Yang Junfeng: Strengthening the Construction of Scientific Atheism as a Discipline to Resist Cultural Proselytization on Campus
Abstract: As a critique and negation of theism, scientific atheism is inherently a system of thought that advances with the times. Changes in theistic systems of thought demand new responses from atheism, and the continuous repackaging of theistic superstitious trends requires atheism to pay timely attention to objective reality. To effectively resist the current phenomenon of "cultural proselytization" on campuses, it is necessary to further strengthen the disciplinary development of scientific atheism. New religious theological ideas require a direct theoretical response, and various social realities demand the strengthening of propaganda and education regarding scientific atheism. At the same time, scientific atheism should construct its own positive content from the perspective of serving reality, and the construction of basic theory for scientific atheism must be further strengthened.
Keywords: scientific atheism; cultural proselytization; higher education; disciplinary development
In recent years, trends in religious theism, backed by substantial funding from both domestic and overseas sources, have continuously infiltrated the public sphere. "Cultural proselytization" in the fields of education and scientific research is particularly striking. Funded by religious groups and overseas forces, some universities and research institutions have, under the guise of religious studies, organized seminars with evangelical overtones, translated and published theological books, offered religious courses and lectures with proselytizing tendencies, and invited religious figures to speak at university podiums—some even serving as formal faculty members. The religious atmosphere on university campuses is growing thicker, and the number of religious university students is rising year by year. Under these circumstances, however, the propaganda and education of scientific atheism have not received due attention. Its voice is seriously absent from academic research and school education. The situation where "theism is preached while atheism is ignored" has reappeared since its last occurrence in the 1990s. The severe and prolonged crisis facing scientific atheism reminds us that to effectively resist cultural proselytization on campus, we must vigorously strengthen the disciplinary development of scientific atheism.
I. Scientific Atheism is Inherently a System of Thought that Advances with the Times
Atheism is a system of thought opposed to theism. Atheism arises from the negation of theism. From the perspective of intellectual history, when humanity was no longer satisfied with the modalities of myth and religion and began to use rational faculties to understand and explain the world, the seeds of atheistic thought emerged. It can be said that in the first light of wisdom that accompanied humanity’s departure from ignorance and entry into civilized society, there were colors of atheism. From its inception, atheism has continuously developed and enriched itself in the process of reflecting upon and critiquing theism. Essentially, atheism necessarily exists in relation to theism; beyond its negation and critique of theism, it has no special content of its own. Therefore, as religious theism develops and changes throughout human history, it inevitably requires atheism to constantly develop and improve. Atheism is essentially a system of thought that advances with the times.
First, the development of theistic systems of thought requires atheism to provide new responses.
The emergence and existence of theism and its advanced form—religion—have profound natural, social, cognitive, and psychological roots. As Engels said, "all religion is nothing but the fantastic reflection in men’s minds of those external forces which control their daily life, a reflection in which the terrestrial forces assume the form of supernatural forces" [1]. The elimination of these real-world roots of religious theism is an extremely long historical process; it "requires a social basis or a series of material conditions of existence, which are themselves the natural product of a long and painful history of development" [2]. Until the external alien forces of reality—namely, the natural, social, cognitive, and psychological roots of religion—are completely eliminated, religious theism will not only not die out but will continue to develop and improve. From myths and primitive religions to institutional religions, from regional religions to world religions, and from polytheism to monotheism, religious theistic thought has continuously progressed from lower to higher forms in human history. The development of human cognition and thinking capacity and the improvement of material and technical conditions have, on the one hand, continuously destroyed and exposed the absurdity and falsehood of theism, but on the other hand, have also stimulated or even promoted the development of religion.
The development of theism requires that atheism must constantly develop and improve in tandem; otherwise, it cannot effectively respond to the challenges of religious theism. Historically, the system of atheistic thought has undergone three stages of development: ancient naive atheism, modern militant atheism, and Marxist atheism. Naive atheism, relying on limited empirical observation and brilliant conjecture, opposed ignorant religious myths and shamanistic methods, embodying the essential human power of advocating for reason and autonomy; it once dealt a heavy blow to the forces of religious theism in ancient society. However, atheistic ideas such as atomism and the "Way of Heaven" [3] based on naive materialism lacked empirical evidence and technical support and were unable to withstand the spread and diffusion of religious theological trends. Only modern science, characterized by experimentation, provided a solid knowledge base and the necessary technical means for the brilliant deductions of ancient atheism, thereby directly shaking the dogmas and slanders of religious theism. Under the powerful assault of modern science and technology, although religious theism has had to retreat step by step, it is still able to maintain and repair its ideological foundation through philosophical interpretation and even sophistry, adjusting and tempering its contradictions and conflicts with natural science, and continuing to exist and develop its own ideological system and real-world influence in modern society. Only Marxist atheism, built on the foundations of dialectical materialism and historical materialism, has effectively criticized and exposed the essence and absurdity of religious theology, scientifically elucidating the real roots of the birth of religious theism and the objective laws of its development and eventual demise. It provides us with the basic principles and methodological guidance for correctly understanding and handling religious phenomena and issues.
