There Are No Ghosts in the World: Whence Comes Ghost Culture?

Language and script are markers of humanity as advanced animals, serving as the fundamental tools for communication and the expression of thought. Without language and script, it would be difficult for humans to reflect upon or accumulate knowledge and experience, let alone advance the innovation and development of human society step by step.

Investigating the status of atheism within the human context—and particularly within the development of Chinese society—is of great significance. This is no longer a purely academic issue, but a practical problem in urgent need of resolution.

Currently, a "National Learning ^[1]" craze is sweeping through Chinese society. From the "Lecture Room" program broadcast on television to the establishment of "Confucius Institutes" and private traditional schools (sishu) at home and abroad, the air is thick with an ill-defined "traditional culture." In the discourse of some individuals, terms like the Classic of Changes ^[2], feng shui, "ghost culture," and the Ghost Valley Master ^[3] are ubiquitous. It is no wonder that some have written articles warning people to "be vigilant against 'melamine' ^[4] in culture."

This article does not intend to launch a total assault on all the dross of traditional culture; rather, I plan only to state some personal views regarding the issue of "ghost culture" to seek your guidance.

Perhaps driven by a desire to appear more sophisticated, many affairs nowadays fly the banner of "culture." There is "alcohol culture," "tea culture," "sex culture," "foot culture," "tobacco culture," and so on—the list is uncountable. Some even append the word "festival" to suggest high status. However, advocating for "ghost culture" is something seldom heard. Moreover, the person advocating for the promotion of "ghost culture" is no ordinary individual, but a government official of considerable rank. According to reports, a deputy director of a certain department in the Ministry of Culture publicly argued: "Some say ghosts are bad, but The Peony Pavilion, Du Shiniang, and Zhong Kui ^[5] are all ghost culture. If Chongqing concentrates the nation's ghost culture and uses Sichuan Opera as a foundation, it can become a brand that people from all over the country will come to see." Not only that, but Chongqing is also preparing to invest the massive sum of 700 million RMB to restore the Fengdu Ghost City ^[6]. This is difficult to understand and necessitates further commentary. Is this the promotion of traditional Chinese culture? Where has atheism gone?

There is no need to search for definitions. Anyone with atheistic convictions will ask with one voice: If there are no ghosts in the world, where does "ghost culture" come from? One point has long been clear: ghosts and gods are linked. Where there is a ghost, there must be a god; the objects that gods capture are ghosts. The emergence of the theory of gods and ghosts occurred under conditions of extremely low productive forces. People did not understand the crags and hurdles encountered in their progress and could not resist the disasters met in social life. They developed a state of fear, believed that ghosts were causing trouble, and could only seek help from the gods. This idealist and theistic concept is the product of autocratic slave and feudal systems. In slave and feudal societies, characterized by a lack of democracy and the rule of law, the words of emperors and administrative officials carried the weight of law. Ancient monarchs always used theistic concepts as tools to rule the people and control their spiritual world. Successive Chinese monarchs and even peasant uprisings would raise the banner of "revering gods to exterminate ghosts." Consequently, the ghost became a symbol of the sinister, treacherous, terrifying, and evil. In the contest between justice and evil, the kind-hearted masses could only seek solace for their souls in the protection of deities and the destruction of demons. Thus, traditional culture contains a volume of discourse on gods and ghosts as vast as an ocean.

But what luck did this discourse on gods and ghosts ever bring the masses? Xianglin's Wife ^[7], a character from the pen of Mr. Lu Xun, is a typical example. She believed in the gods and prayed for divine assistance to find her son Amao and for protection so they could lead a peaceful life. However, she was driven out of the house by Seventh Master Lu—who was also a believer in ghosts and gods—to the point where she was not even qualified to be a servant. Even when plays like The Ghost of Li Huiniang are staged—which do not feature terrifying images of green faces and fangs—these are merely images of people's fantasy-based resistance against the old system born of a state of helplessness; they are meaningless for promoting social progress. In my childhood, I often went to the City God Temple in Shanghai to play. There, I saw the statues of the underworld. Everywhere were ghosts with red beards and white-powdered faces disemboweling kind people and gouging out their hearts. This left an impression of gloom and terror on a young mind—the idea that one must surrender when encountering danger, without a shred of independent thought or any place to reason. From these examples, one can see what role propagating ghosts and gods plays in the development of society. Although the discourse of gods and ghosts was once an objective existence, it is ultimately a form of "spiritual heroin" that poisons humanity and obstructs social development.

