Exhibits at the Archaeological Library of CSCSA Photo: Wang Zhou/CSST

President Xi Jinping’s congratulatory letter to the inaugural World Conference of Classics offers important guidance for inheriting and preserving historical and cultural legacies, enhancing civilizational exchange and mutual learning, and promoting the progress of human civilization. As classical scholars, we bear the responsibility of advancing our field by actively developing the disciplinary, academic, and discourse systems of contemporary classics from a multi-civilizational perspective, contributing to deeper and more practical civilizational exchange and mutual learning.

Overcoming traditional limitations

The discipline of classics, institutionalized as modern social science knowledge, emerged in Europe during the 1880s. Like other social sciences, modern Western classics arose within a historical and cultural context marked by a distinct imprint of “modernity.” This framework, centered on Western nation-states and using Mediterranean civilization as the benchmark, sought to explain why only certain civilizations were considered “developed,” while others were labeled either “stagnant” Eastern civilizations or prehistoric tribes “without history.”

European classics has apparent limitations in its conception of civilizational development and has faced critiques for being “Eurocentric,” “aristocratic-elitist,” and “patriarchal.” Addressing these issues of modernity and developing a modern classics discipline characterized by openness, continuous development, and multi-civilizational collective dialogue has become a central topic of discussion among classical scholars worldwide. Redefining classics and establishing contemporary systems of disciplinary, academic, and discourse structures necessitate adherence to three guiding principles:

Pluralistic Coexistence: We should fully explore the rich classical traditions of various civilizations, forming a contemporary classics system underpinned by Chinese, Western, Eastern, and comparative classics, refine fundamental issues of classics, and develop basic categories, principles, and methodologies.

Openness: Classics should open “interfaces” between disciplines such as literature, history, philosophy, modern social sciences, and science and technology to build a disciplinary community where multidisciplinary and interdisciplinary paradigms are integrated and synergized.

Sustainable Dialogue: Contemporary classics must be forward-looking and global, engaging more young scholars and amplifying voices from the East and the Global South to create an inclusive and dynamic intellectual exchange.

Laying a solid academic foundation

Fostering a forward-looking, open, and diverse discipline of contemporary classics has gained consensus within the academic community. To realize this vision, it is essential to establish a multidisciplinary and cross-disciplinary talent cultivation system.

First, the basic knowledge system of classics should be structured around the core elements of “word-text-culture,” anchored in the three primary disciplines of literature, history, and philosophy. Proficiency in classical languages is essential for scholars, serving as both a fundamental skill and an entry point to primary classical texts. Beyond textual analysis, it is crucial to identify the academic mechanisms underlying texts within their historical and cultural contexts and the spirit of their times. Bringing classical works to life depends on critical thinking, and improving theoretical critical thinking skills necessitates studying ancient philosophy. Classical scholarship only gains intellectual and theoretical depth when the text, history, and culture are examined through the lens of philosophy.

Second, classical studies must broaden its scope by linking traditional knowledge with empirical science and applied technology. This approach enables the creation of a dual paradigm for contemporary classics, integrating “normative classics” for qualitative research with “empirical classics” for quantitative research. Establishing joint degree programs such as “Classics + Archaeology + History,” “Classics + Anthropology + Sociology,” and “Classical Studies + Digital Humanities” can cultivate a new type of classical scholars through multidisciplinary education. Classics can only maintain its vitality through continuous independent innovation of knowledge.

Creatively transforming research achievements

The mission of contemporary classics lies in the creative transformation of academic achievements, actively engaging in civilizational dialogue, deconstructing the biases of cultural centrism, and acting as a bridge for civilizational exchange and mutual learning.

First, the discipline should prioritize the construction of the “three major systems” of contemporary classics to deliver significant, influential scholarly works. Contemporary classical studies should not merely imitate the paradigms of Western classics or mass-produce low-value, derivative translations. Instead, the focus should be on producing exemplary research and high-quality translations and annotations of classical texts.

Second, creating platforms for academic exchange and dialogue is vital. Civilizational mutual learning involves both theoretical construction and cultural practice. Systematic research and sustained dialogue on classical civilizations provide the academic basis for civilizational exchange and serve as a repository of ancient wisdom for addressing modern global challenges. Therefore, classical scholars must embrace their role as interpreters of classical wisdom and ambassadors of the classical spirit, facilitating mutual translation of classical texts, academic discourse, and cultural exchange among civilizations.

Third, we need to promote the development of educational and teaching systems for contemporary classics to cultivate strategic talents equipped with expertise in classical studies and a commitment to cultural preservation and civilizational exchange and mutual learning. The classical spirit can be introduced into campuses through workshops, summer camps, summer schools, joint graduate programs, and other initiatives.

Cui Yanqiang is a professor at Southwest University and the director of the Center of Chinese and Greek Ancient Civilizations.