-Time Dimensions of the Chinese Dream
HUO Guihuan
In order to gradually build a theoretical system of human rights with Chinese characteristics that conforms to the development of the times through rigorous academic research, researchers need to break through the basic thinking tendency of “from idea to idea” step by step and finally establish the fundamental research orientation of “specifying human rights studies.” Through comprehensive and systematic analysis and sorting out various basic concepts relating to human rights, researchers also need to finally establish a solid foundation and prerequisite for fruitful academic study. Meanwhile, it is necessary to truly uphold and implement the basic position of dialectical materialism advocated by the Marxist philosophy throughout the academic research processes, and gradually carry out rigorous theoretical research on human rights based on all the aspects of practical problems themselves, so as to draw concrete conclusions with realistic pertinence and theoretical explanation. Based on the point of view above, this article believes that it is of great theoretical and practical significance to apply full attention and emphasis to the space-time dimensions of the Chinese Dream in the process of today’s theoretical studies on human rights.
I. The Importance of the Space-Time Dimensions
Generally speaking, many things in human society, which are research objects in the fields of either the natural sciences or the humanities and social sciences, in essence emerge and exist in a specific time and space, and then function and gradually disappear in this particular time and space. Therefore, the space-time dimensions of anything are not just a kind of inherent basic component. For the researcher, they also constitute the essential entry point for academic study and eventually a touchstone for examining whether the researcher has truly adhered to the basic standpoint of dialectical materialism in academic research.
The reason for so much emphasis on the significance of the space-time dimensions of the object of study is not just because all kinds of objects are in a specific time and space - in specific natural environments, historical traditions and social realities from the perspective of space, and with a specific past, present and future from the perspective of time. It is also because as long as the researcher consciously includes the space-time dimensions of the object in his or her study perspective and thinks seriously, he or she will then naturally seek truth from facts in treating, understanding and studying the object, thus consciously or unconsciously insisting on and carrying out the basic position of dialectical materialism in academic research.
However, despite the significance of space-time dimensions, they have yet to receive sufficient attention or proper treatment and study by researchers. The reason is that, instead of existing by way of physical presence, space-time dimensions exist and function by way of relying on the substantive existence of the real object. In addition, it is especially because most researchers have the basic tendency to pursue and hold the view that the conclusions of their research are impeccable and absolutely valid in a universal manner. In this way, we can clearly see that in the research fields of the natural sciences and the humanities and social science where various aspects such as research object, nature, scope and conclusion are widely different, there exists a fundamental tendency and practice that researchers only pay attention to the objects of substantive existence and think little of their specific space-time dimensions; and one of the direct consequences of such a practice is that most researchers highly praise and blindly exaggerate the domain of validity of their conclusions due to their wishful thinking. In my opinion, it is the academic root cause for many Western scholars, especially Western politicians to spare no effort in advocating so-called “universal value” in the study and propaganda of human rights.
Therefore, space-time dimensions as well as their status and function should be fully emphasized and carefully studied. The theoretical significance and practical value of this approach to researchers, human rights researchers included, to adhere to and implement the basic position of dialectical materialism and fundamentally eradicate all bad emotional tendencies during academic research cannot be ignored.
II. The Space-Time Dimensions of the Chinese Dream and Their Normative Enlightenment of China’s Human Rights Studies
For the past two years, the Chinese Dream has been promoted as a way to build China into a modern socialist country that is prosperous, powerful, democratic, civilized and harmonious and realize the free and comprehensive growth of individuals by the mid-21st century, and it has also emphasized the promotion of common progress of countries all over the world during the pursuit of our own development. So far, the Chinese Dream has produced extensive and far-reaching effects both at home and abroad and aroused wide attention in domestic academia along with careful study. However, when it comes to the Chinese Dream and its specific way of realization, the majority of researchers have yet to pay necessary attention, understanding and investigation to its space-time dimensions. So, what are the space-time dimensions of the Chinese Dream? And what is their normative enlightenment of China’s human right studies?
