Zuo Peng: Observations on the Disciplinary Construction of Marxist Atheism
Abstract: As a system of knowledge that negates and critiques theism, atheism is fully capable of constituting an independent discipline. However, according to China's current disciplinary classification standards and the Catalog of Disciplines and Specialties, atheism cannot yet be developed as an independent discipline. Consideration could be given to establishing Marxist Atheism as a secondary discipline [1] under the primary discipline of Marxist Theory. Drawing inspiration from Mr. Fei Xiaotong’s "Five Viscera and Six Bowels" theory [2] proposed during the restoration and reconstruction of sociology, this article suggests constructing a complete disciplinary system from four aspects: the principles of Marxist atheism, the history of atheism, the critique of theism, and Marxist atheist propaganda and education. Furthermore, it suggests cultivating a series of disciplinary departments across five areas: academic societies, research institutions, professional departments, library resources, and professional journals, thereby promoting the early establishment of Marxist atheism’s status as an independent discipline.
A discipline is a relatively independent system of knowledge within a specific field. Clearly defining a discipline is the foundation and prerequisite of scientific research. In the history of human thought, the concept of atheism existed spontaneously before the concept of theism emerged. As theism arose and gradually came to dominate the minds of most people in the world in the form of religion, atheism has also enriched and developed itself in various forms, igniting and sustaining the light of reason and wisdom in the treasury of human thought. Whether such light of reason and wisdom can constitute an independent discipline and develop steadily concerns not only the historical inheritance of atheism and its ability to advance with the times, but also whether Marxist ideology—which takes atheism as its cornerstone—can stand firm and remain stable.
I. The Prerequisite for Disciplinary Development: Establishing Independent Disciplinary Status
Atheism is the negation and critique of theism. Over thousands of years, the intellectual achievements of theism have been as voluminous as "sweating oxen and filling a house to the rafters" [3], forming their own systems; both Religious Studies and Religious Theology have been established and developed by taking these as important or fundamental objects of study. Correspondingly, the intellectual achievements of atheism are also as vast as the sea. Theoretically speaking, they could also serve as a category of knowledge system and constitute an independent discipline. In reality, however, the status of atheism as an independent discipline cannot yet be said to be fully established. In the National Standard of the People's Republic of China for Disciplinary Classification and Codes (GB/T 13745—2009) (hereinafter referred to as the Standard) promulgated by the General Administration of Quality Supervision, Inspection and Quarantine and the Standardization Administration of the PRC in 2009, Atheism is listed as a secondary discipline under the primary discipline of Religious Studies; beneath it are four tertiary disciplines: the History of Atheism, Chinese Atheism, Foreign Atheism, and Other Disciplines of Atheism. However, in the Catalog of Disciplines and Specialties for the Conferral of Doctoral and Master's Degrees and the Training of Postgraduate Students issued by the Academic Degrees Committee of the State Council and the State Education Commission in 1997, and the Catalog of Disciplines for Degree Conferral and Talent Cultivation (hereinafter referred to as the Catalog) revised on that basis by the Academic Degrees Committee of the State Council and the Ministry of Education in 2011, atheism does not appear as a discipline or specialty. Instead, Religious Studies is listed as a secondary discipline under the primary discipline of Philosophy. It is evident that while atheism still serves as a secondary discipline in the Standard, it has disappeared from the Catalog, which is "applicable to the conferral of master’s and doctoral degrees, recruitment, and training, and used for disciplinary development and educational statistical classification." Although one might infer from the Standard that atheism should be a "tertiary discipline" or research direction subordinated to the secondary discipline of Religious Studies, any "tertiary discipline" or research direction not found in the Catalog cannot independently carry out disciplinary development work, such as laying out disciplinary points, constructing disciplinary systems, setting up disciplinary echelons, or training disciplinary talents. Only secondary or primary disciplines listed in the Catalog can independently carry out disciplinary development.
