Humanities and Social Science Research; Vol. 7, No. 3; 2024 ISSN 2576-3024 E-ISSN 2576-3032 https://doi.org/10.30560/hssr.v7n3p55 55 Published by IDEAS SPREAD The Logic of Globalization of Chinese-Style Modernization in the Perspective of Marx's World History Theory Xin Zhang1 1 School of Marxism, Chongqing Technology and Business University, Chongqing, China Correspondence: Xin Zhang, School of Marxism, Chongqing Technology and Business University, Chongqing, China. E-mail: zhangxin28/at/ctbu.edu.cn Received: November 12, 2024; Accepted: December 9, 2024; Published: December 11, 2024 Abstract Marx 's world history theory is an important part of the Marxist theoretical system. Chinese-style modernization is a socialist modernization road with Chinese characteristics that is generated and developed according to China 's national conditions under the guidance of this theory. In the process of pursuing modernization, China not only follows the evolution law of world history in theory, but also shows its unique generation logic in practice.Specifically, the globalization logic of China 's modernization can be grasped from the three historical stages of " forced to follow", " Run after oneself " and " Take the initiative and lead the race", thus highlighting China 's profound insight and historical initiative in world history. Keywords: Marx 's world history theory, Chinese-style modernization, The logic of Globalization 1. Introduction The logic of globalization of Chinese-style modernization reveals the stage of evolution of Chinese-style modernization in the development of global modernization, marking the change of its role from passive adaptation in the early stage to autonomous catching up in the middle stage to leading innovation in the current stage. At this particular stage of "the transformation of history into world history", no country's modernization can be completed independently in a closed and isolated environment. It is the deep intertwining and mutual influence of Chinese history and world history that have jointly shaped the globalization logic of China's modernization. This logic is reflected in the historical transformation of Chinese modernization from "forced to follow" to "Run after oneself " to "Take the initiative and lead the race". 2. The Theoretical Foundation of the Logic of Globalization Examining Chinese-style modernization in a global perspective, the support of the logic of globalization of Chinese-style modernization can be discovered through the profound insights of Marx's theory of world history (hereinafter referred to as the theory of world history). In addition to vertically revealing the general process of historical development and clarifying the law of sequential turnover of social forms, Marx also profoundly analyzed the underlying motives, inevitable tendency, and inherent law of the transformation of national and territorial history into world history since modern times from the height of his historical outlook and from the perspective of horizontal relations, and after continuous deepening and refinement, he finally formed the Marxian theory of world history, which is rich in content and complete in its system. According to this theory, with the development of productive forces and the universal expansion of communication, the isolation of peoples and nations has been broken, and the history of mankind has gradually been transformed from territorial history to world history. In this theoretical system, the idea of two kinds of world history and their transformation is one of its core contents, which mainly consists of two major stages, namely, "the transformation of mankind as a whole from regional history to world history" and "the transformation of capitalist world history to communist world history". First, in the first stage, the formation of the capitalist mode of production pushed the expansion of human regional history into world history. As an inevitable product of the high development of the productive forces, the formation and development of world history is deeply rooted in the capitalist mode of production. Marx pointed out that "the more completely the primitive closed state of the peoples is annihilated by the increasingly perfected mode of production, by intercourse, and by the division of labor between the different peoples naturally formed by that intercourse, the more history becomes world history" [1]. In this process, all the peoples and countries of the world began to form a closely connected and interdependent organic whole, moving together towards modernization, hssr.ideasspread.org Humanities and Social Science Research Vol. 7, No. 3; 2024 56 Published by IDEAS SPREAD and history thus gradually shifted from the originally closed and local national history to the open and universal world history. Secondly, in the second stage, the inherent contradictions of capitalism pushed the capitalist world history to inevitably transform into the communist world history. Marx both highly affirmed the progressive role of the bourgeoisie and capitalism in promoting the transformation of world history and profoundly criticized the exploitative nature of the era of world history dominated by the logic of capital. According to Marx, capitalist globalization is only a temporary form in the process of world history [2]. Under the combined effect of the intensification of the inherent contradictions of capitalism and the proletarian struggle, the capitalist world history will inevitably be transformed into the communist world history. Therefore, Marx's theory of world history not only explains the historical logical consistency between world development and the process of human modernization, but also provides a profound argumentative support for the practice of Chinese-style modernization, guiding China to find a modernization development path with its own characteristics in the process of globalization. In the face of the irreversible historical trend of globalization, China has taken the initiative to integrate into it, accelerated the transformation and upgrading of its economic structure through reform and opening-up, and constructed a socialist market economic system that meets the requirements of modernization. At the same time, globalization has promoted the interconnection and exchange in different fields such as ecology, culture, science and technology, and enriched the connotation, objective, content and form of Chinese modernization. Moreover, China's active participation in the process of globalization has contributed Chinese wisdom and strength to the global economic growth and the reform of the global governance system. In short, globalization, as an important external condition for Chinese modernization, has significantly expanded its development space. 