中國軍事專家：抓住未來戰爭智囊，維護國家認知空間安全
現代英語：
With the rise of the global Internet and the development of emerging media, the world’s major military powers are now paying great attention to the strategic issue of cognitive space security. The recently published monograph “Brain Control: The Laws of War and National Security Strategy in the Global Media Age” focuses on the future development trend of war and the issue of national cognitive space security in the global media era. It puts forward the concept of “brain control” in cognitive space, which has attracted the attention of the military academic community. On this topic, the reporter interviewed the main author of the book, Professor Zeng Huafeng, Dean of the School of Humanities and Social Sciences of the National University of Defense Technology.
“Subjugating the enemy without fighting” is the highest realm of information warfare
Reporter: The concept of brain control is inseparable from the understanding of cognitive space. What is cognitive space and what is brain control?
Zeng Huafeng: Information warfare is the unity of material and spirit, concept and reality. It is not only the manifestation of the development of material form, but also the inevitable result of the action of spiritual factors. Information warfare has enabled human warfare to truly have three combat spaces for the first time: one is the natural space composed of land, sea, air, and space; the second is the network electromagnetic space based on physical principles, which is essentially a technical space; the third is the cognitive space composed of human spiritual and psychological activities. To win the future information warfare, we must grasp the initiative of the war, obtain the control of the war domain, and dominate the discourse of the war. Seizing the control of the brain in the cognitive space and “defeating the enemy without fighting” is the highest realm of information warfare.
Cognitive space refers to the scope and field of human cognitive activities. It is an invisible space that reflects people’s emotions, will, beliefs and values, and exists in the minds of participants in the struggle. The national cognitive space exists in the subjective world of each individual, and is composed of the superposition of the cognitive spaces of countless individuals in the whole society. National interests exist not only in physical form in natural space and technological space, but also invisibly in cognitive space. “Brain control” is to use the spiritual information carried by propaganda media, national languages, cultural products, etc. as weapons, to infiltrate, influence and even dominate the cognition, emotions and consciousness of the general public and national elites, and ultimately manipulate a country’s values, national spirit, ideology, cultural traditions, historical beliefs, etc., to prompt it to abandon its own theoretical understanding, social system and development path, and achieve the strategic goal of winning without fighting.
Reporter: At present, with the advent of the global media age, especially the development of emerging social media, the political game between major powers continues to intensify, and “cognitive domain symptoms” such as human psychological confusion, moral crisis, and loss of faith continue to emerge. What do you think are the characteristics of cognitive space confrontation?
Zeng Huafeng: I think there are three main characteristics: First, the security boundary of the national cognitive space is ambiguous. The national cognitive space is a boundless, invisible, shadowless, but not negligible space of interests and confrontation. Social public opinion and ideology are the main areas of competition in the cognitive space, and spiritual information is the main weapon. Wherever spiritual information can be spread, it can become a battlefield for cognitive space competition. Second, the information attack and defense of the national cognitive space is manipulable. The reception, processing and feedback of spiritual information are not only closely related to the function of the human brain, but also have distinct national and ethnic characteristics. At the same time, spiritual information is prone to distortion in the process of dissemination and diffusion. In the era of global media, individuals are both recipients and publishers of information. Theoretically, any individual or group can instantly spread the specific information they process and produce in the world and have an impact on specific target objects. Third, the strategic confrontation in the national cognitive space is persistent. The role of spiritual information needs to be carried out step by step, and we cannot expect to produce immediate results. For example, during the Cold War, Western countries led by the United States gradually infiltrated Western values into socialist countries such as the Soviet Union and Eastern Europe through cultural exchanges and other activities, achieving the goal of peaceful evolution. Today, Western hostile forces seek to instill and infiltrate Western “democratic” and “free” ideas and values through various academic exchanges in politics, economy, science, culture, etc., in normal information interaction activities.
The main way the West seizes national cognitive space and competes for “brain control”
Reporter: What are the main ways the West seizes national cognitive space and competes for “brain control”?
