Social Sciences in China

 

In 1980, the journal Social Sciences in China was founded. Established during the new period of China’s reform and opening up, Social Sciences in China was endowed with a unique mission, and expectations for it were high from the very beginning.

Hu Qiaomu, the first president of Chinese Academy of Social Sciences (CASS), had an intense affection for and dedication to the journal. He drafted its publishing guidelines and editorial policies, saying, “Under the direction of Marxism, the journal needs to research domestic as well as foreign social histories and academic ideas to foster communication with international academia and serve the cause of China’s socialist modernization while supporting the development of philosophy and social sciences.

In addition, he explicitly pointed out that the journal should publish only the nation’s finest essays that are able to represent the academic level of CASS and the country as a whole.

In the past 35 years, Social Sciences in China has always been at the frontiers of scholarship. Since 1980, a total of more than 3,800 essays have been published in the journal that vividly and profoundly reflect the thoughts, attitudes and aspirations of contemporary Chinese scholars. Social Sciences in China is the epitome of Chinese scholarship in the new age. It is the journal that broke new ground for Chinese academia.

In retrospect, the journal progressed in fits and starts. An examination and summary of its experiences will help today’s scholars to better grasp the future of Chinese academics.

Marxism offers guidelines
In China, Marxism was popularized during the May Fourth movement, and it later became the mainstay of Chinese progressive scholarship in the 1920s and 1930s amid a heated debate on the character of Chinese society. After the foundation of the People’s Republic of China, a system of academic discourse was formulated in the Chinese humanities and social sciences under the direction of Marxism, forming the new basis and point of departure for Chinese scholarship.

Since its foundation, Social Sciences in China has witnessed drastic and profound social transformation in China and encountered the contention between various schools of thought. On the one hand, it proactively encourages scholars to free their minds to achieve audacious innovation and exploration and to keep pace with the times. On the other hand, the journal unambiguously adopts the stance that Marxism is crucial to guiding Chinese history and it has determined the path of domestic scholarship in modern times.

By sticking to Marxism, Chinese scholarship is able to conform to a scientific worldview and methodology. Through a mastery of Marxism, Chinese scholarship is able to take charge of its own destiny. Marxism is not a dogma that fetters academic innovation. It has always been a broad-minded and inclusive ideological system free from narrow sectarianism, never deviating from the development path of human civilization. With a critical perspective, it undergoes constant self-improvement by drawing upon the quintessential elements of human thought. 

For Marxism to continue to evolve with the times, scholars must stand on the frontiers of social progress and continually blaze new paths of thought and scholarship through the dual exploration of theory and practice. This is the mission of contemporary Chinese scholars and where their spiritual aspiration lies. Steadfast adherence to Marxism guarantees the publication of a series of influential essays in Social Sciences in China that reflect the theoretical consciousness and academic spirit of both the journal and Chinese scholars. 

Serving socialist practice
Deep concern for the welfare of the common people and solicitude for the human destiny have always been prerequisites for the evolution of scholarship. Chinese forefathers formulated their goals as follows: “An educated gentleman has to be resolute and broad minded, for he has taken up a heavy responsibility and a long course.” “To ordain conscience for Heaven and Earth, to secure life and fortune for the people, to continue lost teachings of past sages and to establish peace for all future generations.” It is these tenets that have helped shape the lofty character of Chinese scholars. For contemporary Chinese scholarship, this tradition must be inherited and carried on to provide the ideological and intellectual support for academic progress.

The concepts of reality and research are not contradictory; they complement and supplement each other. The vitality of scholarship comes from deep inquiry into major practical problems, and the ultimate concern with the future of human beings.

While scholarship continues to absorb new materials and inspiration for innovation from reality, life also continues to improve as scholarship makes progress. For more than three decades, those Chinese academic achievements with the highest creative value and those scholarly pieces of literature that have been most likely to become masterpieces of our times have all been full of intense love for the nation and the people, and have all directly and clearly responded to the major issues of the times.

Take the essays published in Social Sciences in China as an example. They mostly focus on topics like the household contract responsibility system, the socialist market economy, the socialist legal system, rule of law and governance in accordance with the changing times and the voice of the people. These essays are distinctively innovative in their theoretical and academic value.

Undoubtedly, Chinese scholars have much room for improvement, while they insist on independent thinking. However, this does not justify disconnecting from reality or shirking responsibility. Chinese scholars must be firmly grounded in practice.

Independent academic schools
Today, the progress of information technology and the development of the transportation tools have brought increasing contact between nations, which has engendered greater cultural interaction and knowledge integration. The globalization of scholarship seems to have opened up a world of ideas, but sober thinking is required in this era.

To enrich scholarship, global vision is necessary, which requires learning from other countries and drawing rational components from the mainstream of international scholarship. But academic communication should feature equality and mutual benefit. It would be a dead end to blindly adopt Western concepts for the reform of Chinese academic tradition while giving short shrift to the national character embodied in humanities and social science research.

For a long time, some disciplines have placed undue emphasis on the progressiveness and universality of Western scholarship and even uncritically praised Western theories, hindering the independent thinking of Chinese intellectuals. Faced with surging tides of Chinese and foreign schools of thought, Chinese scholars need to realize that adherence to the uniquely Chinese academic value, position and principles precedes broad vision and modest attitude. The correct view is to use Chinese thought as the core while drawing on the merits of other paradigms. Social Sciences in China unswervingly pursues the ideal of speaking in China’s own language and establishing its own academic schools.

Scientific principles
The awe for scholarship with a prudent attitude is an age-old tradition in the Chinese intellectual community. As Qian Daxin, a scholar in the Qing Dynasty (1616-1911) put it “Knowledge is a great cause.” “A learned person must proceed from seeking truth from facts.”

However, the shortcomings of the academic climate and the intellectual atmosphere that have emerged in recent years have weakened the due self-esteem and self-respect of scholarship, and vulgarity and flattery are propagated instead. Frivolous and greedy trends have begun to prevail over a rigorous and stringent attitude. Plagiarism and shoddy work is common.

At the same time, critical voices have faded, and the will to uphold the truth has wavered. The so-called academic commentaries and critiques tend to focus on trivial matters while evading crucial points. This not only poses severe challenges to the editorial work of Chinese journals but also negatively affects the image of contemporary Chinese academia. For a better future, Chinese scholarship must reject ostentation and stick to scientific principles. Having reverence for scholarship and resisting the allure of fame and fortune is the only way scholars can conduct the research that is well-grounded and able to withstand the test of practice, the people and history.

A mere 35 years is only a flicker of time in the history of mankind. However, it was during this period that China created a miracle of development and progress. Chinese humanities and social sciences, as a beneficiary of the times, is also the promoter and acclamator of the times. Social Sciences in China indicates the sublimation of today’s knowledge, reflects the aspiration of the intellects, and bears witness to the changes and transformation of society. In the days to come, the journal will, together with explorers, continue to advance in the pursuit of truth in which an impressive chapter will open with glorious strokes.

 

Gao Xiang is the secretary-general of the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences and the editor-in-chief of the Social Sciences in China Press.