3. The Practice of Chinese-Style Modernization Globalization Logic is Carried out According to Marx's theory of world history, we can grasp the global logic of Chinese modernization. From the initial exploratory start to today's innovative advancement, every step of Chinese-style modernization is inseparable from the opportunities brought by globalization, and has become an important force to promote the transformation of globalization while realizing its own development, which is reflected in the global logic that Chinese-style modernization has realized a historic leap from "being forced to follow" to "independently pursuing" to "taking the initiative to lead". Its global logic is reflected in the fact that Chinese modernization has made a historic leap from "forced to follow", "Run after oneself" to "Take the initiative and lead the race".（i.e., Figure 1） Figure 1. The Logical Evolution of Globalization in Chinese Modernization hssr.ideasspread.org Humanities and Social Science Research Vol. 7, No. 3; 2024 57 Published by IDEAS SPREAD 3.1 Forced to Follow: The Logic of China's Participation in Western Capital-Dominated Globalization In the modern world, China, as an Oriental country, has faced the pressure of globalization dominated by Western capital, which constitutes the historical starting point of China's modernization process and its real situation. In the early stage of modernization, China was forced to participate in globalization as a "latecomer" and was in a state of "running behind". The Western bourgeoisie became the forerunner of modernization through the opening up of new shipping routes and the rise of the Industrial Revolution, which reshaped the global mode of production and formed a Western-centered economic system. As Marx stated, "it compels all peoples - if they do not want to perish - to adopt the bourgeois mode of production"[3], which led to the subordination of Eastern countries, including China, to the West. China was forced to open its closed doors in the wave of bourgeois expansion, and began the transformation from a traditional agricultural society to a modern industrial society.However, this transformation is not plain sailing. All sectors of modern Chinese society have tried to seek national rejuvenation and absorb the advanced system and technology culture of the West, but they have failed miserably. It can be seen that in the global pattern of ' the East is subordinate to the West ', the road of capitalist modernization is difficult to achieve in China and cannot proceed smoothly. As a result, the task of modernization in China inevitably depended on a more powerful force, the Chinese proletariat, and the success of the socialist movement in Russia at the beginning of the twentieth century provided China with a modernization program that was very different from that of capitalism. The echo of the October Revolution arrived in China, bringing Marxism-Leninism. Since then, China has shifted from the old democratic revolution to the new democratic revolution, and the road of modernization has shifted from capitalism to socialism. After the founding of New China, China's modernization process faced serious challenges in the face of hostility and blockade from the Western camp. In this unstable international environment, China began to draw on the Soviet Union's modernization model, promoting industrialization and establishing the basic socialist system through the confiscation of bureaucratic capital, the establishment of a state-run economy, and the implementation of the first "Five-Year Plan". "Our overall goal is to struggle for the construction of a great socialist country ...... to achieve the socialization and mechanization of agriculture." This marked the formal establishment of China's modernization path of a socialist nature. In other words, the emergence of Chinese-style modernization is not only driven by the external environment under the pattern of globalization, but also the result of the inherent needs of China's industrialization transformation. In the process of globalization, although China is forced to follow, it is also actively exploring the road of modernization and development that suits its own national conditions, reflecting a profound insight into the laws of world history and development and a precise grasp of the country's development goals. 3.2 Run after Oneself: China's Realistic Logic of Using Capital Globalization to Develop and Grow Socialism In the wave of globalization, China has made a historic transition from being "forced to follow" to "run after oneself". In the stage of using capital globalization to develop and strengthen socialism, China's modernization has shown a unique practical logic, that is, on the basis of maintaining the principles of socialism, it has made good use of the positive factors in capital to realize integration with socialist modernization, and highlighted its autonomy and innovativeness in the process of globalization. First of all, adhering to the basic principles of socialism is the fundamental premise for China to ' pursue its own initiative '. According to Marx 's theory of world history, the current world history is generally in the historical stage of transition from capitalism to communism, and the long-term coexistence of socialism and capitalism is the main feature of this historical period. In the face of this historical trend, China has maintained a clear understanding and a firm position. On the one hand, it is soberly aware that the stage of world history in which capitalism is still dominant has not yet come to an end, so it has not been blindly arrogant or stuck in its ways, but has consciously followed the trend of modernization and taken the initiative in absorbing