Source: People’s Daily
Politics is a practical science that is widely used in running a country, ensuring national security and bringing benefits to the populace. It comes from social and political practice, and its research results are used to guide social and political practice. China's political science research originated in the modern society that suffered from domestic strife and foreign aggression, and developed in the special historical period when the Chinese people fought against foreign aggression, sought national independence and national liberation, and built a free and prosperous new society. At present, China is in a critical period of building a well-off society in an all-round way and striving to realize the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation. Under this background, China's political science is faced with historic development opportunities and challenges. On one hand, new practice of political science put forward an unprecedented topic for the study of political science, providing rich nourishment for political research; on the other hand, the times has new requirements on political research. If we cannot keep pace with the times and make timely response to the issues of the times, political science research will be outdated and lose its academic value. To keep up with the development of the times, China's political science should take the contemporary political practice as the main research object, pay close attention to the development process of political practice in China and the world at large, and create a new picture of contemporary Chinese political science research.
Significant achievement obtained in the development process
Over the past 30 years, China's political science research has been developing by leaps and bounds. With the industrialization, urbanization, modernization process, the circle of politics has made many significant achievements in political science research through their own efforts.
Systematically sort Marxist political theories. Since the reform and opening up, Chinese politics scholars have systematically studied and sorted the thought and doctrines of Marxist classics writers on political issues, as well as sorted theoretical works on socialist politics, according to the political practice in China and other socialist countries.
Introduce contemporary western political theories comprehensively. After the reform and opening up, a large number of Western philosophy and social science theories, including political science theories, were introduced into China by the academic community. A wide range of modern Western political theories were introduced to China and widely used in political science teaching & research. Overall, it is necessary to understand and study Western political science. Correctly understanding and absorbing the outstanding achievements of western political science is beneficial to China’s political science research and political practice.
Focus on the practice of political construction in contemporary China. Based on the observation of China's socialist modernization process and the practice of socialist political construction with Chinese characteristics, China’s politics circle has made some academic achievements in recording and studying the political practice in contemporary China.
Despite that China has made significant progress in political science research, there are shortcomings and weaknesses in this field, which are mainly shown as follows. First, the influence of political science on the rapidly changing social practice in China is still weak; the role played by political academics on contemporary China's political construction is rather limited. Second, a unique discipline system and method system is yet to be established; a Chinese school of political science has not been formed. In general, regarding China’s political science research results, most of them are study or application-oriented ones and there are few original research results; there are more deductive methods than inductive ones; more critical results and less constructive ones. There are many reasons for this situation. From the perspective of research methods, we are not doing enough in innovating political science research methods, as we are still adopting the research pattern and methods established in the early period of political science. From the perspective of research objects and types, China’s political science still focuses on political philosophy research while political science research is still in its infancy. There is a gap between such research methods & content and social development requirement and the reality. This calls for timely improvement.
Advance with the times and expand the research perspective
Looking back at the history of China’s modern academic development, we can see a special period in the beginning of the 20th century when thought and culture was thriving in China. From the perspective of methodology, this can be called a period of paradigm shift. In the context of the saving of China from subjugation, a large number of Western natural science and social science theories were introduced to China. Most of these theories were formed in the industrialization process of Western countries and reflected their social development history. After learning these theories, Chinese scholars began to recognize and study China issues from a new perspective and with new methods. That prompted them to reexamine and re-sort Chinese traditional thinking and academic works. Hence a great deal of academic achievement on recognizing and resolving China issues was made.
However, the times and situation has undergone a historic change. Looking around the world, we can see developed western capitalist countries have entered the stage of post-industrialization and post-modernization, while developing countries are striving to realize industrialization and modernization in the trend of economic globalization, and a number of emerging economies are growing rapidly. The world pattern is undergoing profound transformation. In comparison with the old China more than 100 years ago, tremendous changes have taken place to today’s China. Now, it is developing rapidly along a unique road with Chinese characteristics. It is on the way to becoming a world power. Under such a backdrop, the development of China’s philosophy and social sciences can no longer be achieved simply by relying on paradigm shift, like it did a hundred years ago. Chinese scholars, especially politics scholars, are unlikely to apply foreign theories directly to China to accomplish significant academic achievement like their predecessors did before. Currently, original political science research and results are still relatively scarce, and a large amount of research is still study-oriented. That’s to say, we are still following the old ideas, methods and traditions. That is a common problem existing in today’s political science research.
