High School Politics Why does the Chinese nation have national cohesion?

National cohesion is the vitality and development power of a nation, and it is also an important part of the country's comprehensive national strength. As a kind of soft power, it restricts the development of the country's economic, cultural, technological and other strengths. Therefore, it is of great significance to study how to continuously enhance the cohesion of the Chinese nation. For thousands of years, the Chinese nation has gone through many hardships and endured endlessly. An important reason is that the Chinese nation has strong cohesion and profound cultural traditions. Why is it that in the history of world civilization, only the Chinese civilization has been passed down for five to six thousand years? How to decipher the "Chinese culture's longevity code"? What force tightly unites the Chinese nation?

Chinese culture is the inexhaustible driving force for the Chinese nation to thrive, unite and forge ahead

Host: Culture is the identity card of the nation. Chinese culture is an inexhaustible driving force for the Chinese nation to thrive, unite and forge ahead. The report of the 17th National Congress of the Communist Party of China proposed: "Carry forward Chinese culture and build a national home for the Chinese nation." What special implications does this have for our cultural construction today?

Zhang Qizhi (Professor of the Institute of Ideology and Culture, Tsinghua University): I think this formulation is profound. Why? First of all, from the perspective of the era we live in, the new era should have a deeper understanding of culture. Economic development and political civilization construction have reached a certain level, and the people are in urgent need of rich spiritual and cultural nutrition. In addition to economic, military, and political national strength, we must also have cultural national strength. Cultural national strength reflects the spiritual outlook of 1.3 billion modern citizens, the cohesion of the Chinese nation, and the profound cultural quality. Without strong cultural national strength, it will be very difficult for the Chinese nation to play a role in the world.

What is the essence of Chinese culture? Chinese culture is the inexhaustible driving force for the Chinese nation's endless vitality, unity and progress. It links Chinese culture with the prosperity of the nation and emphasizes the unity of the national character and contemporary nature of Chinese culture. This is the foothold and starting point for us to carry forward Chinese culture. . The emerging new upsurge in socialist cultural construction is an important symbol of the rejuvenation of the Chinese nation. The rejuvenation of the Chinese nation is a comprehensive rejuvenation of economy, politics, and culture, and none of them can be missing. If there is no continuous improvement in people's living standards and there is no general prosperity, there will be no way to support the development of the nation. However, purely economic improvement, without the coordinated development of politics and culture, will not be able to shape a great nation. Political democracy and the rule of law provide institutional and normative guarantees for national rejuvenation, while cultural rejuvenation provides spiritual support and cohesion for the nation. This shows how important it is to carry forward Chinese culture.

Moderator: How to consider the necessity of establishing a spiritual homeland for the Chinese nation based on the characteristics of Chinese history?

Zhang Qizhi: To understand China’s feudal society after the Qin Dynasty, we cannot leave the two important perspectives of national unity and national integration. Although there have been wars and disputes in Chinese history, reunification has always been the general trend. In the context of national unification, the typical Han and Tang civilizations emerged. This tells us: China’s vast territory was jointly developed by all ethnic groups, and Chinese culture was jointly created by all ethnic groups. Because of this historical tradition, today's 56 ethnic groups in my country, including the Han, must maintain national unity in the cause of building socialism with Chinese characteristics; and building the most spiritual homeland for the Chinese nation embodies the ideals of the 56 ethnic groups. * The same desire reflects the combination of inheritance and innovation in our country's history and culture.

The core of building a national spiritual home is to have "spirit"

Moderator: Regarding the issue of the Chinese national spirit, in recent years, the academic community has conducted relatively in-depth discussions and achieved results. There is a lot of knowledge, but on some issues, benevolent people still have different opinions and wise people have different opinions. What do you think is the core issue in building the spiritual home of the Chinese nation?

Zhang Qizhi: To carry forward Chinese culture and build a national spiritual home, special attention should be paid to the word "spirit". If we leave the main axis of spiritual civilization, everything will be out of the question.

The "spirit" mentioned here mainly refers to two aspects. First, what is the spirit that permeates Chinese culture; second, what kind of spirit do we use today to treat the construction of the national spiritual homeland. Carrying forward Chinese culture mainly refers to drawing inexhaustible spiritual power from my country’s excellent history and culture. In the activities of building the national spiritual home, although the material content is indispensable, what is more important is that cultural facilities must have spiritual connotations and have a positive role in purifying the social environment, so that the Chinese nation's endless creative spirit and The spirit of struggle can be inherited and carried forward.