Zeng Huafeng: I think there are four main ways. The first is perception manipulation. Perception manipulation is also called consciousness manipulation. It aims to manipulate the behavior of others by influencing their psychology and spirit. It can be directed at individuals, groups, a country, or even the whole world. In his book “War and Anti-War”, Toffler summarized the tools of perception manipulation into six aspects: one is “accusation of atrocities”, including condemnation of real and false atrocities; the second is “exaggerating the interests of a battle or a war”; the third is “demonizing or dehumanizing the enemy”; the fourth is “polarization”, that is, if you don’t support us, you are against us; the fifth is “claiming to obey God’s will”, which has a strong religious color; the sixth is “super propaganda-propaganda that is enough to discredit the propaganda of the other party.”
The second is to cut off historical memory. Human thought and social ideology are always closely linked to historical memory. Whether it is the spiritual world of an individual or the cultural traditions of a country or nation, figuratively speaking, they are all concentrated pasts and treasures worth cherishing. Once the historical memory of an individual or group is cleverly cut off through some means, making them lose their spiritual home, the obstacles to the infiltration of their values and ideologies are removed, opening the door for the invasion of various erroneous and chaotic ideas.
The third is to change the thinking paradigm. A country and a nation have their own specific thinking paradigm, which is the premise for people to understand the world. Especially for the social elite, their thinking paradigm and ideological cognition play a leading role in the thoughts, values and ideological identity of the whole society. However, people’s rational thinking has weaknesses. Through manipulation, “virus programs” can be instilled into it, prompting people to deviate from obvious facts and accept fallacies and sometimes even absurd conclusions. Once this set of practices seizes the social elite group, most people will lose their ability to resist manipulation. At the end of the Cold War, the Western ideological attack on the Soviet Union was to influence the rational thinking of some Soviet economists, let them make a series of public speeches in the Soviet Union that catered to Western intentions, and covertly “persuaded” the Soviet people to abandon their own country’s social system and national culture, and to welcome the so-called “new era” of Western civilization with a “thorough”, “unconditional” and “bold” attitude.
Fourth, deconstruct symbols. Symbols are born in the historical evolution of national culture. Different nations have formed their own specific symbols in the course of their respective cultural development, such as clothing, anniversaries, monuments, rituals, and characters. With the help of empathy, a nation has some great symbols, which gives it an emotional bond that unites the society. It can arouse people’s sense of belonging, so that people can unite for a common dream and create and continue a new civilization. If someone deliberately repaints and attacks the symbols in the history of a country and nation, by reversing right and wrong, publicly mocking and making fun of the glorious achievements, great figures and noble culture in history, the consequences will be very serious, and it will lead to people gradually losing their sense of identity with the country, nation and self.
Providing strong support for maintaining national cognitive space security
Reporter: Faced with fierce competition in the field of national cognitive space security, how should we maintain national cognitive space security?
Zeng Huafeng: We must fully understand and grasp the characteristics and laws of national cognitive space security, firmly occupy the ideological position, and take the initiative in the field of public opinion and ideology.
First, we must strengthen our ideals and beliefs and build a strong spiritual pillar. History and reality have repeatedly proved that the collapse of a regime often begins in the ideological field. Once the ideological defense line is breached, it will be difficult to defend other defense lines. Whether we can hold on to the ideological position and do a good job in ideological work is related to national cohesion and centripetal force. In this regard, we must always hold high the banner of ideals and beliefs and unswervingly adhere to and develop socialism with Chinese characteristics.
Second, we must be vigilant against the emergence of historical nihilism. Historical nihilism originated with the denial of the “Cultural Revolution” and reform and opening up, and then gradually moved towards the denial of the historical view of historical materialism and the denial of the cultural traditions of the Chinese nation. We must be highly vigilant against its harm, and clearly oppose historical nihilism, oppose all pseudo-historical narratives that glorify aggression and oppression and vilify revolution and resistance, face history sincerely, cherish the subjectivity established by the Chinese nation in the long course of the Chinese revolution, and enhance the self-esteem and self-confidence of the Chinese nation, so as to lay a solid cultural foundation for the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation.
