Harmonious coexistence and ceaseless nourishment: The Sinicized Marxist concept of development

AbstractThe basic problem of development is the very concept of it. Since the dawn of modern China development has gone from being seen as nothing to something; more recently, under the guidance of Marxism, the conceptualization of it has fully drawn on experiences and lessons from Western modernization and the quintessence of outstanding traditional Chinese culture, namely 'zhong he wei yu, an suo sui sheng' (literally meaning that 'the world will be set in a proper order and life will be nourished when the condition of the 'harmonious mean' is reached, and all beings will fulfill their lives once they get comfortable with their positions'). As a result, the Sinicized Marxist concept of development has formed, which differs from that of the West and takes the being of humans as its core standpoint. The concept of development from the perspective of being emphasizes that being is the basic content of development, regards co-existence as a realistic basis of development, and aims at the pursuit of a happy, well-being life as the ultimate goal. The Sinicized Marxist concept of development is not only of great significance to the rejuvenation of the Chinese nation, but also of great value to the development of Marxism and the progress of contemporary mankind.Keywords: Concept of developmentmodernitySinicized Marxistharmonious coexistence Disclosure statementNo potential conflict of interest was reported by authors.Additional informationNotes on contributorsXiangping ShenXiangping Shen is a professor of philosophy in the School of Philosophy at Beijing Normal University, Beijing, China, the Director of Research Institute for Globalization and Cultural Development Strategies, and a member of the China Committee of the International Confucian Federation. He mainly researches general philosophical theory, Marx's theory, the philosophy of man, value, and cultural issues. Professor Shen has published more than 180 papers in journals such as Chinese Social Sciences, Philosophical Studies, and Educational Studies. He also presides over major projects of the National Social Science Foundation and major projects of key research bases of the Ministry of Education. His major publications include The Only Historical Science: The Self-Prescription of Marx's Doctrine, Globalization, and Modernity, and Introduction to Philosophy, etc.Xuewei HouXuewei Hou is a PhD student at Beijing Normal University School of Philosophy. She mainly researches Marx's theory and the philosophy of man.