Cultural identity enables people of all ethnic groups to have a common psychological belonging, and plays a role in consolidating the Chinese unity

Moderator: Mr. Lu Xun once said: " Only the people’s soul is valuable, and only when it is carried forward can China truly progress.” With the acceleration of globalization, how do we view the role of “people’s soul” and national culture in national identity?

Mou Zhongjian (Professor of Minzu University of China): With the development of the times and the acceleration of economic globalization, the importance of national culture has not decreased, but increased. First, culture has increasingly become a factor in the competition of comprehensive national strength; second, cultural heritage and cultural industries have received unprecedented attention; third, the revitalization of the nation is bound to be accompanied by the prosperity of culture. Chinese culture is the spiritual support and bond of unity of the entire nation, and an inexhaustible source of national cohesion and creativity, from which people can continuously draw nutrition, wisdom and strength. If a nation only has a developed modern economy but lacks national culture, or even imitates others everywhere, it will not be considered a truly powerful country and will not receive sincere respect from the world. Therefore, building a modern cultural power has become the goal that the Chinese people should strive for.

Mr. Fei Xiaotong once pointed out that the pattern of the Chinese nation is one of pluralism and unity. The 56 ethnic groups are at the grassroots level and the Chinese nation is at the top. “The high-level ethnic groups can be said to be essentially a complex that is both integrated and diverse. ” (see related links). The Chinese nation is a composite nation, that is, there are nations within nations, composed of many unitary nations, and itself has become a large ethnic unity. A nation has three elements: ancestral identity, cultural characteristics, and self-awareness. Ancestral identity is the ancestral belief formed on the basis of blood relationship, cultural characteristics are the fundamental criterion for identifying a nation, and self-awareness is the awareness that the nation is a unified body of destiny.

The popular belief in the Five Emperors during the Warring States Period, with the Yellow Emperor as the center, represents the geographical spatial pattern of the Chinese nation with the Huaxia ethnic group in the Central Plains as the main body, surrounded by ethnic minorities from all directions, and multi-ethnic integration. The beliefs of the Five Emperors headed by the Yellow Emperor have the most common points: sageness, benevolence, benefiting the people, peace, and great achievements. While the ancestors were shaping the image of the Five Emperors, they were actually forging the character of the Chinese nation, the core of which is people-oriented, harmonious and innovative. This cultural gene was later promoted by Confucius and Laozi, and established the spiritual direction for the long-term development of the Chinese nation, enabling the Chinese nation to not only thrive and advance with the times, but also be virtuous, tolerant and generous, and endure countless twists and turns. And not fade.

The Yellow Emperor’s belief integrates ancestral identity and cultural identity. It is not only a search for the origin of blood, but also a search for the roots of culture. The Yellow Emperor's belief integrates the national unity and enables all ethnic groups in the Chinese nation to have a unified psychological belonging. It plays a role in consolidating the Chinese unity and unites many ethnic groups, Chinese on both sides of the Taiwan Strait and overseas Chinese. cultural function. Its humanistic spirit and sacred pursuit not only re-establish our culture and soul on the roots of our nation, but also inspire us to explore and create.

Patriotism unites the Chinese nation

Host: We know that national spirit is the spiritual support for the survival and development of a nation. A nation without an inspiring spirit and noble character cannot stand on its own among the nations of the world. So, what is the relationship between the national spirit and the patriotism we advocate?

Zhao Fujie (Dean and Professor, School of Humanities, Northwest University of Political Science and Law): Why does the Chinese nation have such great cohesion and centripetal force? We believe that the patriotism of the Chinese nation, as a huge spiritual force, objectively promotes the process of Chinese civilization and condenses the strength of the Chinese nation.

From a social point of view, patriotism integrates, unites, and condenses the power of all strata of Chinese society with its vitality, attraction, and charisma, forming a sense of identity and belonging to the motherland, and sublimating the will of a single person through interaction It will form a historical force with clear direction, thereby enhancing the centripetal force and cohesion of the Chinese nation.

Duan Jianhai (Professor of Northwest University of Political Science and Law): Patriotism and national spirit are actually an interactive and mutually beneficial relationship. Patriotism is the historical source and foundation of value of national spirit, and national spirit Then it can only find its true place of use in the historical process of promoting patriotism. Only by possessing objects through object-oriented practical activities can the Chinese nation realize its essential power and exert the efficacy of its national spirit. For thousands of years, the great national spirit of the Chinese nation has gathered the strength of all social strata of the Chinese nation with its unique attraction and inspiration in the historical process of patriotism, promoted the formation of national centripetal force and cohesion, and awakened the Chinese nation. The national self-esteem, national pride and national self-confidence of the nation have created a directional historical synergy to promote the forward development of patriotism. Not only that, the national spirit also regulates and controls the formation and development mechanism of patriotism with the power of culture, infects, inspires, and guides the Chinese nation to form a rational world view, historical outlook, values, and thinking that safeguards and develops the interests of the motherland, and consciously regulates and regulates it. The historical practice activities of patriotic subjects create spiritual motivation and intellectual support for the development and progress of patriotism of the Chinese nation.