Of course, treating atheism as a "tertiary discipline" or research direction under Religious Studies does have its rationale. This is because the fundamental purposes that Religious Studies research should follow—from "studying religion and critiquing theology" (Ren Jiyu: "Studying Religion, Critiquing Theology," Guangming Daily, September 27, 1977) to "scholarship requires rationality, faith requires tolerance" (Lü Daji: A New Introduction to General Religious Studies, China Social Sciences Press, 1998 edition, p. 26)—are essentially different from theological speculation based on fideism. They both inevitably require atheism as their basic standpoint and ultimate destination. Adhering to such a standpoint and destination can ensure the correct direction of Religious Studies research and promote the healthy development of the discipline of atheism; deviating from this standpoint and destination, Religious Studies research is likely to degenerate into religious theological research, and the development of the discipline of atheism will inevitably fall into a dead end.
Religious studies in China began in the 1950s. After Mr. Ren Jiyu wrote a "rare as a phoenix feather or a unicorn's horn" [4] "article on Buddhology" using the "viewpoint of historical materialism" (Collected Works of Mao Zedong, Vol. 8, People's Publishing House, 1999 edition, p. 353), he was commissioned by Mao Zedong to establish China's first religious research institution—the Institute of World Religions under the Department of Philosophy and Social Sciences of the Chinese Academy of Sciences. At that time, "the basic task designated by the preparatory group for the institute was: guided by Marxism-Leninism and Mao Zedong Thought, to conduct systematic research on the current situation, theory, and history (including origins, development, classics, sects, and dogmas) of the three major religions influencing the world's population (Christianity, Buddhism, and Islam), to critique religious theology, and to propagate atheist thought." (Zhuo Xinping, Jin Yijiu, et al.: "Dialogues on 50 Years of Contemporary Chinese Religious Studies and a Review of the 50-year History of the Institute of World Religions of CASS," The World Religious Cultures, No. 6, 2014). Entering the new period of reform and opening up, Mr. Ren Jiyu further proposed: "The content of Marxist Religious Studies includes not only the study of various specific religions but also the study of atheism, which stands in opposition to religious theology. Marxist Religious Studies is essentially a form of scientific atheism." (Ren Jiyu: "Strive for the Development of Marxist Religious Studies," Philosophical Research, No. 4, 1979). This effectively pointed out the direction for the development of Religious Studies while finding a foothold for the development of atheism. although a number of atheist achievements were subsequently produced and a group of atheist talents were trained during the vigorous development of Religious Studies, "in recent years, with the rising ‘fever’ for religion and against the backdrop of various religions providing significant funding for religious research, the promotion of the positive role of religion has become the mainstream discourse in the field of religious studies, while voices analyzing the negative effects of religion have been marginalized. The voice of scientific atheism is weak, almost becoming a 'lost art' [5]... The joint efforts of domestic and overseas theologians to promote the 'Sino-Christian Theology Movement' into China's ideological, cultural, and educational spheres have already formed a trend influencing contemporary China's mainstream discourse circles." (Xi Wuyi: "The Contemporary Value of Mao Zedong's 'Strengthen Research on Religious Issues'," Science and Atheism, No. 6, 2014).