Unlike religious theism, which appeals entirely to faith, atheism relies on reason as its fundamental cognitive weapon. It is precisely by the light of rational wisdom that atheism has been able to stand as an equal to powerful religious forces throughout the long river of human history. As human practical ability increases and the level of productive forces improves, human thinking capacity, knowledge levels, and technical means also continuously develop. The development of science and technology provides direct empirical evidence and technical support for the system of atheistic thought, while new thinking and viewpoints in philosophy and social science provide new methods and perspectives for the development of atheism. As a thoroughgoing materialism, Marxism places atheism truly on a scientific foundation and is a powerful ideological weapon for responding to and criticizing religious theism. However, before the real-world roots of theism are eliminated, religious theism will continue to exist and develop further. Therefore, under the guidance of the basic principles and methods of Marxism, we must constantly innovate the system of scientific atheistic thought in response to new situations in religious theism.
Second, the constant repackaging of theistic superstitious trends requires atheism to focus on reality.
Unlike religious theology, superstitious trends are entirely a low-level, harmful social phenomenon that must be resolutely resisted and eradicated. Superstition arises from ignorance; the development and popularization of science and technology can naturally eliminate some forms of ignorant superstition. However, because the real-world roots of theism cannot be eliminated for a considerable period to come, it is impossible to completely root out theistic superstitious trends. While theistic superstitions are being exposed, they still return under new disguises. In an era of flourishing science and popularized culture, theistic superstition can even reappear under the banner of "science" and "culture."
In this regard, what leaves the deepest impression is the trend of "New Theism" [4] that made a clamorous noise in the 1990s. At that time, with the rise of the "Qigong fever" and "Culture fever," various feudal superstitions "rose like dregs" [5] under the guise of science and traditional culture. Theories of sorcery, Feng Shui, and fortune-telling appeared in new forms such as "Qigong," "supernatural powers," and "scientific prediction." For a time, various superstitious phenomena changed their appearances and took to the stage, moving from borrowing the name of science to critiquing science, and then to opposing and disparaging natural science on the basis of one-sidedly exaggerating its limitations—even styling themselves as the "highest science." They violated scientific common sense, openly preached theism, peddled pseudoscience, and promoted genuine sorcery. From claiming to summon wind and rain to channeling spirits, all sorts of bizarre phenomena were ubiquitous. Not only were many of the masses misled, but even some scientific researchers joined the fray to cheer them on. The impact was so great that at one point the entire country seemed seized by madness, eventually leading to the "Falun Gong" incident. During this process, Ren Jiyu led the China Association for Atheism [6] to criticize and expose various trends of New Theism, making an important contribution to the struggle in which the Party Central Committee led the people of the country to crush the "Falun Gong" cult organization. Mr. Ren once pointed out poignantly: "Since the phenomenon of 'supernatural powers' failed to receive effective resistance and instead received support, pseudoscientific phenomena such as 'turning water into oil' have proliferated as never before. Under this influence, even some highly talented scientific workers became impetuous and irritable, not hesitating to resort to fraud. If the serious and earnest scientific spirit is not promoted while the style of fabrication and fraud proliferates everywhere, the future of our nation will truly be a matter of deep concern." [7]
The lessons of the 1990s tell us that the phenomenon of theistic superstition will not disappear with the rapid development of science and technology, but will always appear in new disguises. To resist and curb various superstitious trends, scientific atheism should strengthen social propaganda and strike back against the new faces and characteristics of superstitious phenomena. This requires that scientific atheism must closely follow reality and constantly update its ideological content and propaganda methods in accordance with changes in social reality, thereby effectively responding to ever-changing theistic superstitious phenomena. In recent years, while phenomena like supernatural powers and pseudoscience have receded compared to the end of the last century, they continue to emerge. Particularly since the rise of the "Traditional Culture fever" (guoxue re), dregs such as fortune-telling, Feng Shui, and sorcery have been brought back by some under the guise of "national studies," becoming popular in business, political, and even academic circles. With the lessons of the past not far behind, we should fully utilize the critical function of atheism, actively assume social responsibility, and continuously expose and clarify the true face of various pseudosciences and their superstitious nature, thereby promoting the development and improvement of the system of scientific atheistic thought.