In the historical process of creating national culture, the Chinese nation has taken the survival and development of the ethnic homogeneity as its need, so that various cultural schools and cultural ideas have been integrated in the long-term historical integration in cultural creation activities. Through the cycle of self-conscious value selection and integration, a cultural value system is formed that fully embodies the overall interests of the Chinese nation. It more comprehensively stipulates the individual's responsibilities and obligations to society, the country and the nation, and the relationship between the individual and the motherland. A clear value positioning was carried out, so that Chinese culture, with its strong democracy, transcendent rational power and spiritual appeal, formed the driving force to gather social forces, became the commander-in-chief who finally integrated the relations and interests of the family and the country, and synthesized An overall force (historical force) that safeguards and develops the interests of the motherland, laying the foundation for the centripetal force and cohesion of the Chinese nation.

The Chinese heart leaping overseas is a kind of "soft power"

Host: A song is sung well: "The rivers and mountains are only in my dreams, and the motherland has not been close to me for many years." , but no matter what, it can't change my Chinese heart. Even though I wear a dress, my heart is still Chinese. My ancestors have already stamped everything about me with the Chinese seal... The blood flowing in my heart is surging with the voice of China. …”As a Chinese scholar who lives, works, or studies overseas, do you have a more special feeling about the cohesion of the Chinese nation?

You Guangjian (scholar living in the United States): We Chinese people living overseas are really the so-called "body in Cao Ying but heart in Han". China's affairs are still our top concern every day. We are extremely saddened by the big earthquake in Sichuan, we are very happy that the Olympic Games were successfully held, we are very worried about the impact of the world financial crisis on China's exports, and we are very happy that China has taken the lead in overcoming economic difficulties and embarking on the road to recovery. Our hearts fluctuate with the ups and downs of China's national conditions, and our emotions fluctuate with the success or failure of China's cause.

Of course, there are tens of millions of overseas Chinese, and the situation is very complicated. They cannot all have the same mentality. For example, in New York, where I live, there are old overseas Chinese and new overseas Chinese; some are engaged in business activities, and there are also overseas students and scholars doing research; some have entered the upper class after becoming famous, and some are still struggling for survival; as for Political tendencies vary greatly, and simply dividing them into left, center, and right is far from being able to summarize the actual complex situation. Although the situations of overseas Chinese are different, they all have a Chinese heart. This is a heart that cares about China and beats with China's destiny.

When the Chinese working people came to the United States, they were unfamiliar with the country and the language. Many of them had no money or even debts. When they came to the United States to work hard, they relied on nothing but their fellow countrymen. It was the fellow villagers who arranged accommodation and helped me find my first job.

Next, you have to rely on your own hard work, live frugally, and save money bit by bit. Then you need to ask a lawyer to apply for the right of residence. Only with a green card can he bring in his wife and children, and the whole family comes to the United States to start a business together. Chinese working people have to endure countless hardships and sweat when they come to the United States to start their own businesses. They cannot do without the support and help of their fellow villagers in the United States, and they also embody their deep feelings for their elders in their hometown. Therefore, there are more and more associations based on fellow villagers, and the places where Chinese people live together with Chinese business centers as the center are getting larger and larger, gradually forming Chinatowns of different sizes (different places have different customs, and are translated as Chinatown, Chinatown, Chinatown, etc.) Chinatown). Chinatown in New York includes Manhattan's Chinatown, Flushing, Queens, and Eighth Avenue in Brooklyn.

When living in Chinatown, the signs you see are in Chinese characters, the common language is Chinese, and there are Chinese-owned shops everywhere, selling clothes and supplies that people all need, as well as Chinese Specialty food and utensils, there are many Chinese restaurants and local Chinese snack bars, you can read a variety of Chinese newspapers, and the local library also has Chinese books and audio-visual products. People here retain Chinese customs. The most grand festival is the Chinese New Year, with various parades and celebrations. Lion dance is the most common program. So living in Chinatown is like living in a market town in southern China. In such a strong Chinese atmosphere, people will not forget that they are Chinese. Chinatown is built on the basis of hometown and the family ties that are inextricably linked to their hometown in China. With constant nostalgia, the Chinese hearts of the overseas Chinese here will always exist.

