On the Significance of Scientific Atheism Propaganda in the Strategy of Invigorating the Country through Science and Education
On the Significance of Scientific Atheist Propaganda within the Strategy of Rejuvenating the Country through Science and Education
The strategy of Rejuvenating the Country through Science and Education is a vital component of Deng Xiaoping Theory [1], as well as a major strategy and basic national policy for China’s socio-economic development. Implementing this strategy is a necessary condition and the fundamental path for liberating and developing the productive forces and building a moderately prosperous society [2] in all respects. As the crystallization of human wisdom and the ideological foundation of Marxism, the propaganda and education of scientific atheism are inherent requirements of the strategy to Rejuvenate the Country through Science and Education.
I. The Connotation and Significance of Scientific Atheism
Scientific atheism is a wise crystallization of human thought and a significant achievement of the development of philosophy and science since the dawn of the modern era. It constitutes the prerequisite and foundation of modern spiritual civilization and has exerted an important influence on the development of human society.
Atheism is a system of thought opposed to theism. In the history of human civilization, atheist thought has a long and storied tradition. At the beginning of human entry into civilized society, along with the increase in the level of productive forces and the growth of thinking capacity, atheist thoughts began to sprout. Throughout long-term historical development, both East and West produced rich and profound systems of atheist thought. Although atheist thought took shape in the early stages of human civilization, ancient atheism was fragmented and simple [3]; it could only expose the defects and contradictions of the concepts of ghosts and gods on certain specific issues. Consequently, it was generally confined to the level of common sense and could not fundamentally deny the existence of spirits. It was only after the formation of modern natural sciences that atheism truly found its own solid ideological foundation. The development of science provided atheism with the necessary tools, methods, and empirical materials. A vast amount of empirical knowledge has increasingly dispelled the religious mist that imprisoned people’s minds, while the spirit and methods of science provided the possibility of revealing the absurdity of religious superstition and explaining its essence. Modern atheism has always marched alongside the movement for the liberation of the mind [4], manifesting in various mutations such as pantheism, deism, and agnosticism, with the militant atheism of 18th-century France being the most resolute. Engels once referred to it as the "highest achievement of the French spirit." This form of atheism, built on the foundation of the development of modern natural sciences, differs from ancient "naive" atheism; it not only fundamentally negates the concept of ghosts and gods but also provides a correct explanation for the causes of such concepts. Therefore, it is called scientific atheism. Marxism inherited the excellent traditions of modern scientific atheism and, using dialectical materialism and historical materialism as its theoretical weaponry, developed scientific atheism to an entirely new height. Marxism is the most thorough and scientific form of atheism. This thoroughness lies not in its determination to advocate for scientific atheism, but in its scientific revelation of the roots and conditions that give rise to religious theism, and its demonstration of the essence of religious theism as a social phenomenon along with the objective laws governing its emergence and eventual disappearance. At the same time, scientific atheism is the prerequisite and foundation of Marxism. It was precisely on the basis of a critique of religious theism that the founders of Marxism created dialectical materialism and historical materialism. The fundamental principles of materialism require that atheism be established first as an ideological prerequisite.
Scientific atheism is both an important result of the development of modern science and a great catalyst for the progress of science, technology, and human thought. Only when people were no longer satisfied with the arrangements and dictates of God, and instead turned to their own knowledge and abilities to explore the laws of the objective world, was science able to liberate itself from the shackles of religion and achieve substantial development. Deism and pantheism were important steps and stages toward atheism and belong essentially to the category of atheist thought. These ideological forms, which occupy an important position in the history of modern Western philosophy, became the spiritual motivation and personal conviction that influenced and encouraged the scientists of that time to tirelessly explore the mysteries of the universe, thereby creating more achievements of civilization than the previous several millennia combined. In the socio-political realm, religious deceptions such as "divine right" were gradually shaken. It became a universal belief that the legitimacy and destiny of the state depend on man rather than God; hence, heads of state no longer required coronation by the church but appealed to the election of citizens. This formed the modern state structure of the separation of church and state and made the basic civil right of freedom of religious belief possible. Scientific atheism cleared away the mist of religious theism, liberated people from their expectations of God and the afterlife, allowed for a re-examination and establishment of the value and meaning of life, and inspired and encouraged people to strive for their own happiness in the real world. This shattered the ideological shackles of ignorance and superstition, allowing people to take their destinies into their own hands and establish a healthy and civilized way of life.
II. The Spiritual Essence of the Theory of Rejuvenating the Country through Science and Education
Rejuvenating the Country through Science and Education is an important component of Deng Xiaoping Theory. Its basic content is the implementation of the idea that "science and technology are the primary productive forces." Taking education as the foundation, it places science, technology, and education in vital positions for economic and social development, making them the primary forces for national revitalization. This concept laid a solid theoretical foundation and provided a scientific basis for practice for the formation of China's strategy to Rejuvenate the Country through Science and Education.