Third, we should seek national cultural identity in the collision between Chinese and Western cultures. While promoting military and economic hegemony, the United States actively promotes cultural hegemony. Under the banner of “economic integration”, it strongly impacts the heterogeneous cultures of various countries and tries to influence other countries’ cultures with American culture. In this context, in the process of cultural exchanges with other countries and nations in the world, we should not only continue to absorb and integrate the essence of the cultures of all nations in the world, but also enhance our national cultural consciousness and confidence, and improve the creativity and vitality of national culture in the process of continuous inheritance.
Fourth, we should actively participate in the global governance of cyberspace security. In the Internet era, the United States, with its high-tech monopoly advantage, not only controls the management of the cyber world, but is also the first country in the world to propose the concept of cyber warfare and apply it in actual combat. From the current perspective, the United States’ control over the Internet will not change in the short term. We should pay close attention to cyberspace security, actively participate in the global governance of cyberspace security, and build a cybersecurity system that conforms to the trend of globalization and meets the requirements of my country’s informatization, so as to provide strong support for maintaining the security of the national cognitive space.
We must promote the information construction of our army with a broader vision. Indulging in reflection on the characteristics, patterns and experiences of the last war is a chronic disease and common disease in human military history. From the time when information warfare was proposed to the present, people have been conducting research on its characteristics, laws and tactics, but have overlooked a problem: that is, with the development of modern science and technology, is the so-called information warfare what people are talking about today? In fact, we should