From the May Fourth Movement to Communist Revolution

Xiaoming Chen

Description

Why did China's intellectuals turn to Communism? Reflecting on China's encounters with modernity, Communism, and capitalism, Xiaoming Chen offers an explanation by using as a case study the life and work of influential Chinese writer Guo Moruo (1892–1978). Guo was dedicated to the May Fourth Movement, which sought to bring reform, republicanism, and modern Western ideas to China, but abandoned these ideals for Communism in the mid-1920s. While the hope of national salvation was a major factor in Guo's conversion, Chen suggests other reasons, including a desire to save the whole world, a goal that was consistent with the traditional Confucian call to not only "manage the state" but also "harmonize the world." Chen also argues that despite the collectivist and totalitarian outcome of the Chinese Communist movement, Marx's initial promise of ultimate individual emancipation served as a major attraction to intellectuals like Guo, who came to view Marxist Communism as the most efficient and thorough way to fulfill their dream of individual freedom.

The book covers Guo's intellectual and personal transitions, how the fight against the Confucian family system became the Marxist emancipation of the individual from capitalism, and how the Confucian struggle against sexual desire ceded to a struggle against material desires. The various combinations of Western and Confucian thought that Guo adopted ultimately led to a synthesis of Confucianism and Marxism-Leninism.
List of Illustrations
Acknowledgments
Introduction

1. Toward Individual Emancipation and Personal Moral/Spiritual Salvation

From the May Fourth Individualist Rebellion to the Marxist Cause of Individual Emancipation

A May Fourth Individualist Awakening
From the May Fourth Individualist Awakening to a Marxist Radical Approach to Individual Emancipation

Striving for Personal Moral/Spiritual Salvation: From a May Fourth Confucian Focus to a Communist Confucian Battle

A May Fourth Focus
Shifting the Focus

2. Toward National Salvation

May Fourth Love and Concern for the Motherland
The Mid-1920s: Dedication to Saving China through Communist Revolution

3. Toward the Liberation of Mankind

A May Fourth Cosmopolitanist Ideal of Datong: A Pastoral/Primitive Paradise

The Datong Ideal
The Cosmopolitan World and the Individual and the Cosmopolitan World and the Nation
The Cosmopolitanist Ideal and a “Mentality of Extremes”
The Means to Achieve the Ideal: Leftist Radicalism to Save the World?

The Mid-1920s: Finding a Modern “Scientific” Echo of Datong in Marxism and Committing to Revolution

Attracted to the Marxist Cosmopolitanist Ideal
Committing to Marxist/Leninist Revolution as the Means to Achieve the Cosmopolitanist Ideal

4. Toward a Solution to Modern China’s Intellectual Crisis

A May Fourth Solution to the Intellectual Crisis

Defending the Best of Chinese Tradition 
Combining the Best of China with Modern Western Science and Goetheanism
A May Fourth Synthesis of the Best of the East and West as a Solution to the Intellectual Crisis

The Mid-1920s: Solving China’s Intellectual Crisis through the Combination of Confucianism and Marxism/Leninism

Redefining the Best of the East and West
The Formation of a Confucian/Marxist/Leninist Communist Synthesis

Conclusion
Notes
Bibliography
Index

Sujets

• 20th century
• History of Asia
• Asia
• China

Informations

• Publié par: State University of New York Press
• Date de parution: 05 juin 2008
• Nombre de lectures: 0
• EAN13: 9780791479865
• Langue: English
• Poids de l'ouvrage: 1 Mo

Extrait

From the May Fourth Movement to CommunistRevolution

Guo Moruo and the Chinese Path to Communism

Xiaoming Chen

FROM THE MAY FOURTH MOVEMENT TO COMMUNIST REVOLUTION

SUNY Series in Chinese Philosophy and Culture

Roger T. Ames,editor

FROM THE MAY FOURTH MOVEMENT TO COMMUNIST REVOLUTION

Guo Moruo and the Chinese Path to Communism

X C

S TAT E U N I V E R S I T Y O F N EW YO R K P R E S S

Published by S U  N Y P Albany

© 2007 State University of New York

All rights reserved

Printed in the United States of America

No part of this book may be used or reproduced in any manner whatsoever without written permission. No part of this book may be stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any form or by any means including electronic, electrostatic, magnetic tape, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise without the prior permission in writing of the publisher.

