Xi Jinping Thought on Ecological Civilization and the Construction of China’s Independent Knowledge System for Ecological Civilization

On May 17, 2016, General Secretary Xi Jinping delivered an important speech at the symposium on philosophy and social sciences work (the “May 17 Speech”), in which he explicitly put forward for the first time the strategic task of “accelerating the development of philosophy and social sciences with Chinese characteristics”, emphasizing that they should embody Chinese characteristics, style, and ethos in terms of guiding ideology, disciplinary system, academic system, and discourse system. Guided by the spirit of the “May 17 Speech”, this paper systematically expounds the theoretical position of Xi Jinping Thought on Ecological Civilization as the principal content of philosophy and social sciences with Chinese characteristics, and reveals its profound foundation rooted in the “Two Integrations”—carrying forward the theoretical foundation of the Marxist view of nature while revitalizing the ecological wisdom of “harmony between humanity and nature” from fine traditional Chinese culture. It analyzes the philosophical foundation of Xi Jinping Thought on Ecological Civilization and demonstrates the theoretical paradigm significance of “a community of life for humanity and nature” as a meta-concept. On this basis, the paper explores the paths to construct China’s independent knowledge system for ecological civilization: achieving a “terminological revolution” with iconic concepts, forging an academic system through disciplinary integration, and enhancing discursive power with a global vision.