Because of the nature of the "gods and ghosts" theory, ancient Chinese atheists also strove to set things right. The Analects contains the warning: "The Master did not speak of the strange, the chaotic, the distal, or the divine ^[8]." Among the Four Great Classical Novels of China, only Journey to the West involves demons, and even those are subject to the blows of Sun Wukong. Regarding Strange Tales from a Chinese Studio, many chapters do not describe ghosts or gods at all. A preface from the Kangxi reign states: "I say that whether a matter is ordinary or strange, that which is harmful to people is a 'monster'... Observing that which Liu Xian [Pu Songling] has written, his judgments on righteousness are all based on the tenets of rewarding good, punishing vice, and finding peace in one's lot; they are sufficient to inspire and achieve great tasks." Clearly, the purpose of Strange Tales in discussing ghosts is to "reward good and punish vice." As for ancient texts on "no-ghost theory," they are not rare. For instance, Fan Zhen of the Southern and Northern Dynasties stated in On the Extinction of the Soul: "When the physical form exists, the spirit exists; when the physical form withers, the spirit is extinguished." The Records of Searching for the Supernatural narrates an interesting story: "Ruan Zhan, whose courtesy name was Qianli, consistently upheld the theory that there are no ghosts, and no one could best him. He often said this logic was sufficient to clarify the realms of the living and the dead. Suddenly, a guest arrived to visit Ruan. After exchanging pleasantries, they chatted about philosophy. The guest was very eloquent. Ruan spoke with him for a long time, and when they reached the topic of ghosts and gods, they argued intensely. The guest was eventually defeated. He then changed his expression and said: 'The existence of ghosts and gods has been passed down by sages ancient and modern; how can you alone say they do not exist? I myself am a ghost.' Thereupon he transformed into a strange shape and vanished in an instant." It turned out the guest was himself a ghost; unable to defeat Ruan Zhan's "no-ghost theory" in debate, he revealed his true form and disappeared. From this, we can see that even the ghosts and monsters themselves had to bow before the theory that ghosts do not exist. What necessity is there for us to build a stage for "ghost culture"?

The long river of history has flowed to the present day, and science is now flourishing. Advanced thinkers of humanity have already clearly explained the origins and harms of the theory of gods and ghosts. As human society has developed into the modern era, the world has realized that "there has never been any savior, nor deities or emperors ^[9]." The materialist and atheistic worldview has spread across the globe, bringing rich material wealth and spiritual joy to humanity. Particularly with the wide application of high technology, people are able to enjoy a rich spiritual life. In such a social environment, what necessity is there to invest such large sums of money, in the name of promoting traditional culture, to propagate that "spiritual heroin"? We do not deny that the theory of gods and gods was once an objective existence, nor that some artists used the image of ghosts to resist feudal autocracy. However, we must treat this special phenomenon with a historical and materialist perspective. It is not impermissible for a tiny minority of experts to conduct materialist historical research. Naturally, there is no need to delude the public with claims that "ghost culture is the precursor of human spiritual culture." Given the current trend of the "National Learning craze" spreading across China, many officials do not believe in Marxism or advanced culture, but instead believe in ghosts, gods, and feng shui. Witches and sorcerers wander everywhere; some localities do not build science museums but instead build temples to ghosts and gods. This spread of "spiritual heroin" forces us to call for the use of various rational and legal means to eliminate the discourse of gods and ghosts.

History, after all, advances continuously; no one can block this tide. In contemporary China, we advocate for "invigorating the country through science and education," ruling the country through democracy and law, and using the Scientific Outlook on Development to create China's future. If, in front of such goals, we do not advance advanced culture but instead drag out the "spiritual heroin" of "ghost culture," what is the intention? What results will this bring to the scientific development of society? Do some truly fantasize about turning back the wheel of history?

About the author: Chen Zuajia is a senior journalist for the People's Daily.