Under such a realistic background, atheism "encamped" within Religious Studies faces problems not just of development, but of survival. "Some scholars who claim to uphold the Marxist view of religion not only abandon the atheist standpoint and the critique of theology when discussing religious issues, but also oppose the research and propagation of atheism, denouncing it as destroying religious and social harmony. It is a common phenomenon to flaunt the pursuit of the Marxist view of religion on one hand while rejecting and opposing atheist research, propaganda, and education on the other." (Tian Xinming: "Marxist Religious Research Must Adhere to an Atheist Standpoint," Studies on Marxism, No. 3, 2014). This is evident in scientific research; taking the project guides and funding results of the National Social Science Fund from 2000 to 2014 as an example: over fifteen consecutive years, the term "atheism" appeared most frequently in the guides for Philosophy and Religious Studies (13 times each), which is likely determined by the disciplinary affiliation of atheism in the Standard and the Catalog. However, in the corresponding funding results, the term "atheism" appeared most often in Philosophy, followed by Marxism/Scientific Socialism, and then Religious Studies. This precisely reflects the actual status of atheism within Religious Studies and related disciplines. This is also evident in talent cultivation; according to the Standard and the Catalog, atheist talents should be trained under the name of a "tertiary discipline" or research direction within Religious Studies. However, in a situation where "protecting religion" has become the mainstream voice in academia, how can the cultivation of atheist talents be easy? Setting aside the fact that some religious scholars themselves hold religious beliefs, and that some overseas missionaries and theologians have been hired as adjunct professors by universities, one need only look at the postgraduates trained by these scholars and professors: their "dissertations have an extremely clear Christian theological standpoint, no different from theologians trained in seminaries." This "cannot but cause doubt and confusion regarding the current teaching and research of Religious Studies in universities." (Xi Wuyi: "Should Religious Theology Enter University Campuses?", Science and Atheism, No. 4, 2013). If things continue to develop in this way, "the exclusion of atheist research from religious research, where Religious Studies becomes a prominent discipline while atheism becomes an endangered one" (Tian Xinming: "Marxist Religious Research Must Adhere to an Atheist Standpoint," Studies on Marxism, No. 3, 2014) is no longer alarmist talk. To advance the development of the discipline of atheism within Religious Studies has already become extremely difficult; one might even say the conditions and foundation no longer exist.
If the discipline of atheism is to develop, it must possess fully independent disciplinary status. The hallmark of this would be its entry into the Catalog, allowing for the conferral of master’s and doctoral degrees, recruitment, and training in its own right. Only in this way can it gather high-level experts and scholars, form a strong academic atmosphere, stand at the scientific frontier, continuously innovate, and generate a sense of identity in academia and influence in society. To achieve this effect, it is necessary to upgrade atheism from a "tertiary discipline" or research direction under Religious Studies to an independent secondary discipline. So, in the current disciplinary classification system, which primary discipline could atheism join? There are two possibilities: first, Philosophy; second, Marxist Theory.
If it enters Philosophy, it would mean atheism becomes a secondary discipline under the primary discipline of Philosophy, parallel to Religious Studies. However, according to the basic conditions for setting up a secondary discipline—"possessing a relatively independent system of professional knowledge" (Notice of the Academic Degrees Committee of the State Council and the Ministry of Education on Issuing the 'Measures for the Entry and Management of the Catalog of Disciplines for Degree Conferral and Talent Cultivation')—can atheism and Religious Studies be clearly distinguished? Regarding atheism, its object of study "is the concept of 'God'; the conclusion it reaches by conducting research on this object is 'no God,' i.e., the concept of 'God' is an illusory concept"; (Tian Xinming: "Adhering to Marxism and Adhering to Scientific Atheism," Science and Atheism, No. 4, 2010). Looking at Religious Studies, its research into the basic elements of religion naturally includes the study of religious concepts, i.e., the concept of "God." Furthermore, in its research, it "must avoid all blind, superstitious fideism" (Lü Daji: A New Introduction to General Religious Studies, China Social Sciences Press, 1998 edition, p. 27). By strictly adhering to the principles of objectivity and rationality, Religious Studies research is actually prescribed with an atheist undercurrent. In this case, if atheism were added as a secondary discipline parallel to Religious Studies under the same primary discipline, it would inevitably lead to blurred disciplinary boundaries and would likely be difficult to gain broad recognition in the academic community.
