Harmony Between Humanity and Nature

Harmony Between Humanity and Nature

Nature is the mother of life, and the foundations for survival and development of humanity. Humanity and nature form a community of life. Human beings must revere, respect, accommodate and protect nature. To protect nature is to protect human beings, and to build an eco-civilization is to benefit humanity.

Civilization thrives if the eco-environment is healthy, and declines if it deteriorates. The rise and fall of a civilization hinge on eco-environmental changes. Humanity must not take from nature without giving back, develop without protection, and consume without restoration. Only by observing the laws of nature can humanity avoid costly blunders. Any harm we inflict on nature will eventually return to haunt us. This is a reality we have to face.

The report to the 19th CPC National Congress made achieving harmony between humanity and nature one of the 14 points of the basic policy that underpins the CPC's endeavors to uphold and develop socialism with Chinese characteristics in the new era. Acting on the principles of prioritizing resource conservation and environmental protection and letting nature restore itself, China will endeavor to develop spatial configurations, industrial structures, and ways of work and life, all of which are resource-saving and eco-friendly, so as to restore the serenity, harmony and beauty of nature. There is a saying in China that people should protect the eco-environment as they protect their eyes, and achieve harmony between humanity and nature.

Harmony between humanity and nature is a continuation of Marxist thought on that relationship. It is an important indicator of an eco-civilization in the new era, and a major feature of socialist modernization.

人与自然和谐共生

自然是生命之母，是人类赖以生存和发展的根基。人与自然是生命共同体。人类应该以自然为根，敬畏自然、尊重自然、顺应自然、保护自然。保护自然环境就是保护人类，建设生态文明就是造福人类。

生态兴则文明兴，生态衰则文明衰。生态环境变化直接影响文明兴衰演替。历史教训表明，在整个发展过程中，不能只讲索取不讲投入，不能只讲发展不讲保护，不能只讲利用不讲修复。人类只有遵循自然规律才能有效防止在开发利用自然上走弯路，人类对大自然的伤害最终会伤及人类自身，这是无法抗拒的规律。

中共十九大将“坚持人与自然和谐共生”作为新时代坚持和发展中国特色社会主义的一个基本方略，提出坚持节约优先、保护优先、自然恢复为主的方针，形成节约资源和保护环境的空间格局、产业结构、生产方式、生活方式，还自然以宁静、和谐、美丽。中国主张要像保护眼睛一样保护自然和生态环境，推动形成人与自然和谐共生新格局。

人与自然和谐共生，是对马克思主义关于人与自然关系思想的继承和发展，是新时代生态文明建设的一个重要目标，也是中国建设社会主义现代化的一个重要特征。