--Tong Shijun, Professor of Philosophy and Party Chief , East China Normal University

Abstract

When President Xi Jinping interpreted the Chinese Dream, he emphasized that the Chinese Spirit must be upheld while realizing the Chinese Dream. The word "uphold" in this sense means inheriting and passing on the spirit of the Chinese nation and improving on the spirit of the Chinese nation.

The Chinese Dream is the hope of the Chinese people for the future of their country. This kind of hope is an extended and deepened aspect of the overall "Chinese outlook". Some people interpret China as the "Middle Kingdom"; yet the word "middle" cannot be interpreted as a spatial concept, in terms of the five features of the Chinese national spirit: the people-first doctrine that emphasizes choosing able and virtuous people for government posts, the collectivism that emphasizes connections between people, pragmatic idealism, the dialectical rationalism and lastly, being part of the world community and eager to learn new knowledge. It should have a broader meaning. In each of the five features we have mentioned above, there are dual factors such as pragmatism and idealism, worship of able and virtuous people and respect for ordinary people, focus on the connections of, and government for, the people, dialectics and rationalism. In each set of these factors, we see opposing yet harmonizing and complementing forces. In fact, the beauty of the Chinese Spirit is in the dialectical thought process which focuses on both difference and oneness. It is a moderate national psychology that avoids extremes. This, however, is not an easy thing to do. Throughout Chinese history, radical thinking and actions have brought the nation from one extreme to another, as evidenced by numerous examples. Awareness of this danger is a prerequisite for upholding the Chinese Spirit during the course of realizing the Chinese Dream. From that perspective, the rational and peaceful spirit as advocated by the Communist Party of China in recent years can inherit and improve upon the rational traditions of the Chinese nation.

Go to Forum >>0 Comment(s)