II. Proposals and Ideas for Strengthening the Disciplinary Development of Scientific Atheism
Compared with the strong rise of the current trend of religious theism marked by "cultural proselytization," scientific atheism is in a weak position in both the academic and practical spheres. Although people of insight have been calling for its promotion, it has not yet exerted a powerful influence on society as a whole. The reasons for this are, of course, very complex and involve many factors. Among them, the fact that the disciplinary development of scientific atheism needs strengthening should be regarded as a key factor that deserves full attention. To effectively resist cultural proselytization on campus, it is necessary to further strengthen the disciplinary development of scientific atheism.
(1) New religious theological ideas require a direct theoretical response...
The current prosperity of "cultural proselytization" is, of course, closely related to the fueling of the flames by religious groups and overseas forces, but its "cultural" and "academic" facade has also played a major role. One of the significant differences between modern Western theological thought—actively introduced by certain scholars—and traditional theology lies in its greater emphasis on using rational and academic means to cloak and express the content of faith. Leveraging this advantage, they easily enter the public discourse system of academic research and are readily accepted by researchers and policymakers who lack an in-depth understanding of them. Currently, modern Western theological thought has occupied the religious and even philosophical research platforms of many universities, exerting an extremely serious influence on relevant academic fields and even showing a trend toward becoming mainstream. Under such grave circumstances, it is necessary for us to analyze and critique these theological trends from a theoretical perspective, exposing their theistic essence and fallacies.
Regarding the current state of modern theological trends in China, I believe there are five areas in urgent need of a new response from scientific atheism:
The Question of the Origin of Religious Belief Since Kant, modern Western theology has largely abandoned traditional efforts to provide objective proofs for the existence of God, turning instead to seek a basis for religious belief in human apriority. There are two main lines of thought: first, emphasizing that religious belief is a dimension of human existence and is essential to being; second, attempting to argue for the rationality of religious belief from biological and neurological perspectives, claiming that faith has a neurological basis and a foundation in brain structure. Atheists need to use new philosophical thinking and new materials from fields such as sociology, statistics, and physiology to provide an academic response to this issue.
The Relationship Between Religion and Culture Many religious studies scholars completely equate religion with culture, arguing that to develop culture today, we must vigorously develop religion. This provides a basis for the legitimacy of cultural proselytization and the broader social dissemination of religion. The influence of this view has reached the national leadership level and requires discernment and analysis by scientific atheists.
The Relationship Between Religion and Morality Some supporters of religion unilaterally exaggerate the role of religion in promoting morality, advocating for the reconstruction of social belief systems and values through religion, and arguing that only through this can social moral standards be effectively raised. The specious and deceptive nature [8] of these views should arouse our full attention.
The Relationship Between Religion and Science With the funding and support of certain religious forces in the West, many domestic universities have organized academic conferences and training workshops themed "Religion and Science," inviting domestic and foreign theologians to give reports that vigorously advocate for a harmonious relationship—or even a mutually reinforcing role—between religion and science. This also requires clarification by scientific atheists.
Specific Recent Theological Viewpoints of High Influence, such as "Intelligent Design" and "Religious Market Theory" "Intelligent Design" explicitly opposes the theory of evolution and promotes creationism; "Religious Market Theory" advocates for religious supremacism and religious anarchism, encouraging religious organizations to expand infinitely by any means necessary. Representative works of these two viewpoints have been introduced into China and translated for publication with great fanfare in recent years, exerting a significant influence on academic circles. Scientific atheism must analyze and critique them. In addition, we must respond to the distortions and attacks on scientific atheism by current religious theological trends. For example, whether promoting scientific atheism leads to people becoming "lawless and godless" [9], whether the various social problems in the moral sphere in recent years were caused by the promotion of scientific atheism, and whether the promotion and education of scientific atheism interfere with the implementation of the policy of freedom of religious belief. Such questions cannot be avoided; they must be earnestly clarified to set the record straight [10].
Since theistic trends can appear in the guise of "cultural theology," we should also strike back with a "cultural atheism." It must be noted that this counterattack must emphasize academic rigor and focus on "internal critique" rather than "external critique." Only in this way can scientific atheism truly integrate into the public discourse of academic research and win its own voice and place within the current academic system. In the face of the aggressive invasion of "cultural proselytization," a naive attitude of rejection or avoidance is meaningless; "big-character poster" [11] style critiques are also unlikely to gain recognition or support in academia, and may even indulge or stimulate the development of religious-theistic trends. Historically, famous systems of atheist thought were all produced through effective critique of the theistic trends of their time—Epicurus's atomism, Fan Zhen's [12] theory on the extinction of the soul, Hume's empiricism, and Russell's logical positivism were all such examples. Whether one can engage in a direct response and critique of contemporary theistic trends is the fundamental criterion for judging whether a system of atheist thought possesses real-world vitality.
