决人类面临的共同问题作出贡献，以海纳百川的宽阔胸襟借鉴吸收人类一切优秀文明成果，推动建设更加美好的世界。
坚持人民至上，是推进马克思主义中国化时代化的根本出发点；坚持自信自立，是推进马克思主义中国化时代化的基本立足点；坚持守正创新，是推进马克思主义中国化时代化的主要着力点；坚持问题导向，是推进马克思主义中国化时代化的现实着眼点；坚持系统观念，是推进马克思主义中国化时代化的关键统筹点；坚持胸怀天下，是推进马克思主义中国化时代化的重要站位点。“六个坚持”的六个点，是既有各自定位、又有相互联系的辩证统一关系，是一个相互贯通的有机统一整体。“六个坚持”是新时代中国共产党人理论创造、实践探索、政治品格的集中体现，是我们理解习近平新时代中国特色社会主义思想、开启理论宝库的一把“金钥匙”，是我们深刻理解这一科学思想必须牢牢把握的基本点，也是我们继续推进党的理论创新必须始终坚持的基本点。
（作者系中共中央党史和文献研究院院长）
（来源：《经济日报》2022年11月7日 第1版）
Qu Qingshan: In-depth study and understanding of the worldview methodology of Xi Jinping's socialist thought with Chinese characteristics in the new era
Qu Qingshan Party History 2022-11-06 20:21 Posted on Beijing
General Secretary Xi Jinping pointed out in the report of the 20th National Congress of the Communist Party of China that it is necessary to grasp the world outlook and methodology of the socialist ideology with Chinese characteristics in the new era, and adhere to and make good use of the positions, viewpoints and methods that run through it. This profoundly reveals the theoretical character and distinctive characteristics of Xi Jinping's socialist thought with Chinese characteristics in the new era.
Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era has achieved a new leap in the modernization of Marxism in China. Marxism is the fundamental guiding ideology for our party building and rejuvenating the country. Practice tells us why the Chinese Communist Party can do it, and why socialism with Chinese characteristics is good. In the final analysis, it is the practice of Marxism, which is the practice of modernized Chinese Marxism. Having the guidance of the scientific theory of Marxism is the foundation for our party to strengthen its beliefs and beliefs and grasp the historical initiative.
Promoting the modernization of Marxism in China is a process of pursuing truth, revealing truth, and practicing truth. Since the 18th National Congress of the Communist Party of China, in the face of new changes in domestic and foreign situations and new requirements for practice, the Chinese Communists, represented by Comrade Xi Jinping, have insisted on combining the basic principles of Marxism with China's specific reality and with China's excellent traditional culture , adhere to Mao Zedong Thought, Deng Xiaoping Theory, the important thought of "Three Represents" and the Scientific Outlook on Development, profoundly summarize and make full use of the historical experience since the founding of the Party, proceed from the new reality, and create Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era. The field of vision deepens the understanding of the law of the Communist Party of China, the law of socialist construction, and the law of human society development, and provides scientific and ideological guidance for promoting the cause of socialism with Chinese characteristics.
Upholding and developing Marxism must be integrated with China's concrete reality. The vitality, vigor, and charm of Marxism lie in its innovation and in its integration with the specific reality of each country and nation and the characteristics of the times. Marxism is a guide to our actions, not an immutable dogma. We must persist in emancipating our minds, seeking truth from facts, advancing with the times, seeking truth and being pragmatic, proceeding from reality, focusing on solving practical problems in reform, opening up, and socialist modernization in the new era, and constantly answering questions about China, the world, and the people Questions of the times, make correct answers that conform to China's reality and the requirements of the times, draw scientific understandings that conform to objective laws, form theoretical achievements that keep pace with the times, and better guide China's practice.
