对文化自觉本质的思考

Thinking on the Essence of Cultural Consciousness

党的十八大报告指出,在实现建设社会主义文化强国这一宏伟目标过程中,要树立高度的文化自觉和文化自信。实施文化强国战略的实践需要我们从本质层面对文化自觉的内涵在学术上作出更清晰的阐释。文化自觉在本质上是人们对文化发展规律的认识并依据文化发展规律自觉地进行文化保护、文化传承与文化创造的过程。它包括三个层次:1.对文化发展规律的认识活动。这是文化自觉的起点,主要是一种思维活动,它与文化反思有联系,但又不完全等同。知识分子往往是这一层次上的文化自觉的先锋。2.通过教育把文化构成要素尤其是价值观、伦理道德观、风俗习惯等传递给群体成员的过程。这是把文化自觉由少数人的理性认识转化为社会大多数成员的集体意识的纽带,也是实现文化传承的必要条件。教育在实现文化自觉中发挥着重要的作用,是将文化自觉的主体由少数人扩大到多数人的桥梁。3.社会成员在社会主流价值观、伦理观、风俗习惯等群体文化支配下,在社会生活中有意识地使群体文化得以保存、延续、创新。从这三个层次上认识文化自觉,有助于我们深刻认识政府、知识分子、社会大众在文化自觉中的作用和相互依赖关系,只有发挥政府、知识分子、社会大众的合力才能真正实现全民族的文化自觉。

The report of the 18 th CPC National Congress pointed out that we should establish a high degree of cultural consciousness and self-confidence during the building of socialist cultural giant. But what is cultural consciousness? The academic field failed to reach a consensus. Most of researchers interpret its connotations by descriptive words rather than reveal its core as purpose by definitive language and the studies tends to be superficial and shallow. In the implementation of 'building a country with enhanced cultural strength',we are required to make a clearer interpretation of the connotation of cultural consciousness essentially. In essence,cultural consciousness refers to the process in which people understand and follow the law of cultural development to protect,pass down and create culture. It includes three levels: 1. The understanding of the law of cultural development. This is the origin of cultural consciousness,mainly a kind of thinking activity,which is related to cultural reflection,but not completely identical. Intellectuals are often the pioneer of cultural consciousness at this level. 2. The process of transferring cultural elements,especially values,ethics,customs,and so on through education to the members of a group. This remains the link of cultural consciousness from the rational understanding of minority people to the collective consciousness of most members of society,which is also a necessary condition for the realization of cultural heritage. Education plays an important role in the realization of cultural consciousness,bridging the cultural consciousness from the minority to the majority. 3. The social members,dominated by the mainstream values,ethics,customs and other group culture,consciously make the group culture to preserve,continue,and innovate in social life. Through understanding the cultural consciousness from the three levels,we could recognize the role of the government,public intellectuals and the masses,as well as their mutual relationship in the cultural consciousness. Only by playing their joint efforts could the whole nation realize its cultural consciousness.