Source：CASS

President Xi Jinping recently delivered an important speech at the Symposium on Philosophy and Social Sciences (hereinafter referred to as “May 17” Speech), highlighting the historical positioning and mission of philosophy and social science. This is not only a spur to social scientists but also internal impetus behind their efforts to serve the times.

Make more Efforts to Study Marxism Holistically

To earnestly implement the essence of the “May 17 Speech”, we have much to do. Over the last year, the Shanghai academic circle continued to work hard to learn and research classic Marxist works and the theoretical innovative achievements we have made since the 18th Party Congress, in a bid to be well prepared for the 19th Party Congress in terms of thoughts and theories.

In addition, the Shanghai academic circle also works hard to enrich Marxism for the 21st Century and modern Marxism in China, and to make it more adaptable to China’s specific national condition, more contemporary, and accepted by a larger populace. The construction of an ideological and theoretical work platform shall be strengthened constantly and subject construction of Marxist theory shall be improved. Some national-level Marxism discipline departments will be selected to newly add a batch of Master’s and Doctoral degree award placements. When planning Marxism construction, both holistic and systematic research shall be stressed while highlighting holistic research. This, in an effort to change the extant situation in which China has Marxism experts but no Masters, and most of the research is fragmented.

To develop and innovate Marxism, we need to innovate the methods in which we research classic Marxism, and cultivate experts and scholars able to conduct holistic and integrated research into Marxism. Only in this way can we keep a foothold on the international ideology and opinion arena and win the initiative and say in the development of contemporary Marxism, and let Marxism well fit its guiding position in China and the accomplishment we have achieved in building socialism with Chinese characteristics. That is why we stress more efforts shall be put into holistic research of Marxism in order to achieve a breakthrough in reform, innovation and subject construction.

Actively Guide Academic Research Direction

Constructing the discourse system of China’s philosophy and social science is an arduous task on the shoulder of this generation of social scientists. Despite that, we will definitely accomplish this mission as long as we keep our original ideal in mind. But how?

To speak subjectively, each and every scholar cannot live without feelings or ideals. Many scholars of the older generation dedicated themselves to scholarship in a down-to-earth manner and did their utmost to achieve something, despite hardship. This kind of spirit and integrity is the very thing that we should inherit and carry forward.

At the same time, from the perspective of academic management, we should do everything we can to build a good platform and make good use of the resources available, to create sound conditions and an environment for philosophers and social scientists to further their academic research.

Recently, Shanghai academic circles have taken some key opportunities to push forward academic research with study on key topics, scaled up academic research on key themes and improved academic quality by focusing on key social issues. On the basis of academic management innovation, these moves have boosted Shanghai’s academic research, think tank building, and theoretical exploration, moving it to a higher stage and making positive and effective contribution to achieving the expectation implicit in President Xi’s “May 17 Speech”.

(The author is the Deputy Director of the Publicity Department, Shanghai Municipal Committee of the CPC, Party Secretary of the Shanghai Federation of Social Science Associations, and a member of the Academy Affairs Committee of Shanghai Academy)