In contrast, the entry of atheism into the primary discipline of Marxist Theory possesses both internal and external conditions and is highly feasible. Theoretically, atheism has always been the foundation of the edifice of Marxist theory and the prerequisite for all other Marxist theories. Marx and Engels themselves were staunch atheists; they began to create their new worldview under the condition that "for Germany, the criticism of religion has been largely completed" (Collected Works of Marx and Engels, Vol. 1, People's Publishing House, 2009 edition, p. 3), and further "applied this world outlook consistently (at least in its main features) to all areas of knowledge under consideration." (Collected Works of Marx and Engels, Vol. 4, People's Publishing House, 2009 edition, p. 297).
Although atheism is not the most important concept in Marxism—as other Marxist ideas have advanced far beyond it—it is the most foundational. It is precisely upon this foundation that the entire ideological system of Marxism and the practice of scientific socialism were erected. As a discipline that studies the fundamental principles and scientific system of Marxism as a whole, Marxist Theory [6] must not neglect the study of atheism, for this is its "foundation-laying project" and its "soul-casting project."
Looking at reality, the primary discipline of Marxist Theory was established in December 2005 specifically to "advance the Party’s ideological and theoretical construction and consolidate the guiding position of Marxism in the education and teaching of higher education institutions" (Circular of the State Degree Committee and the Ministry of Education on the Adjustment and Addition of the Primary Discipline of Marxist Theory and its Subordinate Secondary Disciplines [Academic Degree (2005) No. 64]). Its five subordinate secondary disciplines primarily support the four courses of the "Ideological and Political Theory" curriculum in universities, and these four courses have respectively found their reliance in these five secondary disciplines.
Today, we face new circumstances and problems in the Party's ideological and theoretical construction. In particular, some Party members and cadres "believe in ghosts and gods rather than Marx and Lenin," seeking spiritual sustenance in feudal superstitions, becoming obsessed with fortune-telling and physiognomy [7], burning incense and bowing to Buddha, or "consulting the gods" when problems arise. We also face new situations in the ideological and political education of college students, especially as overseas forces intensify their use of religion to infiltrate universities. A significant number of students hold vague understandings of religion, and individual students have been enticed into joining religious faiths. Whether for the purpose of strengthening ideals and convictions, upholding the spiritual pursuits of Communists, and preventing Party members and cadres from losing themselves under the influence of feudal superstition and religion; or for the purpose of educating and guiding students to correctly understand and treat religious issues, resisting religious infiltration, and preventing campus proselytization—all of these require Marxist atheist education as a fundamental task. This work must be integrated into the main training sessions of Party schools, academies of governance, and cadre academies, as well as into the teaching of ideological and political theory courses and relevant professional courses in universities.
This situation is entirely consistent with the context in which the primary and secondary disciplines of Marxist Theory were adjusted and added years ago. Based on this, "Marxist Atheism" could absolutely be added as a secondary discipline under the primary discipline of Marxist Theory. Furthermore, there is precedent for such an addition. In April 2008, to further strengthen the disciplinary support for the course "Outline of Chinese Modern and Contemporary History," the secondary discipline "Research on Basic Issues of Chinese Modern and Contemporary History" was added to the existing five. Today, why should it not be permissible to add a secondary discipline of Marxist Atheism to further strengthen the disciplinary support for Marxist atheist education?
If a secondary discipline of Marxist Atheism were established, would it lead to atheist research withdrawing entirely from Religious Studies, thereby increasing the real danger of Religious Studies sliding toward religious theology? Such a concern is necessary but should not be overly sensitive. Just as the primary discipline of Marxist Theory studies Marxism as a whole, it has not excluded the three primary disciplines of Philosophy, Theoretical Economics, and Political Science from conducting specific research on the three components of Marxism [8] within their respective secondary disciplines: Marxist Philosophy, Political Economy, and Scientific Socialism and the International Communist Movement. Similarly, regarding modern and contemporary Chinese history, it can be studied under "Modern Chinese History" (within the primary discipline of History), "History of the CPC" (within the primary discipline of Political Science), or "Research on Basic Issues of Chinese Modern and Contemporary History" (within the primary discipline of Marxist Theory).
