Deeply grasp the theoretical foundation of the supreme leader’s ecological civilization thought

　　 　[In-depth study and implementation of Socialism with Chinese characteristics Thought of the Supreme Leader in the New Era]

　　Author: Zhou Xiangjun (Professor, School of Marxism, Shandong University)

　　The supreme leader’s ecological civilization thought adheres to the Marxist world outlook and methodology, profoundly reveals the essential characteristics and basic laws of socialist ecological civilization construction, and has a profound philosophical foundation and theoretical foundation. In-depth study of the theoretical foundation of the supreme leader’s ecological civilization thought will help us to accurately understand the profound connotation and essence of this important thought, so as to take the Chinese modernization road of harmonious coexistence between man and nature more consciously, and strive to draw a new picture of beautiful China under the guidance of the supreme leader’s ecological civilization thought more firmly.

　　The materialistic connotation of seeking truth from facts

　　Everything starts from the changing and developing objective reality and the law of the existence and development of objective things, which is the essence and method of dialectical materialism. Comrade Mao Zedong insisted on dialectical materialism and put forward the concept of "seeking truth from facts" according to the needs of theoretical innovation and practical development. Seeking truth from facts is not only the essence and ideological basis of Marxist philosophy, but also the materialistic connotation of the supreme leader’s ecological civilization thought. Insisting on seeking truth from facts means insisting on studying and solving problems from reality. Based on the world situation, national conditions and party conditions, the supreme leader’s ecological civilization thought profoundly expounded the prominent position of ecological civilization construction in the overall development of the cause of the party and the state, and emphasized that promoting ecological civilization construction and formulating principles and policies should be firmly based on the greatest reality of the primary stage of socialism. In a word, it is necessary to adhere to the principle that "water is suitable for water, mountains are suitable for mountains, grain is suitable for grain, agriculture is suitable for agriculture, industry is suitable for industry, and business is suitable for business, and actively explore new ways of high-quality development with regional characteristics". The concept, design mechanism, deployment strategy and general plan expounded by the supreme leader’s ecological civilization thought are all condensed on the basis of practical investigation by adhering to the principle of seeking truth from facts.

　　On the one hand, it emphasizes a comprehensive understanding of reality and an accurate grasp of the facts. The General Secretary of the Supreme Leader pointed out: "China is still a country with little forest and green, and its ecology is fragile. Planting trees and improving the ecology have a long way to go." Since the 18th National Congress of the Communist Party of China, the General Secretary of the Supreme Leader has gone to Gansu, Qinghai, Shanxi, Ningxia and other places for on-the-spot investigation and research, and put forward corresponding strategies for local natural advantages or environmental shortcomings. For example, in view of the special geographical environment and ecological value of the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau, it is proposed to further promote the scientific investigation of the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau, reveal the mechanism of environmental change, accurately grasp the impact of global climate change and human activities on the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau, and study and put forward systematic plans and engineering measures for protection, restoration and governance. In addition, through holding special seminars and symposiums, we exchanged discussions with experts and scholars to provide scientific guidance for the formulation of relevant policies.

　　On the other hand, it emphasizes exploring and mastering the inherent laws of ecological civilization construction. The key to seeking truth from facts lies in "seeking truth", that is, exploring and mastering the law of development of things. General Secretary of the Supreme Leader stressed: "It is necessary to deepen the understanding of the regularity of the community between man and nature and accelerate the construction of ecological civilization in an all-round way." Only by following scientific laws can we find new problems and solve new problems. However, following the law is not a routine and step by step, but a matter of doing things honestly according to the law, being brave in innovation and being good at creation, and always firmly grasping the initiative of development. Adhering to the guidance of the supreme leader’s ecological civilization thought, we must thoroughly study and grasp the general laws of ecological protection, socialist modernization and the special laws of ecological civilization construction in China, and adhere to the Chinese modernization road of harmonious coexistence between man and nature.

　　Dialectical thinking of unity of opposites

　　Contradiction is a philosophical category that reflects the unity of opposites within things or between things. Oppositeness and unity are two basic attributes of contradiction. Comrade Mao Zedong pointed out: "Everything has this kind of contradiction, which causes the movement and development of things." The historical process of the development of human society is the process of constantly understanding contradictions, analyzing contradictions and solving contradictions. The supreme leader’s ecological civilization thought adheres to the unity of materialism and dialectics, and scientifically applies them to the whole process and various fields of ecological civilization construction, correctly answering and handling a series of major issues.