the fruits of outstanding civilizations, so as to push forward the process of modernization of the Chinese style; on the other hand, it is deeply aware of the advantages of the system of socialism with Chinese characteristics, so it has not blindly pursued the wholesale westernization or mechanical copying of the modernization models of other countries. On the other hand, deeply recognizing the advantages of the system of socialism with Chinese characteristics, it has not blindly pursued wholesale westernization or mechanical copying of other countries' modernization models, but rather, based on the profound changes in the international situation and its own basic national conditions, it has continuously adjusted, optimized and innovated the system, so as to make it consistent with the actuality of its own development as well as the trend of the world history. With this dual understanding, China has not only accelerated its own development by making effective use of the globalization of capital, but also maintained its independence and socialist nature, always adhering to the socialist road, ensuring that the direction of the country's hssr.ideasspread.org Humanities and Social Science Research Vol. 7, No. 3; 2024 58 Published by IDEAS SPREAD development and the nature of the system are not subject to any interference or erosion by external forces, and actively absorbing the fruits of modern civilization created by the capitalist society through deepening the reforms and expanding the opening up, including its advanced experience in the fields of technology, management and market, so as to make the capitalist society a more modern one, market and other advanced experiences, so that they can serve the overall goal of socialist modernization. This has not only shortened the historical gap between China and the developed capitalist countries in terms of modernization and development, but also laid a solid foundation for the ambitious goal of building a strong socialist modernizing country. Secondly, giving full play to the positive role of capital is an important booster for the construction of socialist modernization in China. Regarding the civilizing role of capital, Marx pointed out that "sufficiently powerful capital destroys, with the help of the mode of intercourse adapted to it, those historical restrictions which bind and hinder the movements adapted to capital." [4] emphasized the world-historical significance of capital in promoting the transitional evolution of the mode of production and opening up the world market , which provides theoretical support for socialist countries to rationally utilize and harness capital, and to play a positive role in capital to promote the modernization process. The civilized nature of capital has been clarified and manifested in the process of creating Chinese-style modernization. Chinese-style modernization has dialectically understood and dealt with the relationship between socialism and capital, on the one hand, through the state's reasonable management and effective guidance and control of capital, it serves the socialist modernization construction as an important factor of production, and guides and regulates the healthy development of capital under the conditions of the socialist market economy .on the other hand, on the basis of adhering to the principle of people's supremacy, the people's logic should be utilized to regulate the logic of capital, and to enhance the effectiveness of capital in serving the comprehensive development of human beings and the society[5], so as to ensure that capital can always play a positive role within the framework of socialist system. Against the historical background that the modernization process of all countries generally includes the element of capital, Chinese-style modernization has rationally deconstructed the civilization of capital, dispelling the myth that "modernization = Westernization", i.e., "using the basic socialist system to rationally control the alienating and divisive forms of capital, give full play to the innovative civilizational momentum of capital, and to bring the innovative power of capital into full play within the socialist system". The basic system of socialism is used to rationally control the alienating and divisive forms of capital, to give full play to the civilized and innovative kinetic energy of capital, to promote the effective operation of the market economy internally, and to activate the potential and vitality of human and social development" [6] , gradually forming a modernization road "dominated by state power and mediated by production relations to harness capital"[7]. It can be seen that Chinese-style modernization's creative harnessing of capital not only promotes the in-depth development of socialist modernization, but also demonstrates the pioneering significance and unique value of Chinese-style modernization. It is evident that during the phase of ""run after oneself "," Chinese-style modernization has not only advanced the profound development of socialist modernization but also highlighted its pioneering significance and distinctive value. 3.3 Taking the Initiative to Lead - the Future Logic of China's Active Promotion of the Transformation of Globalization and the Turn of World History Under the complex situation of setbacks in the process of globalization, the failure of the global governance system and profound changes in the world landscape, world history is at an important inflection point of "east rising and west falling". This inflection point has provided impetus for the birth of Chinese modernization. At this stage, China's modernization not only shows a positive attitude of "taking the initiative to lead the race", but also plays a key role in promoting the positive development of world history. The future logic of China's active promotion of the transformation of globalization and the turning of world history is mainly embodied in four aspects: power, path, choice and direction: First, it provides a power engine for international economic growth. In the process of Chinese-style modernization, China has achieved the United Nations poverty reduction target ahead of schedule, helping to lift 770 million rural people out of poverty, accounting for more than 