The era of change is an era when practice comes before theories and theories catch up with practice. Today's philosophical social science is facing a new issue. The previous theories and doctrines of various kinds all need to review and transform themselves in the new era, so as to keep pace with the times. Outdated theories, or those not based on practice, are destined to be annihilated by history. The philosophical social science in the changing era requires original research results. Under such conditions, the philosophical social science researchers should all the more proceed from the reality and study the practice, in a bid to answer question of the times with theoretical results, by summarizing, extracting, and sublimating practical experience.
In addition, there is a realistic problem, which is that the political science research in contemporary China is still confined to the constitutional system. The modern political science knowledge system that was formed in the first half of the 20th century primarily targeted modern Western countries, and its basic view scope was confined to the constitutional system of modern Western countries. This kind of constitutional system description, though it described the superficial features of the political system, to a certain extent, limited people's understanding of the actual operation of the political system. What’s more, from this perspective, the actual political power structure hidden under the constitutional system has not been further revealed and known by people. Hence, political science study still stays at the superficial level, making it difficult for us to deepen our understanding of the social and political phenomena and rules. China’s political science research needs to break through these limitations and achieve new research results for the times.
Innovate research methods on the basis of practice
Social needs are the powerful motive force for the development of thought and theories. The great practice of building socialism with Chinese characteristics has provided new research objects and conditions for the development of political science in China. Therefore, Chinese political science researchers should focus more on practice and pay more attention to social reality. Under this premise, efforts to innovate the political science research methods need to be stepped up, so as to lay a scientific foundation for the production of new research results.
Comprehensive observation of political theories and practice shall be made. To do research, we first need calm observation. Observation is a basic method of political research. Its main value is to discover the facts and problems so as to form a basic understanding of the research object. This is the prerequisite for conducting research. There are three angles in the observation of political science, namely, statement, practice, and ideas.
The statement mainly refers to the description and specification of political issues in the literature. Such documents are made up of two types: laws & regulation, discussion & declaration. The observation and understanding of these political doctrines, namely, the traditional literature research method is the first step to the study of political science. That is observation of written documents. However, studying political science only by the book is far from enough. Written political statement may not be comprehensive or may even deviate from the fact, due to personal preferences. At the same time, the rules of law, rules, and regulations are often an ideal state of political operation. They are not necessarily the political reality. In some cases, there is a wide gap between the two.
Statement in the literature is limited and is different from the reality. So we must observe politics from other perspectives. This is the practice and the idea. Practice mainly refers to the political practice and the actual form of political institutions and systems. The practice reflects the relatively real state of political activity. It is the factual part of political practice. The idea refers to the political ideology. It is the initial motive of various political behaviors. It is a manifestation of various political and ideological theories and advocates. In essence, it reflects the interests of various social groups.
In the real social life and political practice, there are differences between the above three and tension is thus formed. Statement not only reflects practice, but also ornaments or covers up the practice; some practices are irrelevant with statement of any kind, or do not accord with statement. The idea behind the statement and practice is far from the social reality and political practice, but it is the subjective impetus of political practice and social development. To turn ideas into statement and practice is subject to social conditions and political reality. And in practice, it may change form. Only through comprehensive observation of the political ideology and practice can we understand the objective environment of a particular political system & practice, and the problems & contradictions we are confronted with, and gain a more accurate and comprehensive understanding of political issues.
Comparative study shall be made on the basis of observation. Comparative research method focuses on the differences and repeatability between different subjects. To be specific, try to find problems in the differences and laws in the repeatability.
Identifying problems in differences is a process of confirming research needs, basic direction, and scope. It is often said that as a researcher, one should have a problem awareness and do research with problems in mind. In fact, to confirm the objectives of the study and identify what problems need to be solved often does not happen at the beginning of research. Problems found at the beginning of the research are often general and vague, not concrete ones that need to be solved. By comparing and analyzing the performance of identical or similar problems in different political systems and historical stages, the researcher can be guided to find the causes behind particular problems and come up with solutions.
To find out the law in repetition mainly refers to that we should pay attention to political phenomena and political relations that appear repeatedly in different historical stages and various political stages, understand the relevance between political things and have an in-depth analysis of the causal link between political things, in a bid to further reveal the law of political activities and development. Law recognition is a higher pursuit of political science, which can not only explain the reasons for political activities, but also help to predict the evolution of political activities.
The change of the times and China's progress calls for the development of political science. At present, political science researchers in China should change the research method that focuses on existing knowledge, and proceed from ideas & values to seek solutions. The focus should be shifted to issues of the times. We must try to find out rules, induct thought, and extract theories, in a bid to transform the existing situation of China’s political science research and contribute more wisdom to China development.
（The author is a member of the Academic Committee of Shanghai Academy, President of the Institute of Political Science, CASS and Vice Chairman of the China Association of Political Science）