　　Since the 18th National Congress of the Communist Party of China, the General Secretary of the Supreme Leader has adhered to the unity of the two-point theory and the key theory, and made in-depth thinking on how to grasp the relationship between ecological protection and economic development according to the essential attribute of ecological civilization construction and the realistic requirements of economic and social development. He pointed out, "We want green mountains and green hills, as well as Jinshan Yinshan. It is better to have green mountains and green hills than golden mountains and silver mountains, and Lucid waters and lush mountains are invaluable assets ",proposing that" high-quality development and high-level protection complement each other and complement each other. High-level protection is an important support for high-quality development. High-quality development with ecological priority, green and low carbon can only be achieved by high-level protection. " These important expositions, using contradiction analysis scientifically, are good at finding symbiosis points from opposites, clarifying the dialectical unity relationship between environmental protection and economic development, and pointing out that green mountains and green rivers are not only natural wealth, ecological wealth, but also social wealth and economic wealth. Protecting the ecological environment means protecting natural values and increasing natural capital, which is to cultivate the potential and stamina of economic and social development.

　　In July, 2023, General Secretary of the Supreme Leader reviewed and summarized the practical experience of the new era in the past ten years, analyzed the new situations and new problems currently faced, and clearly put forward five major relationships that need to be handled in promoting the construction of ecological civilization in the new journey, namely, the relationship between high-quality development and high-level protection, the relationship between key tackling and collaborative governance, the relationship between natural restoration and artificial restoration, the relationship between external constraints and endogenous motivation, and the relationship between "double carbon" commitment and independent action. Among them, the relationship between high-quality development and high-level protection, the relationship between key attack and collaborative governance clearly embodies the organic unity of two-point theory and key theory of materialist dialectics. Dealing with the relationship between high-quality development and high-level protection is a strategic measure to adhere to the important concept of "Lucid waters and lush mountains are invaluable assets", that is, to maintain the natural appearance and value potential of "green water and green mountains" through high-level environmental protection, to give play to its ecological, economic and social efficiency, and to create new kinetic energy and new advantages for high-quality economic and social development. Dealing with the relationship between tackling key problems and collaborative governance is to firmly establish the system concept, grasp the main contradictions and major aspects of ecological civilization construction, explore new governance ways from the perspective of system engineering and overall situation, and carry out ecological civilization construction in an all-round, all-regional and whole process.

　　Epistemological characteristics of the unity of knowledge and action

　　Marx pointed out: "Whether people’s thinking has objective truth is not a theoretical problem, but a practical one. People should prove the truth of their own thinking in practice, that is, the reality and strength of their own thinking and the shore of their own thinking. " Practical viewpoint is the primary and basic viewpoint of Marxist epistemology. The supreme leader’s ecological civilization thought adheres to the unity of epistemology and methodology, showing the theoretical character of unity of knowledge and action, seeking truth and being pragmatic.

　　Do it really "know". The supreme leader’s ecological civilization thought inherits and develops the materialistic, dialectical and practical ecological philosophy thinking and methods contained in Marxist ecological view, draws on the ecological wisdom of Chinese excellent traditional culture, draws lessons from the experience and lessons in the process of western industrialization, continuously deepens the understanding of the law of ecological civilization construction, and systematically answers major theoretical and practical questions such as why to build an ecological civilization, what kind of ecological civilization to build, and how to build an ecological civilization, which provides a fundamental basis for the construction of ecological civilization in the new era.

　　Pay to the "line". Under the guidance of the supreme leader’s ecological civilization thought, through unremitting efforts, China’s ecological civilization construction has achieved a major shift from key rectification to systematic governance, from passive response to active action, from global environmental governance participants to leaders, and from practical exploration to scientific theory guidance. For example, in terms of ambient air conditions, the average concentration of fine particulate matter (PM2.5) in cities at or above the prefecture level in China is 29 μ g/m3, down 3.3% year-on-year, achieving a continuous decline in the past 10 years; In terms of soil environmental conditions, the national soil environmental risks have been basically controlled, and the increasing trend of soil pollution has been initially curbed; Wait a minute. The achievements in the construction of ecological civilization in the new era have attracted worldwide attention and become a remarkable symbol of historic achievements and changes in the cause of the party and the state in the new era.

