Award certificates are presented to authors of the top nine articles. Photo: Zhu Gaolei/CSST

The top nine articles published in 2021 in Social Sciences in China, China’s preeminent journal in the humanities and social sciences, were honored at an award ceremony in Beijing on March 22.

These nine articles are: “Practical, Theoretical, and Historical Logics of Xi Jinping Thought on the Rule of Law” by Zhang Wenxian; “World History and the Century-Long Quest for the Chinese Path” by Wu Xiaoming; “Chinese-Style Modernization and New Developmental Sociology” by Li Peilin; “Measurement of China’s Macroeconomic Resilience: A Systemic Risk Perspective” by Liu Xiaoxing, Zhang Xu, and Li Shouwei; “A Theoretical Outline for National Security Studies for the New Era” by Zhang Yuyan and Feng Weijiang; “An Outline of ‘Chinese-Language Philosophy’: Original Thought, Discourse Domain, and Method” by Sun Xiangchen; “Constructing Political Science with Chinese Characteristics: Discipline, Scholarship, and Discourse—The Example of the Restoration and Reconstruction of Political Science in China” by Xu Yong and Ren Lu; “On the Land Order and System During the Northern Dynasties and the Sui and Tang” by Yang Jiping; and “A Re-Discussion of Imposed Interpretation” by Zhang Jiang.

Xie Fuzhan, president of the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences (CASS) and director of the Editorial Board of Social Sciences in China, and CASS Secretary General Zhao Qi presented awards to these articles’ authors and editors.

Fang Jun, deputy secretary general of CASS and editor-in-chief of Social Sciences in China Press, introduced the selection process for these articles. He said that under CASS leadership’s guidance, “we successfully selected top articles published in Social Sciences in China in 2020 for the first time in 2021. On the basis of summarizing last year’s work experience, this year saw a revised and improved selection method.”

In the primary selection stage, in addition to readers’ real-name voting, “peer expert voting” and “editorial recommendations” were added. The weights of readers’ real-name voting, peer expert voting, and editorial recommendations are 40%, 40%, and 20%, respectively. Articles that passed the primary selection entered the final selection stage, which was carried out by an expert review committee. The rules for final selection remained unchanged. “Such revision has provided an institutional guarantee for a more scientific, fair, and impartial selection,” Fang said.

The selection process officially began at the end of December 2021. The nine articles were selected out of a total of 121 articles published in the journal in 2021, covering ten disciplines which included Marxist theory, philosophy, economics, law, sociology, political science (public administration), international relations, literature, journalism and communication, and historiography. This selection aims to encourage seminal works and promote theoretical and academic innovation.

Award conferment remarks of the articles

Practical, Theoretical, and Historical Logics of Xi Jinping Thought on the Rule of Law

Written by Zhang Wenxian and edited by Li Shumin

From the three dimensions of practice, theory, and history, the article academically and scientifically expounds upon the basic laws and development process of Xi Jinping Thought on the Rule of Law, analyzes its Chinese value and global significance, and reveals its outstanding contributions in the history of human thought on the rule of law. Leading the research and interpretation of Xi Jinping Thought on the Rule of Law with strong academic innovation, the article is a landmark research achievement of Marxist jurisprudence in the new era.

World History and the Century-Long Quest for the Chinese Path

Written by Wu Xiaoming and edited by Li Xiaoxiao

The article closely focuses on the major undertakings of the 100-year history of the Communist Party of China and the 100-year history of exploration of Chinese modernization. Observing the value of the century-long Chinese path from the broad perspective of world history, the article discusses the historical process and laws of Chinese-style modernization that are consistent with those of adapting Marxism to the Chinese context. It analyzes the international significance of the century-long exploration of China’s path academically and scientifically, and puts forward the unique view of Chinese-style modernization as a “new civilization type,” which is a model work that transforms political discourse into academic discourse.