70% of the global poverty reduction over the same period [8].In 2022, China's GDP totaled more than 120 trillion yuan, making it the world's second-largest economy and the top contributor to global economic growth." The Belt and Road Initiative further promotes global economic growth and is expected to help lift 7.6 million extremely poor people out of poverty [9], China continues to play the role of stabilizer and growth engine of global economic development, and the discourse and influence of socialism in the global arena have been significantly enhanced. hssr.ideasspread.org Humanities and Social Science Research Vol. 7, No. 3; 2024 59 Published by IDEAS SPREAD Second, it has provided a practical path for global governance innovation. While actively integrating into the global governance system, adhering to the concept of "common cause, common construction and sharing", and promoting the building of a community of human destiny as a participant in global governance, China is also committed to promoting the construction of a more just and reasonable international order, and constantly innovating the rules of global governance in promoting the change of the global governance system[10] , gradually becoming a contributor and leader of global governance. Thirdly, it provides a brand-new choice for developing countries to move towards modernization. Chinese-style modernization has proved to the world that modernization can coexist and learn from each other, broken the paradox of "modernization=Westernization", deciphered the myth of independence and modernity, enriched the pattern of modernization in the world, and provided a new blueprint for countries pursuing independence and development to make their own choices and develop. Fourthly, it provides direction for mankind to move towards a better future. Chinese-style modernization rejects the path of Western capitalist modernization, practices the civilizational concept of "harmony and difference", advocates that all countries in the world achieve common prosperity through peaceful development and win-win cooperation, respects the diversity of the world's civilizations, promotes exchanges and mutual understanding among civilizations, and eliminates civilizational barriers, thus providing development opportunities for the common advancement of the human society and the world's history. In view of the above analysis, Chinese-style modernization is a socialist modernization that has been nurtured and matured in the trend of global integration, and it is in an era of world history that is actively overcoming the Western capitalist modernization constructed by the logic of capital, while insisting on the development of socialist modernization and development constructed by putting the people at the center of modernization[11]. History and practice have fully proved that the development course of Chinese-style modernization is worthy of recognition. Chinese-style modernization is not only China's own development, but also represents China's contribution to the world; it is not only the process of China's modernization, but also a key link in the development of the global socialist cause. 4. Concluding Remarks Overall, Chinese-style modernization is a socialist modernization that has been nurtured and matured in the trend of global integration, and it is in a world-historical era that is actively overcoming the Western capitalist modernization constructed by the logic of capital, while insisting on the development of socialist modernization and development constructed by putting the people at the center of modernization. Chinese-style modernization is vigorously promoting the transformation and development of globalization, gradually transforming from a follower and a participant of globalization to a leader, and promoting the world history for the better. In the future, China will continue to enhance the radiating capacity of Chinese-style modernization, show the role of a great country, and make greater practical contributions to solving the common global problems. Funding Chongqing Social Science Planning Project (Project No. 2023NDYB13); Innovative Research Project for Graduate Students of Chongqing Technology and Business University (Project No. yjscxx2023-211-180) References [1] Marx, K., & Engels, F. (2012). Selected Works: Volume 1 [M]. Beijing: People's Publishing House. [2] Dong, F. Z. (2024). On the inner mechanism of Marx's world history theory and its contemporary revelation [J]. Academic Exploration, (1), 103-112. [2] Marx, K., & Engels, F. (2009). Collection of Marx and Engels: Volume 2 [M]. Beijing: People's Publishing House. [3] Marx, K., & Engels, F. (1998). The Complete Works of Marx and Engels: Volume 31 [M]. Beijing: People's Publishing House. [4] Jiang, H., & Wu, H. (2024). The management of capital in Chinese modernization and its pioneering significance [J]. Theoretical Perspectives, (1), 43-48. [5] Xi, G. (2023). Theoretical reflections on "harnessing capital" and Chinese modernization [J]. Chinese Social Science, (12), 4-18, 199. [6] Tang, A. J. (2021). A new road of Chinese-style modernization in the perspective of materialistic view of history [J]. Philosophical Research, (9), 5-12, 127. hssr.ideasspread.org Humanities and Social Science Research Vol. 7, No. 3; 2024 60 Published by IDEAS SPREAD [7] Ren, Z. P. A. (2021, July 5). Century of greatness following the past [N]. People's Daily. [8] Information Office of the State Council of the People's Republic of China. (2023, October 11). Building "One Belt, One Road": A major practice to build a community of human destiny [N]. People's Daily. [9] The world significance of Chinese-style modernization: Theoretical innovation and practical contribution [J]. (2024). Guizhou Social Science, (1), 35-41. [10] Zhou, J. C. (2024). The vivid practice and experience of Chinese-style modernization under the perspective of Marx's world history theory [J]. Journal of Jiangsu Administrative College, (1), 5-11. Copyrights Copyright for this article is retained by the author(s), with first publication rights granted to the journal. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms and conditions of the Creative Commons Attribution license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/).