　　"knowledge" and "behavior" run through. Adhering to the unity of knowledge and action, the key and key point is to ensure the benign interaction and real connection between knowledge and action. The main force of ecological civilization construction is all the people, but individuals have different ideological understanding, practical endowment and moral literacy, and their understanding and grasp of ideological concepts are different, deep or shallow, strong or weak. The supreme leader’s ecological civilization thought particularly emphasizes the important role of ecological civilization theory education and system of ecological civilization mechanism in environmental governance. By strengthening the green education at the ideological level, actively promoting the socialist concept of ecological civilization, strengthening the rigid design at the institutional level, and closely weaving the strictest and strictest network of the rule of law system, we can ensure the logical integration and unity of the true "knowledge" in thought and the true "behavior" in practice.

　　The essence of historical materialism of people first.

　　Historical materialism holds that the people are the creators of history and the decisive force of social change. As a brand-new form of the development of human civilization, ecological civilization is a great cause created collectively by the people. The supreme leader’s ecological civilization thought emphasizes "adhering to the principle of benefiting the people by ecology, benefiting the people by ecology and serving the people", constantly meeting the people’s growing needs for a beautiful ecological environment, which contains a distinct people’s stand and shows profound people’s feelings.

　　It is clear that the construction of ecological civilization is for the people. General Secretary of the Supreme Leader profoundly pointed out: "The human heart is the greatest politics. We must actively respond to the people’s thoughts, expectations and urgency, vigorously promote the construction of ecological civilization, provide more high-quality ecological products, and constantly meet the people’s growing needs for a beautiful ecological environment. " This important exposition profoundly answers the ontological proposition of who ecological civilization construction serves. The people-centered development thought has always been the logical thread running through the supreme leader’s ecological civilization thought, which is not only reflected in the connotation interpretation of ideological theory, but also manifested in the vivid and great practice. Our party adheres to the principle of benefiting the people by ecology, benefiting the people by ecology and serving the people by ecology, vigorously promotes green production and lifestyle, focuses on solving outstanding environmental problems that harm people’s health, continuously improves the quality of the ecological environment, provides more high-quality ecological products, and enables people to have more sense of acquisition, happiness and security in a beautiful ecological environment.

　　Adhere to the construction of ecological civilization and rely on the people. The General Secretary of the Supreme Leader pointed out that "ecological civilization is a common cause for the people to participate in and build together, and it is necessary to turn the construction of beautiful China into the conscious action of all the people". The supreme leader’s thought of ecological civilization requires us to constantly unite the people’s consensus in practice, enhance the people’s subjective consciousness, stimulate the people’s endogenous motivation, and provide strong material and spiritual strength for the construction of ecological civilization. Specifically, ideologically, we should strengthen the theoretical interpretation and knowledge popularization of the supreme leader’s ecological civilization thought step by step, so that the people can truly understand the importance and necessity of ecological civilization construction. In action, we advocate thrift, green and low-carbon consumption, promote energy-saving and water-saving products, green and environmentally-friendly furniture and building materials, promote green and low-carbon travel, encourage and guide consumers to buy energy-saving and environmentally-friendly recycled products, and promote the formation of a positive, sunny, civilized and healthy national lifestyle and consumption pattern.

　　The actual results of ecological civilization construction are judged by the people. The test of the effectiveness of all our work ultimately depends on whether the people have really benefited, whether people’s lives have really improved, and whether people’s rights and interests have really been guaranteed. As far as the ecological field is concerned, the basic criterion for evaluating the actual effect of ecological civilization construction and whether the value goal is achieved lies in whether the people’s beautiful ecological environment needs are met and whether the people really feel the sense of ecological acquisition and happiness. Only by solving and satisfying the practical problems that people think, worry and expect with high quality in all aspects can we gain wide recognition from the people and promote the achievement and realization of the goal of ecological civilization construction.

　　(This paper is a phased achievement of the National Social Science Foundation’s major project "The Philosophical Foundation of Socialism with Chinese characteristics Thought of the Supreme Leader in the New Era" [〔18ZDA001〕])