As usual, “Sinicization” means separating from Western ideas and be “guided by Marxism” and the CCP.
by Hu Zimo
The Research Center for Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences does not sit idle. On May 15, Tian Xinming, a member of the Academic Steering Committee of the Research Center published in the “Guangming Daily” a long article on Xi Jinping’s thought on sociology and philosophy.
In short, Xi Jinping’s speeches collected and analyzed by Tian ask that sociology and philosophy should be “Sinicized” in the same way as religions were. This is absolutely needed to achieve “China’s independence from the West,” which requires an “independent knowledge system.” An intellectual decoupling should parallel the economic and political decoupling.
As it happens with religion, “Sinicizing” does not mean adapting philosophy and sociology to Chinese culture but to Marxism and to the CCP’s directives.
“China’s independent knowledge system,” Tian writes, “is a system guided by Marxism.” He quotes Xi Jinping, who stated that, “Adhering to the guidance of Marxism is the fundamental symbol that distinguishes contemporary Chinese philosophy and social sciences from other philosophical and social sciences and must be upheld with a clear-cut stand.”
Besides, Tian claims, there were no philosophy or sociology in China before Marxism. “Contemporary Chinese philosophy and social sciences start with the entry of Marxism into our country.” Developing philosophy and sociology was “part of China’s revolution, construction and reform under the leadership of the CCP.” This is, of course, not true. Perhaps the CCP popularized the words “philosophy” and “sociology” but a Chinese philosophy and teachings about how to organize society date back at least to the time of Confucius, five hundred years before the Common Era.
As usual, however, by “Sinicization” Xi Jinping and his exegetes means “Marxistization” and making science subservient to the CCP. Tian summarizes Xi’s thought by concluding that, “Only by adhering to the guidance of Marxism,.. the knowledge system can achieve ‘Chinese independence.’”
“Independence” means separation from the mainline Western scholarly tradition. But there will be no independence, and in fact enhanced dependence for scholars, from Marxism and the CCP.