Upholding and developing Marxism must be combined with the fine traditional Chinese culture. The tree of truth of Marxism can take root and flourish only if it is rooted in the country, the fertile soil of the nation's history and culture. The excellent traditional Chinese culture has a long history and is broad and profound. It is the crystallization of the wisdom of Chinese civilization. It contains the world as the public, the people as the foundation of the country, governing with virtue, reforming the past and reforming the new, appointing people on their own merits, harmony between man and nature, self-improvement, virtue, and trustworthiness. Building harmony, being kind to benevolent neighbors, etc. are important manifestations of the Chinese people's long-term production and life accumulation of the world outlook, world outlook, social outlook, and moral outlook, and are highly consistent with the scientific socialist values. We must be firm in our historical and cultural self-confidence, insist on using the past for the present, weeding out the old to bring forth the new, linking the essence of Marxist thought with the essence of Chinese excellent traditional culture and the common values that the people use every day without realizing it, and constantly endowing China with distinctive scientific theories. characteristics, and constantly consolidate the historical foundation and mass foundation of the Sinicization and modernization of Marxism, so that Marxism can firmly take root in China.
There is no end to practice, and there is no end to theoretical innovation. It is the solemn historical responsibility of contemporary Chinese Communists to continuously write new chapters in the Sinicization and modernization of Marxism. Only by combining the basic principles of Marxism with China's specific reality, combining it with China's excellent traditional culture, and persisting in the use of dialectical materialism and historical materialism, can we correctly answer the major questions raised by the times and practice, and can we always maintain the vitality of Marxism and exuberant vitality.
To continue to promote theoretical innovation on the basis of practice, we must first grasp the world outlook and methodology of Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era, and persist in and use the standpoints and methods that run through it. The "six persistent principles" are the standpoints and methods that run through Xi Jinping's thought on socialism with Chinese characteristics in the new era. These six 'persistencies' are: Adhere to the people first, adhere to self-confidence and self-reliance, adhere to integrity and innovation, adhere to problem orientation, adhere to system concepts, and persist in thinking about the world.
The nature of the people is the essential attribute of Marxism, the party's theory comes from the people, for the people, and benefits the people, and the people's creative practice is an inexhaustible source of theoretical innovation. Confidence and self-reliance is a profound summary of the historical experience of the party and the people. The party’s century-long struggle to success was opened up by the party’s leadership of the people’s independent exploration. The Chinese chapter of Marxism was practiced by the Chinese Communists relying on their own strength. That is, China's problems must proceed from China's basic national conditions and be answered by the Chinese themselves. Our party insists on uprightness and innovation in practice and exploration. What we are engaged in is a great cause that has never been seen before. Only by keeping upright can we not lose our way or make subversive mistakes, and only by innovation can we grasp the era and lead the era. Questions are the voice of the times, and answering and guiding the solution of them is the fundamental task of theory. Everything is interrelated and interdependent. Only by observing things from a universally connected, comprehensive and systematic perspective of development and change can we grasp the laws of development of things. Our party is a party that seeks happiness for the Chinese people and rejuvenation for the Chinese nation. It is also a party that seeks progress for mankind and great harmony for the world. We must expand our global vision, deeply understand the trend of human development and progress, and actively respond to the common concerns of people of all countries. Contribute to solving the common problems faced by mankind, learn from and absorb all the outstanding achievements of human civilization with a broad mind to promote the construction of a better world.
Adhering to the supremacy of the people is the fundamental starting point for advancing the modernization of Marxism in China; adhering to self-confidence and self-reliance is the basic foothold for advancing the modernization of Marxism in China; adhering to integrity and innovation is the main focus of promoting the modernization of Marxism in China; Adhering to problem orientation is the realistic focus of promoting the modernization of Marxism in China; adhering to the system concept is the key coordination point for promoting the modernization of Marxism in China; insisting on keeping the world in mind is an important position to promote the modernization of Marxism in China point. The six points of the "six persistences" are a dialectical and unified relationship that has its own positioning and is interrelated, and is an organic and unified whole that runs through each other. The "six persistences" are a concentrated expression of the theoretical creation, practical exploration, and political character of Chinese Communists in the new era. This basic point of scientific thinking must be firmly grasped, and it is also the basic point that we must always adhere to in continuing to promote the party's theoretical innovation.
(The author is the dean of the Party History and Literature Research Institute of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China)
(Source: Economic Daily News, November 7, 2022, first edition)
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