For information, contact State University of New York Press, Albany, NY www.sunypress.edu

Production by Diane Ganeles Marketing by Anne M. Valentine

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

Chen, Xiaoming, 1956–  From the May Fourth Movement to Communist Revolution : Guo Moruo and the Chinese path to Communism / Xiaoming Chen.  p. cm. — (SUNY series in Chinese philosophy and culture)  Includes bibliographical references and index.  ISBN-13: 978-0-7914-7137-1 (alk. paper)  ISBN-13: 978-0-7914-7138-8 (pbk. : alk. paper)  1. Communism—China. 2. Guo, Moruo, 1892–1978. 3. China—History—May Fourth movement, 1919 I. Title. HX418.5.C45262 2007 335.43'45—dc22 2006027522

10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1

To my son Michael

This page intentionally left blank.

List of Illustrations Acknowledgments Introduction

Contents



ix xi 1

  Toward Individual Emancipation and Personal Moral/Spiritual Salvation 11 From the May Fourth Individualist Rebellion to the Marxist Cause of Individual Emancipation11 A May Fourth Individualist Awakening 11 From the May Fourth Individualist Awakening to a Marxist Radical Approach to Individual Emancipation 31 Striving for Personal Moral/Spiritual Salvation: From a May Fourth Confucian Focus to a Communist Confucian Battle41 A May Fourth Focus 41 Shifting the Focus 48

  Toward National Salvation May Fourth Love and Concern for the Motherland The Mid-1920s: Dedication to Saving China through Communist Revolution

  Toward the Liberation of Mankind A May Fourth Cosmopolitanist Ideal ofDatong: A Pastoral/Primitive Paradise TheDatongIdeal

vii

53 53 61

71 71 71

viii

CONTENTS

The Cosmopolitan World and the Individual and the Cosmopolitan World and the Nation The Cosmopolitanist Ideal and a “Mentality of Extremes” The Means to Achieve the Ideal: Leftist Radicalism to Save the World? The Mid-1920s: Finding a Modern “Scientific” Echo ofDatongin Marxism and Committing to Revolution Attracted to the Marxist Cosmopolitanist Ideal Committing to Marxist/Leninist Revolution as the Means to Achieve the Cosmopolitanist Ideal

  Toward a Solution to Modern China’s Intellectual Crisis A May Fourth Solution to the Intellectual Crisis Defending the Best of Chinese Tradition Combining the Best of China with Modern Western Science and Goetheanism A May Fourth Synthesis of the Best of the East and West as a Solution to the Intellectual Crisis The Mid-1920s: Solving China’s Intellectual Crisis through the Combination of Confucianism and Marxism/Leninism Redefining the Best of the East and West The Formation of a Confucian/Marxist/Leninist Communist Synthesis

Conclusion Notes Bibliography Index

79 81 82

86 86

89

91 92 92

94

97

98 98 101

109 113 143 151

Illustrations



Figure 1. Guo Moruo’s father and mother Figure 2. Guo Moruo in 1897 with his parents and siblings in their hometown

Figure 3. Guo Moruo in 1910 in middle school in Chengdu Figure 4. Guo Moruo with the faculty and students of the Medical School of Kyushu Imperial University at Fukuoka, Japan Figure 5. Guo Moruo and some of his fellow Chinese students in Japan Figure 6. Guo Moruo in 1919–1920 Figure 7. Guo Moruo and his Creation Society colleagues Figure 8. Guo Moruo, Tomiko, and three of their children in 1923

Photos courtesy of the Guo Moruo Museum in Beijing. Used with permission.

ix

66

67 67

68 68 69 69 70