中国式现代化与社会保障新制度文明

Chinese Path to Modernization and Social Security as the Vehicle of a New Culture of Institution

现代社会保障是伴随人类现代化进程而兴起的一种制度文明,它以依法确立的共享机制缓和了资本主义社会的劳资矛盾、弥补了市场失灵、促进了社会平等,成为各国现代化进程中不可或缺的重要制度安排。中国走的是有别于西方国家的现代化新路,创造的也应是与之相适应的中国特色社会保障新制度文明,它除具有遵循法治、政府主导、互助共济、促进公平等各国社会保障制度的共同特征,更呈现出以坚持人民性为根本立场、追求目的性价值而非工具性价值、蕴含中华本土性元素、能够与时俱进地应对新问题新挑战,以及在中国特色政治、经济制度加持下更具可持续性等特征。基于这一目标导向,我国需要将社会保障完整地融入中国特色社会主义制度体系,在全面评估现行制度和借鉴国外经验教训的基础上,尽快厘清其建制理念、发展目标与功能定位,在不断优化现行制度安排的条件下,全面建成能够长久支撑起共同富裕的福利中国大厦的中国特色社会保障制度,为人类发展贡献出新的社会保障制度文明。

Modern social security represents one form of a culture of institution that emerged alongside modernization.Through a benefit-sharing mechanism established in accordance with the law,social security alleviates the conflict between labor and capital in capitalist societies,resolves market failures,and promotes social equality,thus becoming an indispensable system in the process of modernization for all countries.China is taking a new path of modernization different from that of Western countries and is expected to create a compatible and new culture of institution founded on social security with Chinese characteristics.This system not only shares common aspects with all social security programs,such as upholding the rule of law,being government-led,and promoting mutual aid and fairness,but also embodies new and unique features including adherence to a peoplecentered approach,pursuit of goal-oriented values,inclusion of local elements,ability to respond to new problems and challenges in a timely manner,and strong sustainability compatible with Chinese political and economic systems.With this vision in mind,China needs to incorporate its whole social security platform into the overall socialist system.Also,based on a comprehensive assessment of the current state of social security in China and lessons learned from abroad,China’s policymakers and academics need to clarify the understanding of the system’s ideas,goals,and roles.With continuous improvement,China can finally build a comprehensive social security apparatus with Chinese characteristics that should be able to permanently sustain the building of a welfare China to achieve common prosperity and contribute to the development of a new institutional culture.