Evidently, in the division of disciplines, overlaps in objects of study are not rare. For the same problem, different disciplines can conduct research from different directions and angles. Specifically regarding atheism: in Religious Studies, it is a basic standpoint that ensures research on the origins, development, classics, sects, dogmas, and social roles of various religions remains dominated by rationalism, rather than the devotional "speaking of religion from within religion" approach of confessionalism. In Marxist Theory, it is a logical premise and historical destination. Whether through holistic or disciplinary research, it must ultimately tell people that they should not hand over their fate to non-existent gods, for humanity is fully capable of relying on its own strength to seek truly real happiness for itself.
II. The Foundation of Disciplinary Construction: Building a Complete Disciplinary System
Establishing Marxist Atheism as a secondary discipline under the primary discipline of Marxist Theory is the operational goal for advancing atheist disciplinary construction under current circumstances. To achieve this goal, we need not only the strong support of relevant functional departments of the Ministry of Education but also broad recognition from the academic community and society. To obtain such support and recognition, the most fundamental task is to properly build up atheism—which is currently treated as a "tertiary discipline" or a mere research direction—by comprehensively improving its theoretical depth and academic substance, creating the conditions for a disciplinary upgrade through solid "internal work" [9].
Here, we recall the "Five Viscera and Six Entrails" theory proposed by Mr. Fei Xiaotong in the early 1980s during the restoration and reconstruction of sociology. Using this as a reference can provide a direction for effort and a standard of measurement for the construction and development of the discipline of atheism. Fei Xiaotong believed that to establish a discipline, one must have the "Five Viscera and Six Entrails." The "Five Viscera" refers to the five parts the disciplinary structure should include: a scholarly society, a research institute, an academic department, a library and information center, and a publishing department. The "Six Entrails" refers to the six basic courses that must be prepared to run a sociology department in a university: Introduction to Sociology, Social Research Methods, Social Psychology, Urban and Rural Sociology, Comparative Sociology, and Introduction to Western Sociological Theory. With these "Five Viscera and Six Entrails," the stage for sociology is set, and the play can officially begin (Collected Works of Fei Xiaotong, Vol. 8, Qunyan Press, 1999 edition, p. 287).
Similar to the six basic courses of sociology, in the construction of the discipline of atheism, we should first construct a tree-like branching structure based on the internal theoretical and practical logic of the discipline. This involves systematizing and categorizing specialized knowledge within the field to form a complete disciplinary system. This is both a current necessity for deepening theoretical research and a future necessity for cultivating professional talents in the discipline.
Since atheism is the negation and critique of the concept of "God," it has continuously developed and perfected itself alongside the evolution and transformation of the concept of "God" in human history. It moved from spontaneous atheism to conscious atheism, and from the naive atheism of antiquity to the scientific atheism of modern times, eventually giving birth to its higher form through the accumulation of human civilization and thought: Marxist atheism. Marxist atheism transcends simple "godless" argumentation to reveal the essence of religion and the objective laws of its emergence, development, and disappearance. It transcends the critique of religion to enter the realm of social critique; it transcends the sphere of thought to enter the realm of social practice. It not only thoroughly denies the actual existence of ghosts, gods, heaven, hell, and any other supernatural forces, but also actively guides people to break with superstition, escape ignorance, and use their own wisdom and hands to create a happy and beautiful life. Thus, publicity and education [10] become a vital link in the realization of the value of Marxist atheism. Consequently, Marxist atheism moves from theory to practice, and from deconstruction to construction. Based on this internal logic, the discipline of Marxist atheism should possess at least the following four main branches:
1. Principles of Marxist Atheism This is the most fundamental branch of the disciplinary system. It aims to use the worldview and methodology of dialectical materialism and historical materialism to answer "why there is no god" (ontologically), "why some people believe in gods" (epistemologically), and "how to treat the non-existent gods and the people who believe in them" (methodologically). Actually, these are all classic propositions of Marxist theoretical research. Classic authors such as Marx, Engels, and Lenin made scientific expositions while creating, developing, and practicing scientific socialism. Chinese Communists have also proposed their own basic viewpoints and policies during various periods of the Chinese revolution, construction, and reform. Over the past 50 years, based on the standpoints of atheism and Marxism, contemporary Chinese Religious Studies has also produced a vast amount of research. All of this can provide fundamental ideological guidance and rich academic resources for the elucidation of the Principles of Marxist Atheism. In this regard, several "readers" have been published in the past, but they were primarily suited for publicity and education during specific periods. Monographs and textbooks with genuine theoretical depth and academic substance remain a gap. This urgently requires the collaboration and innovation of veterans and new luminaries in the atheist academic community to lead the discipline's direction and enhance its social reputation with new academic works characterized by clear standpoints, scientific views, detailed data, and accessible explanations.
