Modern Western culture is basically the culture of capitalist society. However, there are two opposing types of culture in capitalist society: bourgeois culture and proletarian culture. Bourgeois culture is of course the dominant culture in capitalist society, while proletarian culture, such as the culture guided by Marxist theory, cannot be dominant under the capitalist system. Of course, the Chinese bourgeoisie must absorb Western bourgeois culture to defend their own interests, and this is what the current elite does. Of course, the proletariat must also absorb Western proletarian culture and strive for its own liberation. This is what the Communist Party of China led by Mao Zedong did back then. Of course, there are still a lot of natural science contents in Western culture, and this part of culture has no class character. This kind of Western culture in terms of natural science content must of course be studied hard and absorbed in order to build our country.

As for traditional Chinese culture, it is mainly the culture of feudal society. This culture should also be analyzed. The content of social sciences in traditional Chinese culture mainly serves to maintain feudal rule and the feudal system. What dominates is the ideology and culture of the feudal landlord class. There is no ideological content that reflects the interests and demands of the exploited and oppressed working people, but it does not occupy a dominant position. Nowadays, some people praise traditional Chinese culture to the sky. In fact, the so-called traditional culture they advocate is exactly the dross of feudal culture that should be abandoned. For example, disguised propaganda of feudal superstition and feudal superstition activities are the most obvious examples. The theories of some so-called New Confucian figures abroad are essentially attempts to transform the ideological theories that served the feudal exploitation system in history and use them to serve modern capitalism, trying to use them to solve the contradictions of modern capitalism and safeguard the bourgeoisie. 's rule. The traditional culture advocated by such people is nothing more than capitalist culture cloaked in traditional culture.

Regarding what attitude we should adopt towards Western culture and traditional Chinese culture, Mao Zedong had two very insightful words, which are recorded below:

“China should absorb a large amount of foreign progress. Culture, as the raw material for our own cultural food, has not been done enough in the past. This includes not only the current socialist culture and new democratic culture, but also ancient foreign cultures, such as the culture of the Enlightenment era of various capitalist countries. Everything we need today should be absorbed. But all foreign things, like our food, must be broken down into essence and dregs by passing through our own oral chewing and gastrointestinal motility through saliva, gastric juice and intestinal juice. Only by expelling the dregs and absorbing the essence can it be beneficial to our body. The so-called "total Westernization" idea is a wrong view of absorbing foreign countries in a formalistic manner. The same thing applies to the application of Marxism in China by Chinese communists. The universal truth of Marxism must be completely and appropriately unified with the specific practice of the Chinese revolution. That is to say, it is only useful if it is combined with the characteristics of the nation and adopted a certain national form. Marxists who use it in a subjective and formulaic manner are just making fun of Marxism and the Chinese revolution. There is no place for them. Chinese culture should have its own form, which is the national form, the content of new democracy - this is our new culture today.

The culture of China is scientific. It opposes all feudal and superstitious ideas, advocates seeking truth from facts, advocating objective truth, and adhering to the consistency of theory and practice. At this point, the scientific thinking of the Chinese proletariat can be a progressive asset to China. Class materialists and natural scientists should establish a united front against imperialism, feudalism, and superstition; but they must not establish a united front with any reactionary idealism. Communists can establish a united front with some idealists or even religious believers. A united front against imperialism and feudalism in political action, but we must not agree with their idealism or religious doctrines.

China's long-term feudal society created splendid ancient culture. Cleaning up the development process of ancient culture, eliminating its feudal dross, and absorbing its democratic essence are necessary conditions for developing a new national culture and improving national self-confidence; but we must not accept everything uncritically. It is necessary to distinguish all the decadent things of the ancient feudal ruling class from the excellent people's culture of ancient times, that is, things that are more or less democratic and revolutionary. China's current new politics and new economy developed from the old politics and old economy of ancient times, and China's current new culture also developed from the old culture of ancient times. Therefore, we must respect our own history and must not cut off history. But this kind of respect gives history a certain scientific status and respects the development of the dialectics of history. It does not praise the past but not the present or praise any feudal poison. For the people and young students, the main thing is not to guide them to look backward, but to guide them to look forward. " (Mao Zedong's "On New Democracy" (January 1940))

Lenin's words about the relationship between proletarian culture and the old culture of the past are also very insightful:

p>

“When we talk about proletarian culture, we must pay attention to this. It should be clearly understood that only by accurately understanding the culture created by the entire process of human development, and only by transforming this culture, can we build a proletarian culture. Without this understanding, we cannot complete this task. Proletarian culture did not fall from the sky, nor was it invented by those who claim to be experts on proletarian culture. If you think so, it is complete nonsense. Proletarian culture should be the regular development of all knowledge created by mankind under the oppression of capitalist society, landlord society and bureaucratic society. All these avenues, large and small, no matter in the past, present or future, lead to proletarian culture, just as the political economy transformed by Marx points out to us the inevitable destination of human society, the transition to class struggle, and the transition to the beginning. Same as proletarian revolution. "

(Lenin: "The Tasks of the Youth League" October 2, 1920)