Definition
上层建筑 is a term from Marxist theory meaning 'superstructure' — the institutions, culture, ideology, and politics that arise from a society's economic base. In everyday Chinese it can also refer to higher-level organizational structures (e.g., government bureaucracy). The word is a compound of 上层 'upper level' and 建筑 'building'.
n.
superstructure (the political, legal, and ideological institutions built on a society's economic base)
Examples
- 上层建筑。Jīngjì jīchǔ juédìng shàng céng jiàn zhù.The economic base determines the superstructure.
- 上层建筑。Wǒmen yào zhòngshì shàng céng jiàn zhù de jiànshè.We must attach importance to the construction of the superstructure.
- 上层建筑。Fǎlǜ shì shàng céng jiàn zhù de zhòngyào zǔchéng bùfen.Law is an important part of the superstructure.
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