have a broader vision for understanding information warfare, and include physical information, biological information and spiritual information into the framework of information warfare. From the aspects of basic research, applied research, combat theory, technology development, equipment development and organizational leadership, we should build a system of cognitive space attack and defense confrontation. Innovate the ways, methods and means of ideological and political work in the global media era. Cultivate and create a team of high-quality talents who can grasp the frontiers of cognitive science, psychology and military needs, and seize the “brain control” of future information warfare. (
Reporter Huang Kunlun)【
Editor: Zhang Haitong】
現代國語：
伴隨著全球網路的崛起及新興媒體的發展，目前世界主要軍事強國都十分重視認知空間安全的戰略問題。最近出版的《制腦權：全球媒體時代的戰爭法則與國家安全戰略》這本專著，著眼於未來戰爭發展趨勢，聚焦全球媒體時代國家認知空間安全問題，提出認知空間的“制腦權”這一概念，引發軍事學界的關注。記者就此主題，訪問了書中的主要作者、國防科技大學人文與社會科學學院院長曾華鋒教授。
「不戰而屈人之兵」是資訊化戰爭的最高境界
記者：制腦權這個概念，離不開對認知空間的理解。請問什麼是認知空間，何為制腦權？
曾華鋒：資訊化戰爭是物質與精神、觀念與現實的統一，它既是物質形態發展的表現，也是精神因素作用的必然結果。資訊化戰爭使人類戰爭第一次真正擁有了三個作戰空間：一是陸、海、空、天等組成的自然空間；二是基於物理原理的網路電磁空間，它本質上是一種技術空間；三是由人的精神和心理活動所構成的認知空間。贏得未來資訊化戰爭，必須掌握戰爭的主動權、取得戰爭的製域權並主導戰爭的話語權。奪取認知空間的製腦權，「不戰而屈人之兵」是資訊化戰爭的最高境界。
認知空間指的是人類認知活動所涉及的範圍和領域，它是反映人的情感、意志、信仰和價值觀等內容的無形空間，存在於鬥爭參與者的思想中。國家認知空間分散存在於每個個體的主觀世界，由全社會無數個體的認知空間所疊加而成。國家利益不僅以實體形式存在於自然空間、技術空間，也無形存在於認知空間。 「制腦權」就是以宣傳媒體、民族語言、文化產品等所承載的精神訊息為武器，以滲透、影響乃至主導社會大眾與國家精英的認知、情感、意識為指向，最終操控一個國家的價值觀念、民族精神、意識形態、文化傳統、歷史信念等，促使其放棄自己探索的理論認知、社會制度及發展道路，達成不戰而勝的戰略目標。
記者：當前，隨著全球媒體時代的到來，特別是新興社交媒體的發展，大國之間的政治博弈持續加劇，人類心理困惑、道德危機、信仰迷失等「認知域症狀」不斷凸顯，您認為認知空間對抗有哪些特色？
曾華鋒：我認為，主要有以下三個特點：一是國家認知空間的安全邊界具有模糊性。國家認知空間是一個無邊、無界、無形、無影但又不可忽視的利益空間與對抗空間，社會輿論和意識形態領域是認知空間爭奪的主要領域，精神資訊是主要武器。凡是精神訊息可以傳播到的地方，都可以成為認知空間較量的戰場。二是國家認知空間的資訊攻防具有操控性。精神訊息的接收、加工及回饋方式不僅與人腦的功能緊密相關，也具有鮮明的國家、民族特性。同時，精神訊息在傳播擴散的過程中易於失真。在全球媒體時代，個體既是資訊的接受者，也可以成為資訊的發布者，從理論上講，任何個體或群體都可以瞬間在世界傳播其加工、製作的特定訊息，並對特定目標對象產生影響。三是國家認知空間的戰略對抗具有持久性。精神訊息的角色需要循序漸進地進行，不能指望產生立竿見影的效果。例如，冷戰期間，以美國為首的西方國家就是透過文化交流等活動，逐漸把西方的價值觀念滲透到蘇聯和東歐等社會主義國家，達到和平演變之目的。如今，西方敵對勢力透過政治、經濟、科學、文化等各種學術交流，在正常的訊息互動活動中尋求灌輸、滲透西方「民主」、「自由」思想和價值觀念。
西方奪取國家認知空間較量「制腦權」的主要方式
記者：西方奪取國家認知空間較量「制腦權」的主要方式有哪些？