Another large group of overseas Chinese are Chinese students and scholars. They have received long-term education in China and have a deep-rooted Chinese complex from both rational and emotional aspects. Chinese students and scholars are scattered in different universities, research institutes and companies, as well as individual freelancers. They work and live scatteredly, and are integrated with mainstream American society. It is usually difficult to form a force, and their influence seems invisible. But when something major happens in China, Chinese students and some scholars will quickly gather together and make their voices heard, which will play an unexpectedly good role. They live in mainstream society, have close ties with mainstream society, and have no language barriers. The impact at this time is much greater than that of people in Chinatown. The U.S. financial crisis that broke out in 2008 dealt a heavy blow to the U.S. economy, and the unemployment rate remains high to this day. Unlike the United States, China was less affected by the world financial crisis, recovered quickly, and is developing along a healthy path. Seeing this situation, many Chinese students studying abroad are thinking deeply about the issue of returning to work and starting a business in their country, and their Chinese hearts are violently agitated.

With the rapid development of China's economy and its opening up to the outside world, there are also a number of entrepreneurs engaged in Sino-US trade who are active between China and the United States, and a large part of them are overseas Chinese. Because the quality of Sino-US relations is directly related to their actual interests, they must be promoters of Sino-US friendship. They have economic strength, so their support for China is open and strong. This is a rising trend that cannot be ignored.

Overseas Chinese have a Chinese heart, which is the product of blood and Chinese cultural traditions. It embodies family affection, nostalgia, ideas and vital interests. The better China develops and the more open it is, the more Chinese people will come abroad, the number of overseas Chinese will grow, the number of Chinese hearts will jump, and China's influence on the world will inevitably increase. This is true soft power, a force of peace, and it is beneficial to China and the world, because it is a force that promotes friendship between China and foreign countries and a solid bridge for exchanges between China and foreign countries.

China should have cultural self-confidence

Tian Chenshan (Professor of Beijing Foreign Studies University, scholar in the United States): The current process of China’s reform and opening up and the fierce international economic, political, and cultural competition environment are It is a great opportunity for Chinese culture to be conscious and confident and to communicate with Western culture. Because the trend of economic globalization has created a situation where the cultures of various nationalities have to come into contact. Not having cultural exchanges is not only impossible, but also a sign of lack of self-confidence.

We must now avoid some simple logical thinking, have a moderate understanding of Chinese cultural traditions, and achieve reasonable and accurate estimates of cultural traditions. Only then can we realize the influence of Chinese culture and become more confident. The first thing cultural exchange requires is such a normal mentality, rather than the kind of mentality that distorts one's self.

There is a British historian named John Hobson who opposes Eurocentrism, such as "the West is advanced and the East is backward" and other discourses. He said that this Eurocentric discourse structure was actually consciously fabricated by the West. He went to Beijing Foreign Studies University to give a speech about his refutation of "Eurocentrism." I asked him at that time if he had seen that Eurocentrism is very strong in China. He said he saw it and said he felt "shame" coming here. Why a "shame"? It means that you Chinese people need me, a Westerner, to tell you: You must have confidence. In fact, you have a great influence on Western civilization. Without you, there would be no modern Western civilization. His words are very inspiring for us to build cultural confidence and enhance our national cultural pride.

What is fundamentally worthy of our persistence and confidence in Chinese culture is our Chinese culture’s world view, way of thinking, social practice activities, and the system of values ??derived from it. We have no reason to abandon it. It is the soul, sustenance and confidence of the Chinese nation, and it is the invisible cohesion of the Chinese nation. We cannot kill our souls. From a long-term perspective, the real power lies in culture itself, in its breadth and depth. The characteristic of Chinese culture is the pursuit of harmony and balance. It carries its destiny on its own shoulders. It is an open system, the least conservative and the most capable of advancing with the times. Chinese culture has gone abroad with the development of economy and the process of economic globalization. The world needs Chinese culture, and Chinese culture will inevitably show more Chineseness and nationality in its exchanges with the world, and therefore become more global. Chinese culture will definitely showcase its essence on the vast global stage through exchanges and contribute to creating a peaceful and stable world environment.

Moderator: With the development of the times, the spiritual culture of the Chinese nation needs to constantly adapt to the requirements of the development of national cohesion. In contemporary times, integrating the national spirit with the spirit of the times and building a socialist core value system is the direction for the development of the Chinese nation's spiritual culture. We believe that by adhering to this direction and putting it into practice, the cohesion of the Chinese nation will be continuously enhanced.