2. History of Atheism Marxist atheism is the advanced stage of the development of scientific atheism. "It developed on the basis of critically summarizing and inheriting the outstanding achievements of atheism throughout history. If we do not study the theory and history of Chinese and foreign atheism, we cannot deeply grasp the content of Marxist Religious Studies and scientific atheism" (Ren Jiyu, "Strive for the Development of Marxist Religious Studies," Zhexue Yanjiu [Philosophical Research], 1979, Issue 4). Therefore, the History of Atheism—comprising the history of Chinese atheism, Western atheism, and Marxist atheism—should become one of the important branches of the disciplinary system. In the early 1990s, the academic community saw the formal publication of the History of Chinese Atheism and the History of Western Atheism. However, "from today's perspective, these two histories of atheism have become somewhat outdated in terms of both philosophical concepts and the selection and analysis of materials; it is necessary to revise or rewrite them by absorbing new philosophical and historiographical viewpoints" (Yang Junfeng, "Strengthening the Construction of the Discipline of Scientific Atheism to Resist Cultural Proselytization on Campus," Kexue yu Wushenlun [Science and Atheism], 2013, Issue 3). Simultaneously, the study of the history of Marxist atheism should be placed on the agenda of disciplinary construction as a foundational task for perfecting the disciplinary system.
3. Critique of Theism The object of study for atheism is theism, and its conclusion is "the absence of god." Therefore, studying atheism necessarily requires criticizing theism; an atheism that does not criticize theism does not exist. Throughout history and across the world, theistic concepts have taken many forms, ranging from traditional to modern superstitions regarding ghosts and gods, to systematized and theorized religious theology. This necessitates that the critique of theism within atheist research includes at least two levels: first, the critique of ghost and god superstitions; second, the critique of religious theology. The critique of ghost and god superstitions achieved a phased victory in the late 20th century during the theoretical struggle against pseudo-science, "supernatural powers," and cults (邪教). Now, further research and refinement can be conducted in light of various forms of mysticism and "new theism" phenomena appearing under the new situation. The critique of religious theology was originally an inherent part of Marxist Religious Studies and scientific atheism research. However, in recent years, amidst the colorful array of research in Religious Studies, the critique of theology has remained a sensitive area. To construct the disciplinary system of Marxist atheism today, this "short board" [11] must be supplemented. We must, however, fully recognize that criticizing religious theology is by no means an easy task, given its complex systems, tedious argumentations, irrational faith, and the complex religious sentiments of believers. Completing this work requires both deep theoretical accumulation and great political courage; it will become the most difficult task in the construction of the disciplinary system.