As early as 1977, Comrade Deng Xiaoping clearly pointed out: "If our country is to catch up with the world's advanced levels, where should we start? I think we must start with science and education." He added, "Without focusing on science and education, there is no hope for the Four Modernizations [5]; they would become empty words." In October 1986, while meeting with foreign scholars, he noted that China's development is inseparable from science. Specifically, in September 1988, he put forward the famous thesis that "science and technology are the primary productive forces." During his "Southern Tour" [6] in 1992, Deng Xiaoping emphasized once again: "To develop the economy faster, we must rely on science and education." The theory of Rejuvenating the Country through Science and Education regards science and technology as the primary factor driving economic and social development, representing an innovation and development of Marxism. More than a hundred years ago, Marx pointed out that "productive forces also include science," affirming the status and role of science and technology in the development of productive forces at that time. Compared to the era of the Industrial Revolution, contemporary human society has entered the Information Age. The process of transforming knowledge into productive forces has been greatly shortened. Science and technology, especially high technology, have been extremely closely integrated into the various elements of the productive forces, greatly promoting a leap in productive forces and social development. Under these circumstances, competition in the global economy and comprehensive national power is, to a large extent, a competition of science and technology. Only through technological innovation can the productive force levels of developing countries possibly catch up with those of advanced nations. Deng Xiaoping’s thought on Rejuvenating the Country through Science and Education is precisely a visionary proposition put forward in response to the new situation of the era.
Science and technology can improve the tools of labor and transform the objects of labor, thereby greatly promoting the development of productive forces. However, all of this must be realized through the laborer. The laborer is the most active and vital factor in the productive forces, constituting the necessary intermediary for the transformation of science and technology into actual productive forces. Only by relying on laborers who have mastered science and technology—namely, "talents" [7]—can science and technology be implemented and applied in the production process and exert the immense power they contain. At the same time, scientific research and technological innovation themselves require high-level researchers to be realized. The cultivation of talent must rely on education. Therefore, Deng Xiaoping pointed out: "To develop science and technology, we cannot do without focusing on education. Modernization cannot be achieved by empty talk; there must be knowledge and talent. Without knowledge and talent, how can we move up?" We must place education and science on equally important footing. This will, on the one hand, realize and accelerate the transformation of technology into the production level, and on the other, promote the continuous development of scientific research itself. The strategy of Rejuvenating the Country through Science and Education aims to shift economic construction truly onto the track of relying on scientific and technological progress and improving the quality of laborers. In the final analysis, it depends on the cultivation of the subjects of production and the subjects of scientific research.
III. Scientific Atheist Propaganda is an Inherent Requirement of the Strategy of Rejuvenating the Country through Science and Education
The propaganda and education of scientific atheism are inherent requirements and essential meanings [8] of implementing the strategy of Rejuvenating the Country through Science and Education; this is determined by the very essence of the strategy itself.
First, scientific atheism is a prerequisite for scientific and technological development. Highlighting history, modern science emerged from the rise of atheist trends of thought. Without the Renaissance movement, characterized fundamentally by humanism, humanity would still be in the darkness of medieval religious ignorance, and modern natural science would have been impossible to produce. Without the rise of modern atheist trends, including deism and pantheism, natural and social sciences could not have achieved such rapid development in Europe. Scientific atheism liberates people from various religious taboos and constraints, allowing them to boldly explore the objective laws of nature and society. This is the ideological prerequisite for scientific development. If we are to fully implement the idea that science and technology are the primary productive forces and promote the rapid development of technology, we must unswervingly adhere to and promote scientific atheism.
Second, scientific atheism is an inevitable requirement for improving the quality of laborers. The key to implementing the strategy of Rejuvenating the Country through Science and Education lies in cultivating a large number of producers and researchers adapted to technological innovation, thereby continuously and effectively promoting technological development and rapidly transforming new technologies into production practice. This requires laborers to have an innovative spirit of courageous exploration and an open vision and capacity to widely absorb new knowledge. These qualities must be built upon the foundation of scientific atheist thought. Scientific atheism is a rational and active worldview and attitude toward life. Without this basic conviction, it is impossible to establish the spiritual qualities of courageous innovation and practice, and thus difficult to create the subjects of production and research that meet the requirements of the strategy.
Third, scientific atheism is the natural orientation of the strategy of Rejuvenating the Country through Science and Education. Scientific atheism is a natural ally of science, and the development of science provides theoretical and empirical support for atheism. Since modern times, the trend of scientific atheist thought and the development of natural science have promoted each other and are inseparable. Therefore, implementing the strategy will inevitably further break down various superstitions and theism, thereby promoting the propaganda of scientific atheism. Along with the development of science, technology, and education, scientific atheist thought will become more deeply rooted in the hearts of the people and gradually become a universal belief in society.
In short, there is an internal connection between the strategy of Rejuvenating the Country through Science and Education and scientific atheist thought. To effectively implement the strategy, we must simultaneously exert great effort in the propaganda and education of scientific atheist thought.