Social Sciences Academic Committee of the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences Collection Volume 1 (2004)

Author: Compiled by the Academic Committee of the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences
Publisher:
Publishing Date: 2005-03-01
Features: The Chinese Academy of Social Sciences is the highest research institution for humanities and social sciences in China. Its Academic Committee members are leading scholars in various disciplines across the country. Each year, they contribute a significant work for the first time in this journal, making it a collection of outstanding papers from various fields such as literature, history, philosophy, economics, politics, law, sociology, and international studies. The materials are fresh, and the insights are abundant. In 1998, Comrade Li Tieying, then President of the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, proposed the establishment of the Academic Committee, which has now been in operation for six years. Over the past six years, the Committee has held several academic exchanges and conducted multiple academic investigations in different regions of the country. This year, based on public opinion, we have published this Journal to feature the academic papers of the Committee members. It is planned to publish one volume annually in the future.
Natural sciences study the natural world that sustains and enables human survival and development, while social sciences and humanities study human society and the civilizations humans have created. Philosophy, often categorized under the latter, serves as a summary and conclusion of the two sciences. Both are highly important. For human progress and societal advancement, these two fields must advance in tandem. If one wing is strong and the other is weak, or if only one wing is present, it is impossible to fly high and far.
At the beginning of this year, the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China issued the Opinions on Further Promoting the Prosperity of Philosophy and Social Sciences, which fully valued and emphasized the role of these fields. Inspired by this, we have published this Journal to contribute our modest efforts in implementing the Central Committee's Opinions. History and reality have proven that the development of philosophy and social sciences requires the implementation of the "Let a hundred flowers bloom and let a hundred schools of thought contend" (，) policy. In academic research, differences among scholars are normal and inevitable. These differences may involve debates over truth and falsehood, discussions on comprehensiveness versus partiality, or disagreements between different perspectives and strengths, which can be seen as debates between one kind of partiality and another. Arguments from the correct side may contain elements of error, while those from the erroneous side may include reasonable components worth absorbing. Through "contend," allowing different opinions, viewpoints, and schools of thought to interact, integrate, and even clash, through discussion, debate, criticism, and counter-criticism, people's understanding of truth will become more comprehensive, profound, and enriched, and the relevant disciplines will be advanced and developed. We have published this Journal to contribute our modest efforts in upholding the "double hundred" policy.
A major taboo in scientific research is to be stale, repetitive, or to repeat what has already been said. Human society is constantly developing, and the civilizations humans have created are also evolving. Philosophy and social sciences must explain the new phenomena and issues that continually emerge, propose new thinking and solutions, and even for old phenomena, old issues, with the discovery of new materials or improvements in people's understanding or changes in perspectives, they must continuously explore, propose new narratives and explanations, striving to bring them closer to objective truth or historical reality.
In recent years, leaders of the Party and the state have repeatedly called for "seeking truth from facts," "emancipating the mind," "keeping pace with the times," and "actively promoting theoretical innovation." These opinions fully align with the requirements of the times and the laws of academic development. This Journal will strive to implement these opinions and publish more works that are guided by Marxism, have solid foundations, and contribute to the advancement of relevant disciplines.
In terms of style, we will advocate for rigor, simplicity, and fluency, adhering to internationally recognized academic norms. The Chinese Academy of Social Sciences' Academic Committee brings together dozens of senior experts from dozens of disciplines within the Academy. The articles in this Journal are their recent research achievements, hastily compiled, and may have shortcomings. We sincerely invite readers to criticize and correct them.
This Journal has received 31 articles from the Academic Committee members of the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences. Comrades Yang Tianshi, Yang Shengming, Qiu Yuanlun, Chen Yunquan, and Dong Wenzhu participated in the editorial work.