4. Publicity and Education of Marxist Atheism Marxist atheist research is not merely for the purpose of theoretically explaining that there is "no god" in the world; more importantly, it is to make people recognize this fact in practice, to "set faith free from the spell of religion" (Collected Works of Marx and Engels, Vol. 3, People's Publishing House, 2009 edition, p. 448), and to take charge of their own destiny. Thus, the disciplinary system under construction must include the publicity and education of Marxist atheism. Classic authors have made many expositions on this, and the ruling Communist Party has put forward many requirements, yet professional research remains scarce. To remedy this deficiency, we can borrow categories from Ideological and Political Education to treat Marxist atheism as a basic component of that field, specifically studying the principles and methods of its publicity and education. To this end, we first need to clarify the dialectical unity between atheist publicity/education and the freedom of religious belief. We then need to conduct detailed research on the subjects and objects, goals and content, environments and conditions, mechanisms and methods, and the processes and laws of atheist publicity and education. Finally, we must put these results into practice and subject them to testing, driving the work of Marxist atheist publicity and education toward implementation and tangible results.
III. Essential Elements of Disciplinary Development: Cultivating a Series of Disciplinary Departments
Constructing a complete disciplinary system and generating a critical mass of deep, valuable research results are the foundation and the key for a discipline to win broad recognition from the academic community and society, thereby establishing an independent status. To achieve such a goal, there must be a workforce capable of striving toward it. Due to the influence of various complex factors following Reform and Opening-up [12], China once experienced a situation where "theism is preached by many, while atheism is preached by none." At present, the number of people who remain committed to or have recently joined the ranks of atheism research, publicity, and education is still not large. The primary difficulty encountered in initiating disciplinary development is the shortage of human resources. How to organize limited manpower more effectively and how to attract more people to participate in atheism research, publicity, and education is the first-order problem that must be solved to advance the discipline. To this end, it is necessary to accelerate the cultivation of a series of disciplinary departments to provide organizational backing and a platform for growth for those already engaged or potentially engaged in atheism research and education. Here, we can refer to Mr. Fei Xiaotong’s "Five Organs" theory [13] to examine the current state of the discipline and plan its future direction across the following five aspects:
Academic Societies Academic societies are mass organizations that drive disciplinary development. Regarding the discipline of atheism, there is currently only one national-level society: the China Association for Atheism. "Over the past 35 years, the China Association for Atheism has traversed a difficult and tortuous path of development. Up to now, although there are people speaking about atheism, the voice remains very weak." (Li Shen: "Thirty-Five Years of the China Association for Atheism," Science and Atheism, Issue 3, 2014.) In 2013, the China Association for Atheism produced a new board of directors totaling 115 members; compared to the previous board eight years prior, this was an increase of only nine people. In contrast, the board of the Chinese Religious Studies Association had already reached 408 members by 2014. This reflects, to a certain extent, the actual situation in which current Chinese atheism research and education remain in a weak position, but it also portends that the China Association for Atheism has vast room for development. The establishment of the "Southern Research Center of the China Association for Atheism" in 2014 was a substantive step forward, indicating that there are groups of people in the provinces who aspire to engage in atheism research and education but have simply not yet been organized. The China Association for Atheism can further utilize its "national-level" prestige to absorb more people with these aspirations, granting them academic honorary titles such as directors or members to stimulate their sense of responsibility, mobilize their enthusiasm, and lead them to make greater contributions to Marxist atheism research and education. Building on this, consideration can be given to the timely establishment of local atheism societies and secondary branches of the China Association for Atheism, such as societies for the history of atheism or societies for atheism publicity and education. In short, the goal is to establish an "academic home" and an "ideological home" for mutual support, exchange, and collective growth for those currently or potentially engaged in atheism research and education.
