Social Sciences in China (Chinese Edition)

No.4, 2018

 

 Society’s Rational and Moral Identification with Core Values

(Abstract)

 

Jiang Chang

 

Society’s identification with core values refers to social members’ support for and sharing in such values. The main basis for modern citizens’ judgements of the core values advocated by the state is whether they are rational and impartial. On this basis, society’s identification with core values falls into two categories: rational identification and moral identification. Rational identification comes from the persuasiveness of the value contents; people acknowledge core or dominant values because they realize such values have an adequate rational basis. Moral identification derives from the benign social outcomes (effectiveness) produced by the fairness of national governance, that is, by people’s appreciation of the state’s impartial distribution of social resources and the public interest. Identification with moral values depends more on the masses’ awareness, appreciation and understanding of the fairness and effectiveness of national governance. It differs from rational identification, which depends on rational analysis, but is of crucial significance for society’s identification with core values. In order to implement the spirit of the Party’s 19th National Congress, we must strengthen our efforts to promote rational and moral identification with socialist core values, integrate these core values into the entire course of social life, and make people internalize these beliefs, qualities, and norms.