曾華鋒：我認為主要有四種方式。一是感知操縱。感知操縱又稱意識操縱。它旨在透過影響他人的心理與精神達到操控他人行為的目的，既可以針對個人、團體，也可以針對一個國家，甚至可以針對全世界。托夫勒在《戰爭與反戰爭》一書中，將感知操縱的工具歸納為六個方面：一是“對暴行的控訴”，包括譴責真實和虛假的暴行；二是“誇大一次戰役或一場戰爭的利害關係」；三是「把敵人妖魔化或非人化”；四是“兩極化”，也就是說，如果你不支持我們，你就是反對我們；五是“宣稱遵從神的旨意”，帶有濃厚的宗教色彩；六是“超宣傳－足以詆毀對方宣傳的宣傳」。
二是切斷歷史記憶。人的思想與社會意識形態總是同歷史記憶緊密相連。無論是個體的精神世界，抑或國家和民族的文化傳統，形象化，它們都是濃縮的過去，是值得珍惜的財富。一旦透過某種手段巧妙地切斷個體或群體的歷史記憶，使其失去精神的家園，也就掃除了對其進行價值觀和意識形態滲透的障礙，為各種錯誤雜亂的思想入侵敞開了大門。
三是改變思考範式。一個國家和民族都有其特定的思考範式，它是人們認識世界的前提。特別是社會精英階層，他們的思維範式、思想認知對全社會的思想、價值觀念和意識形態認同起著引領作用。但是人的理性思維是有弱點的，透過操縱可向其中灌輸“病毒程序”，促使人們背離明顯的事實而接受謬誤、有時甚至是荒謬的結論。一旦這套做法抓住了社會菁英群體，多數人也會對操縱伎倆失去抵禦能力。冷戰末期，西方對蘇聯進行的思想攻擊，就是透過影響蘇聯一些經濟學家的理性思維，讓其在蘇聯國內發表一系列迎合西方意圖的公共言論，隱蔽性地「勸說」蘇聯人民放棄自己國家的社會制度與民族文化，以「徹底的」、「無條件的」、「果敢的」態度迎接西方文明的所謂「新時代」。
四是解構象徵。象徵誕生於民族文化的歷史演進之中，不同民族在各自的文化發展歷程中，形成了屬於自己的特定的象徵，如服飾、紀念日、紀念碑、儀式、人物等。借助於移情作用，一個民族擁有了一些偉大的象徵，就擁有了一個凝聚社會的情感紐帶，它能喚起人們的歸宿感，從而使人們為了一個共同的夢想而團結在一起，創造和延續新的文明。如果有人刻意重新塗抹、攻擊一個國家和民族歷史上的象徵，透過顛倒黑白、公開嘲諷和戲說歷史上的輝煌成就、偉大人物及崇高文化，其後果將是十分嚴重的，它將導致人們逐漸喪失國家、民族和自我的認同感。
為維護國家認知空間安全提供強力支撐
記者：面對國家認知空間安全領域的激烈爭奪，我們該如何維護國家認知空間安全？
曾華鋒：我們必須充分了解並掌握國家認知空間安全的特徵與規律，牢牢佔領思想陣地，打好輿論與意識形態領域主動仗。
一是要堅定理想信念，築牢精神支柱。歷史和現實一再證明，一個政權的瓦解往往是從思想領域開始的，思想防線被攻破了，其他防線也就很難守住。能否堅守思想陣地，做好意識形態工作，事關民族凝聚力、向心力。對此，我們要時時高舉理想信念的旗幟，毫不動搖地堅持並發展中國特色社會主義。
二是要警惕歷史虛無主義的濫觴。歷史虛無主義，是隨著否定「文化大革命」與改革開放發端的，進而逐步走向否定歷史唯物論的歷史觀，否定中華民族的文化傳統。對於其危害，我們要高度警惕，旗幟鮮明地反對歷史虛無主義，反對一切美化侵略和壓迫以及醜化革命和抗爭的偽歷史敘述，真誠地對歷史，珍視中華民族在漫長的中國革命歷程中確立起來的主體性，提高中華民族的自尊心和自信心，以此為中華民族的偉大復興奠定紮實的文化根基。
三是在中西文化碰撞中尋求民族文化認同。美國在推行軍事、經濟霸權主義的同時，積極推行文化霸權主義，在「經濟整合」的旗號下，強勢衝擊各國異質文化，試圖以美國文化影響他國文化。在此背景下，我們在與世界其他國家和民族的文化交流過程中，既要不斷兼收並蓄，融匯世界各民族文化的精華，更要提升我們的民族文化自覺和自信，在不斷傳承的過程中提高民族文化的創造力和生命力。
四是積極參與網路空間安全的全球治理。在網路時代，美國憑藉其高技術壟斷優勢，不僅掌握著網路世界的管理權，也是世界上第一個提出網路戰概念並將其運用於實戰的國家。從目前來看，美國對網路的控制權短時間內不會改變，我們應高度關注網路空間安全，積極參與網路空間安全的全球治理，建構既順應全球化趨勢，又符合我國資訊化要求的網絡安全體系，為維護國家認知空間安全提供強力支撐。
我們要以更寬廣的視野推動我軍資訊化建設。沈湎於對上次戰爭的特徵、模式、經驗的反思，是人類軍事史上屢見不鮮的痼疾與通病。資訊戰從提出到現在，人們都在圍繞其特徵、規律、戰法展開研究，卻忽略了一個問題：那就是隨著現代科學技術的發展，所謂的資訊戰，是否就是今天人們所津津樂道的這般模樣？其實，對於資訊戰的理解，我們應該有更寬廣的視野，要將物理資訊、生物資訊及精神資訊都納入資訊戰的框架。從基礎研究、應用研究、作戰理論、技術開發、設備研發和組織領導等層面，建構認知空間攻防對抗的體系。創新全球媒體時代的思想政治工作途徑、方法與手段。培養並造就一支能掌握認知科學、心理學前線和軍事需求的高素質人才隊伍，奪取未來資訊化戰爭的「制腦權」。 (記者 黃崑崙)
【編輯:張海桐】
中國原創軍事資源：https://www.chinanews.com.cn/mil/2014/06-16/628358988.shtml