1. The space-time dimensions of the Chinese Dream
Does the Chinese Dream have space-time dimensions? Absolutely! People may simply say that “in any historical period from ancient to modern times, Chinese people have their own dreams, and therefore they have Chinese Dreams,” and it seems the Chinese Dream does not have specific dimensions of time and space but instead enjoys universal validity. However, there is no denying that only after General Secretary Xi Jinping delivered a relevant important speech on Nov. 29, 2012, did the Chinese Dream, specifically featuring the organic unity of the construction of a modern and powerful socialist country and the realization of individual growth and the national development of China and other countries all over the world, become a special phrase to express the new government’s specific aim and firm confidence.
Therefore, we can briefly say that the word “Chinese” in the phrase unambiguously declares the specific spatial dimension. At the same time, General Secretary Xi Jinping in his “11/29” speech announced that the dream “combines ambitions of several generations of Chinese people, embodies the overall interests of the Chinese nation and people, and constitutes the common aspiration of all Chinese people,” illustrating quite clearly the specific time dimension of the Chinese Dream—specific past, present and future.
That being the case, what do the space-time dimensions of the Chinese Dream really mean to China’s current human rights studies?
2. The Normative Enlightenment of China's Human Rights Studies
Generally speaking, the Chinese Dream has for the first time unified individuals’ comprehensive and free growth with the development of the country, and therefore it has undoubtedly played a substantial role in promoting China’s human rights studies and construction. However, the substantive role can only be specifically reflected by the further healthy development of China’s human rights undertakings through practical, in-depth and systematic discussions and studies on the situation of China’s human rights. Consequently, in order to specify the substantive role and make it reflected in China’s human rights studies, we regard it as one of the important and indispensable ways to fully emphasize and carefully study the normative enlightenment from space-time dimensions of the Chinese Dream.
First of all, the reason why we think that the space-time dimensions of the Chinese Dream have normative enlightenment of China’s human rights studies is that they can clearly guide and regulate human rights researchers to attach enough attention to and take seriously the specific space-time dimensions of China’s current human rights when conducting studies on China’s human rights, thus making researchers consciously adhere to and implement the basic position of dialectical materialism in human rights studies and strive to realize “respect only for facts and truths instead of books or foreign knowledge.” Through a series of solid, systematic, comprehensive and in-depth exploration and research step-by-step, researchers will finally make academic conclusions of clear practical pertinence and sufficient theoretical explanation, so as to make positive contributions to the construction of the theoretical system of human rights with Chinese characteristics and the promotion of the healthy development of China’s human rights.
Second, in our point of view, the normative enlightenment of China’s human rights studies gained from the space-time dimensions of the Chinese Dream is reflected in several ways. For one thing, human rights researchers are required to conduct fruitful academic research by paying adequate attention to and taking seriously the space-time dimensions of China’s current human rights when exploring and studying China’s human rights situation. For another, space-time dimensions can also provide researchers with strong support for academic research when they are faced with groundless accusations and irrational attacks by Western academic and political circles on China’s human rights. Since many Western scholars, especially Western politicians, intentionally or unintentionally show total ignorance of the specific time-space dimensions, hence they think their own human rights have “universal value,” and then further arrogantly assume that their own human rights ideas are absolutely and universally valid standards, with which they judge, criticize and attack other countries’, including China’s, human rights standards and development. However, this is only a purely academic scenario and does not include the hidden and vicious intentions in international politics of those Western scholars and politicians to seize all means and opportunities to advance their political and economic interests, nor the various ideological biases inevitably formed from such intentions. Therefore, fully valuing and highly emphasizing the space-time dimensions of human rights situations apparently helps us to thoroughly expose the groundlessness and the consequently inevitable hypocrisy of their human rights ideas from the academic perspective while carrying out a tit-for-tat human rights struggle in political ideology.
In summary, the space-time dimensions of any research object are not illusory or unimportant, but worthy of adequate attention; the unique space-time dimensions of the Chinese Dream not only have normative implications for fruitful research on China’s human rights. At the same time, they are also of significance in promoting the publicity of human rights and carrying out effective ideological struggle.
(The author is a research fellow at the Center for Culture Studies, Chinese Academy of Social Sciences (CASS), and director of the Department of Philosophy and Culture, Institute of Philosophy, CASS.)
