Building China’s Independent Knowledge System: The Foundational and Guiding Roles of Original Textbooks in the New Era

Abstract

Against the backdrop of accelerating the development of philosophy and social sciences with Chinese characteristics, this paper examines the importance, functions, and mission of original textbooks in the new era in building China’s independent knowledge system, focusing on their foundational and guiding roles. Their foundational role is explored in aspects including underpinning core values, systematically innovating the conceptual system, and building on and renewing the methodological foundation. Their guiding role is analyzed from perspectives such as playing a role in shaping national orientation, advancing academic research, building a Chinese discourse system, and transforming teaching models. Typical original textbooks include the unified textbooks for ideological and political education, Chinese language, and history used in primary and secondary schools (including secondary vocational schools). Other objects of analysis encompass ideological and political education textbooks used in higher education institutions and disciplinary textbooks of the Marxist Theory Research and Construction Project. This paper systematically explains how these original textbooks consolidate the foundation of China’s independent knowledge system in terms of knowledge, methodology, and value, and how they steer the future trajectories of academic development, cultural innovation, and talent cultivation. Additionally, it examines the challenges confronting the development of original textbooks in the new era.

Keywords

China’s independent knowledge system / original textbooks in the new era / foundational role / guiding role / challenges

RIGHTS & PERMISSIONS

Higher Education Press