(II) Various social realities demand the strengthening of the promotion and popularization of scientific atheism
China implements a policy of separation of education and religion. Religious organizations or individuals may not illegally interfere with the educational and teaching activities or management affairs of schools and other educational institutions within the scope of national education. No organization or individual may use religion to conduct illegal activities that obstruct the national education system, nor may they disseminate religion or hold religious ceremonies in schools and other educational institutions, nor use schools to indoctrinate students with religious ideas or recruit religious followers. In view of the penetration and diffusion of religious-theistic trends into the public sphere, especially the educational sphere, we need to vigorously promote the concepts, laws, and policies of the separation of education and religion. This will help more people recognize the necessity and urgency of resisting religious penetration on campuses and promote the implementation of the policy of separating education from religion.
At the same time, in recent years, schools at all levels in China have generally lacked sufficient understanding and attention regarding the urgency and necessity of scientific atheism education. Investment in atheism education is seriously lacking, and many management mechanisms are not functioning smoothly. Ideological and political courses, which should bear the heavy responsibility of scientific atheism education, face serious problems in terms of teacher quality, teaching methods, and pedagogical concepts and content. Given this situation, we should strengthen scientific atheism education for young people through various channels, entering campuses and classrooms to help students establish a scientific atheist worldview and outlook on life. We should vigorously support and promote atheism education in universities to curb the rising trend of religious belief among college students. Additionally, we should pay close attention to various social superstitions that continue to "dregs rising to the surface" [13], unswervingly exposing and criticizing them, guiding people to break free from ignorance and superstition, and establishing a scientific spirit and a healthy, positive outlook on life, so that they may strive to create their own happy lives and beautiful tomorrow through the practice of transforming nature and society.
(III) Scientific atheism should construct its own positive content from the perspective of serving reality
Scientific atheism is the critique and negation of theism, but it is more than just that; it is a way of thinking, a value system, and, more importantly, a way of life. Adhering to and promoting atheism must never be limited to simple critique and the dismantling of religious-theistic faith; it must, after such dismantling, guide people toward a scientific and rational outlook on life and attitude toward living. There must be "destruction" but also "construction." After negating the existence of God, we should provide rational answers to the question of the meaning of life, establish a stable foundation for moral practice, and find a rational sustenance for the value of life.
The current lack of ideals and beliefs and the degradation of moral consciousness have caused various serious social problems—from tainted milk powder and "gutter oil" to counterfeit medicine and alcohol, and on to "tofu-dreg projects" [14] and corrupt officials. These have seriously disrupted the normal social order. Some scholars have taken this opportunity to loudly proclaim the advantages of religion, particularly Christianity, advocating for the reconstruction of belief systems and values through religion, and attacking the atheism and materialism education since the founding of the People's Republic as the cause of the lack of spiritual faith. Facing this situation, scientific atheism must not only respond to the accusations of religious theists but should also propose our own solutions in theory and practice, contributing to the healthy development of society.
(IV) The construction of basic theory for scientific atheism needs to be strengthened
Under the National Social Science Planning Sixth Five-Year Plan priority projects, two histories of atheism were published: A History of Western Atheism (History of Western Atheism, Central China Normal University Press, 1993 edition), edited by Chen Linshu, and A History of Chinese Atheism (History of Chinese Atheism, China Social Sciences Press, 1992 edition), edited by Ya Hanzhang and Wang Yousan. Published alongside A History of Chinese Atheism was the Selected Materials on the History of Chinese Atheism. After their publication, these works were appraised by the National Education Commission in 1988 and officially approved in 1989 as teaching materials for liberal arts in national institutions of higher learning. Looking back today, these two histories are somewhat outdated in terms of both philosophical concepts and the selection and analysis of materials; it is necessary to revise or rewrite them by incorporating new philosophical and historical perspectives. At the same time, books and papers on the basic theory of scientific atheism are currently scarce. The only academic journal for atheism research has long been excluded from the three major "core journal" evaluation systems. Furthermore, the collation of classic atheist works from history and the translation of foreign atheist works are also relatively insufficient. The construction of basic theory is vital to the long-term development of the discipline and the training of future talent, and it requires our sufficient attention.
Endnotes: ① Engels: Anti-Dühring, see Selected Works of Marx and Engels, Vol. 3, pp. 666-667, People's Publishing House, 1995. All subsequent citations refer to this edition. ② Marx: Capital, Vol. 1, see Selected Works of Marx and Engels, Vol. 2, p. 142. ③ Ren Jiyu: "Promote Atheism, Develop the Scientific Spirit, and Build a New Socialist Culture," in Collected Works on Religion by Ren Jiyu, edited by Du Jiwen, Xi Wuyi, et al., China Social Sciences Press, 2010, p. 216.
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