Academic self-confidence： the foundation of constructing philosophy and social science with China characteristics
Recently, General Secretary of the Supreme Leader clearly put forward the task of "building philosophy and social sciences with China characteristics" at the symposium on philosophy and social sciences, and pointed out that it is necessary to "fully embody China characteristics, China style and China style in guiding ideology, discipline system, academic system and discourse system".
Academic self-confidence is the foundation, ability and future prospect of the discipline system, academic system and discourse system. It is also the foundation of the construction of philosophy and social sciences with China characteristics, which is of great significance to play the role of philosophy and social sciences.
Why academic self-confidence is necessary?
Academic self-confidence is the key to construct discipline system, academic system and discourse system. The academic system mainly undertakes the tasks of concept generation, knowledge innovation and theoretical construction; The academic system is the support of the discipline system. Without the academic system, the discipline system will be empty; Discourse system is the presentation and expression of academic system. Without academic system as its connotation, discourse system can only be formal. Among the discipline system, the academic system and the discourse system, the academic system is the core, which is very important for the construction of philosophy and social sciences with China characteristics.
Academic self-confidence is the spiritual force to promote the development of philosophy and social sciences in China. Establishing academic self-confidence will help China’s academic circles to reach a consensus, follow the development path of "basing on China, learning from foreign countries, excavating history, grasping the present, caring for mankind and facing the future", and build a philosophy and social science with China characteristics. At the same time, enhancing academic self-confidence, explaining China’s experience to the international community, contributing China’s wisdom, and enhancing China’s academic influence are important contents to enhance the country’s cultural soft power.
Academic self-confidence is conducive to correcting academic foreign worship psychology. Since the reform and opening-up, with the introduction of western academic ideas and the extension of academic exchanges with foreign countries, a kind of foreign worship psychology has spread in China academic circles. Some scholars simply judge the reality of China by western concepts, categories and theories, or use China’s experience to prove the "universality" of western concepts, categories and theories. This phenomenon of blindly worshipping western theories and giving up the initiative of academic discourse is a manifestation of the current lack of self-confidence in China academic circles. To correct and overcome this erroneous psychology, we need to strengthen the self-confidence of China academic circles, know the truth, test the truth and develop the truth in practice.
How is academic self-confidence possible?
The establishment of the guiding position of Marxism. The establishment of the guiding position of Marxism in the field of philosophy and social sciences in China has led the development direction of philosophy and social sciences in China. General Secretary of the Supreme Leader pointed out that adhering to the guidance of Marxism is the fundamental symbol that distinguishes contemporary China’s philosophy and social sciences from other philosophy and social sciences, and it must be adhered to with a clear-cut stand. The standpoint, viewpoint and method revealed by Marxism require us to always adhere to the people-centered research orientation, respect the people’s dominant position, focus on people’s practical creation, study and solve the major problems facing today’s philosophy and social sciences, and consciously link personal academic pursuit with the development of the country and the nation. Only in this way can we give full play to the knowledge transformation and ideological leading role of philosophy and social sciences with China characteristics, and show the theoretical charm and contemporary value of Marxism.
The profound cultural tradition of the Chinese nation. Chinese culture, which has lasted for thousands of years, is the deep foundation for the growth and development of philosophy and social sciences with China characteristics; Chinese excellent traditional culture is a very precious and rare resource for the development of philosophy and social sciences with China characteristics. Chinese culture has a profound cultural tradition and has formed a distinctive ideological system, which embodies Chinese’s accumulated knowledge, wisdom and rational speculation for thousands of years. The construction of philosophy and social sciences with China characteristics should draw beneficial nutrients from it, promote the creative transformation and innovative development of Chinese civilization, activate its vitality, and embody the inheritance and national characteristics of philosophy and social sciences with China characteristics.
Socialism with Chinese characteristics’s rich practice. Socialism with Chinese characteristics’s rich practice provides opportunities and conditions for China’s academic construction. As the General Secretary of the Supreme Leader emphasized when he presided over the 28th collective study in the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee, "We should base ourselves on China’s national conditions and development practice, reveal new features and laws, refine and summarize the regular achievements of China’s economic development practice, and upgrade practical experience into a systematic economic theory." China’s rich experience accumulated in the practice of reform and opening up for more than 30 years urgently needs to be summarized and sublimated; Many problems faced by contemporary China’s economic and social development need to be answered and explained urgently. We should refine and summarize the regular achievements of China’s economic development practice with high academic self-confidence, promote the development of China’s philosophy and social sciences and enrich Socialism with Chinese characteristics’s great practice in the interaction between theory and practice.
How to generate academic self-confidence
Based on China’s reality, this paper puts forward a subjective and original academic viewpoint. The General Secretary of the Supreme Leader pointed out: "The characteristics, style and style of philosophy and social sciences are the products of a certain stage of development, the symbol of maturity, the symbol of strength and the embodiment of self-confidence." The formation of academic self-confidence should break away from the academic worship of foreign countries and be liberated from the blind worship and discourse dependence of western academics. We should take the reality of China as the research starting point, put forward subjective and original theoretical viewpoints through solving practical problems, build an academic system with China characteristics, work hard to improve academic quality, and promote the construction of discipline system and discourse system. At the same time, it is necessary to change the current academic evaluation criteria, evaluate the research results of philosophy and social sciences based on China’s reality, and master China’s academic discourse power and judgment power.
Improve road self-confidence, theoretical self-confidence and institutional self-confidence. Improving Socialism with Chinese characteristics’s road self-confidence, theoretical self-confidence and institutional self-confidence is a prerequisite for the generation of academic self-confidence. We should dig up new materials, find new problems, put forward new ideas and construct new theories from the practice of China’s reform and development, strengthen the systematic summary of the practical experience of reform, opening up and socialist modernization, strengthen the analysis and research on the development of socialist market economy, democratic politics, advanced culture, harmonious society, ecological civilization and the construction of the party’s ruling ability, strengthen the research and interpretation of the new ideas, new ideas and new strategies of the Party Central Committee in governing the country, refine new theories with academic rationality and summarize new practices with regularity. This is the focus of constructing China’s characteristic philosophy and social sciences, and it is also an important embodiment of enhancing Socialism with Chinese characteristics’s road confidence, theoretical confidence, institutional confidence and cultural confidence.
Pay attention to strengthening the construction of discourse system. The formation of academic self-confidence depends on foreign exchange. China scholars have the most say in interpreting China’s practice and constructing China Theory. We should be good at refining symbolic concepts, creating new concepts, new categories and new expressions that can be easily understood and accepted by the international community, spreading the voice of China, telling the story of China, expressing China’s views, and guiding international academic circles to conduct research and discussion. At the same time, we should actively participate in the construction of international academic discourse system, express China’s position on global governance, international rulemaking and other common human topics, make China’s voice, create China Theory, and constantly enhance the international influence of Chinese philosophy and social sciences.
(Author: School of Marxism, South China Normal University; This paper is the phased achievement of the major project of Marxist theoretical research and construction engineering, "Research on the new situation of major social thoughts in China at present")