The Way of Mutual Understanding:Philosophical Interpretations of the"Second Combination"
"The Second Combination"refers to the integration of Marxism with outstanding traditional Chinese culture,and it represents a major theoretical issue of contemporary significance with emblematic importance.Its correct pursuit requires in-depth research from multidimensional perspectives including historical philosophy,cultural philosophy,and political philosophy.The foundational features of continuity,innovation,unity,inclusivity,and peacefulness in Chinese civilization have nurtured,produced,and sustained outstanding traditional Chinese culture,and these traits and orientations constitute the fundamental characteristics and value orientations of outstanding traditional Chinese culture.They serve to align outstanding traditional Chinese culture with the ideological and cultural choices of modern socialist practices in contemporary China by providing a synergistic direction for cultural choices and modern transformations.This is manifested first of all in the decision to integrate Marxism with outstanding traditional Chinese culture.Understanding and grasping the outstanding characteristics of Chinese traditional culture and its harmonious coexistence with the basic principles and inherent spiritual qualities of Marxism are prerequisites for fully achieving their integration.From this,one can discover the possibilities and potential of mutual integration and understand the dynamic force and prospects between the two,unlocking the immense potential for the creative transformation and innovative development of Chinese traditional culture.This achievement inevitably leads to the sinicization of Marxism as a new development.From the perspective of cultural philosophy,Chinese traditional culture,dominated by Confucianism and rooted for millennia in the empirical spirit of"practical rationality"that was deeply embedded in everyday life,exhibits a profound and intrinsic compatibility with the historical materialist philosophical spirit of Marxism.Their philosophical worldviews and methodological approaches not only accommodate but complement each other,thereby demonstrating an inherent alignment and consistency in terms of materialist philosophy.Importantly,the cultural values that support the compatibility between the spiritual temperament of Chinese traditional culture and Marxism are rooted in a people-centric ethical orientation and value stance,which promotes an ethical direction that sustains their internal alignment and endows both with enduring ideological vitality in modern society.The ethical orientation also aligns with the Marxist self-aware mission to advocate for the proletariat and laborers worldwide.From the perspectives of historical philosophy and political philosophy,Marxism and outstanding traditional Chinese culture share similar social ideals and human visions.In Marxist historical philosophy and political philosophy,this social ideal and human vision are expressed as"communism"characterized by"no economic exploitation and political oppression".In traditional Chinese culture,it is manifested as the social ideal of"Great Harmony under Heaven'.Similar social ideals not only express similar or identical directional value goals but also reflect a humanitarian spirit that cares about the overall future and destiny of humanity,which can also be shared and measured.The pressing contemporary task for the philosophical and cultural thought community in China is to explore how to make the"Second Combination"not only a realistic possibility but also to advance it to a new era.By reflecting on the historical experiences and lessons of the New Culture Movement in China since the May Fourth Movement and drawing parallels with the cultural modernization processes of the European Renaissance and Enlightenment movements-transitioning from self-negation to self-dialectics and even self-affirmation-valuable insights from historical and cultural philosophy can be provided to benefit the"Second Combination".
万方数据
