The Key to Developing the Social Sciences and Producing Thought Is the Ability to Accept Criticism

Recently our national leaders have suddenly and repeatedly emphasized that our country should develop the social sciences. President Xi Jinping has said that this is an era that can produce thought and that is certain to produce thought; this shows that our government has also become aware of society's demand in this regard. But allow me to say something a little jarring: the common people are not the obstacle to developing the social sciences and producing thought. The real obstacle lies with those in power. Only when those in power can accept criticism can the social sciences truly develop and truly meaningful discussion of society take place.

Social-science workers and thinkers alike are, in the final analysis, writers—writers who must influence this society through their own articles. We often say that the writer is the conscience of society. What is conscience? Conscience is the act of punishing evil and promoting good; a writer's work must have the value orientation of punishing evil and promoting good. Punishing evil requires tremendous courage. A writer's critical writing often offends either some powerful people or groups in society, or the government. Only when the rule of law is sound and the government is enlightened and generous, able to free writers from the fear of persecution, will writers dare write with uprightness, expose the truth, promote social progress, and drive the development of civilization.