Chinese-Style Modernization and New Developmental Sociology

Written by Li Peilin and edited by Li Lingjing

Based on numerous empirical facts, the article systematically analyzes the unique characteristics of Chinese-style modernization from the perspective of sociology. Based on Chinese experience, it refines the theoretical understanding of Chinese-style modernization, and puts forward the proposition of a “new developmental sociology.” It has deepened academic research on the new and uniquely Chinese path to modernization, which is an important gain in building sociology's discipline system, academic system, and discourse system with Chinese characteristics.

Measurement of China’s Macroeconomic Resilience: A Systemic Risk Perspective

Written by Liu Xiaoxing, Zhang Xu, and Li Shouwei and edited by Liang Hua

Based on China’s capacity to cope with financial crises over the past 30 years, by synthesizing financial market price indices, measuring systemic risk in financial markets, and estimating time-varying impulse response, the article constructs a model for measuring China’s macroeconomic resilience that includes the two dimensions of risk absorption intensity and risk absorption duration. It provides a new analytical approach and useful reference for in-depth understanding and effective improvement of the country’s macroeconomic resilience.

A Theoretical Outline for National Security Studies for the New Era

Written by Zhang Yuyan and Feng Weijiang and edited by Zhang Ping

Based on the overall national security outlook, this article holistically analyzes the profound changes in the world unseen in a century and the overall strategy of the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation. Using international political economy theories and methods, the article expounds the important concepts and propositions in the field of national security studies and the evolution logic behind it. It puts forward strategic policy suggestions for China’s national security governance, and provides an original theoretical framework for the construction and development of national security in the new era.

An Outline of ‘Chinese-Language Philosophy’: Original Thought, Discourse Domain, and Method

Written by Sun Xiangchen and edited by Mo Bin and Jiang Jingliu

The article makes a macro reflection on whether the thought expressed in the Chinese language is philosophical and whether it can enter the global philosophy arena, and presents the universal philosophical elements in Chinese thought. Several generations of Chinese philosophers have strived to make philosophy speak Chinese, and the construction of “Chinese-language philosophy” is an important exploration to achieve this ideal. The article proposes a philosophical image and approach that is not necessarily universally accepted, but is inspiring and original.

Constructing Political Science with Chinese Characteristics: Discipline, Scholarship, and Discourse—The Example of the Restoration and Reconstruction of Political Science in China

Written by Xu Yong and Ren Lu and edited by Liu Qian

The article systematically explains the academic rationale and realistic demands for the construction of political science with Chinese characteristics, and demonstrates the rich connotations of Chinese political science’s disciplinary construction, academic construction, and discourse construction over the past 40 years since its restoration and reconstruction. It reveals the academic value of constructing political science with Chinese characteristics and developing the Chinese school of political science. Offering a research model that integrates academic and political values, it has important guiding significance for the development of conscious, independent, and confident Chinese political science.

On the Land Order and System During the Northern Dynasties and the Sui and Tang

Written by Yang Jiping and edited by Zhang Yunhua

Based on the basic principles of historical materialism, this article makes a dynamic study of land laws and land systems in the Northern Dynasties (386–581), as well as Sui (581–618) and Tang (618–907) dynasties through analyzing numerous new historical materials and research achievements. It proposes that the Northern Wei Dynasty (386–534) and Northern Qi Dynasty (550–577) adopted a dual-track system when implementing the Land Edict according to their national differences. It argues that regardless of how the land laws and management systems changed between the Han (206 BCE–220) and Tang dynasties, the land system was always dominated by private ownership. With solid historical data analysis and profound originality, the article convincingly confirms the scientific nature of Marxist theory of social formation and its compatibility with Chinese history. It is the latest achievement in the study of ancient Chinese land ownership.

A Re-Discussion of Imposed Interpretation

Written by Zhang Jiang and edited by Zhao Peijie

Building on the theory of imposed interpretation proposed by the author, the article conducts a more systematic and mature contemplation and analysis of the validity of interpretation. The article comprehensively uses the achievements of modern philosophy and psychology, draws on traditional Chinese academic resources, and uses an interdisciplinary framework to connect the ancient and modern, Chinese and foreign. It is of great significance to promoting the new development of Chinese hermeneutics.