Research Institutions Research institutions are the basic units and organizational forms for conducting disciplinary research. As early as the late 1970s, the Institute of World Religions at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences (CASS) established a "Scientific Atheism Research Group," but it was later renamed the "Research Office for the Principles of Religious Studies." It was not until September 2009, when CASS issued the "Implementation Plan for Strengthening the Disciplinary Development and Theoretical Research of Marxist Theory (2009–2014)," that a "Marxist Atheism Research Office" was formed within the Institute of Marxism Studies, alongside the simultaneous establishment of the "CASS Research Center for Science and Atheism." This marked the reappearance of substantive atheism research institutions in China. Although their strength is currently quite limited, they have begun to undertake the arduous task of Marxist atheism disciplinary development, which "will inevitably influence ideological trends and academic structures in related fields nationwide toward a healthy transformation, playing a positive role in the construction of advanced culture and the improvement of national character." (Xi Wuyi: "Building on Past Successes to Create a New Situation for the Cause of Atheism—Work Report of the Third Board of Directors of the China Association for Atheism," Science and Atheism, Issue 5, 2013.) Following this example, if experts and scholars already established in this discipline could set up substantive or non-substantive atheism research institutions within their own units—thereby pushing relevant universities, research institutes, Party schools, and academies of governance nationwide to establish similar institutions—and take the initiative to undertake national and local research projects directly serving the construction of the socialist core value system and core values, it would certainly open a brand-new situation for the major development of the Marxist atheism discipline.
Professional Departments Professional departments are the "matrix" for cultivating professional talent and are vital to the continuity and succession of the discipline. For the discipline of atheism, however, within the current disciplinary classification and talent cultivation system, it is not yet possible to independently recruit, train, and confer degrees upon graduate students. To this end, while actively pushing the Academic Degrees Committee of the State Council and the Ministry of Education to independently establish Marxist Atheism as a secondary discipline [14], experts and scholars currently engaged in Marxist atheism research and education within other disciplines (such as Marxist Theory, Philosophy, or Religious Studies) can first establish atheism-related research directions and recruit graduate students within their own disciplines. Alternatively, they can supervise graduate students on cross-disciplinary topics related to atheism under other research directions. By "borrowing a boat to set out to sea," they can train professional atheism talent and accumulate academic capital and human resources for the eventual approval of Master’s and Doctoral programs in Marxist Atheism and the establishment of related departments and institutions. Currently, the Department of Marxist Studies at the Graduate School of CASS recruits Master's students in the direction of Scientific Atheism Education within the Ideological and Political Education major; meanwhile, the Department of Marxist Education, in implementing the "Program for Key Personnel in Marxist Theory," recruits Doctoral students in the direction of Marxist Religious Theory within the Religious Studies major. These can be seen as examples of pioneering trials. Other qualified universities and research institutes can follow suit at the appropriate time to gradually change the situation of atheism as a "failing discipline" [15] through the mass cultivation of atheism personnel.
Library and Information Materials The large-scale publication of library and information materials is both a reflection of existing research achievements and the foundation for further disciplinary development. At present, "under the appearance of the prosperous development of religious studies in our country, one phenomenon is particularly worthy of attention and reflection: a large number of foreign books reflecting idealist and theistic views have been translated and published, gaining great popularity in society, while foreign works reflecting materialist and atheistic views receive little attention and very few are translated; not only are contemporary Western atheistic works rarely translated, but even the translation of atheistic works from the era of Marx, Engels, and Lenin and before is extremely limited." (Jia Runguo: "The Party's Achievements, Problems, and Countermeasures in Religious Work—Commemorating the 30th Anniversary of the Issuance of Central Document No. 19," Science and Atheism, Issue 4, 2013.) The main reason for this situation is the huge difference in manpower and financial support. The translation of foreign theistic works and domestic religious research with fideistic tendencies can easily obtain funding and support from overseas foundations and churches. In contrast, the promotion of atheism and religious research with an atheistic undertone, as well as the publication of related books, find such support hard to come by. If there is no support from the Party and the government, and the market is left to dominate, the inevitable result will be a severe shortage of talent and a failure to produce results due to financial constraints. Therefore, the Party and the government must prioritize support for the development of the Marxist atheism discipline from the height of maintaining national ideological security and promoting the strategy of "invigorating the country through science and education." In guiding documents such as project guides and work opinions issued by relevant departments, projects for atheism should be set up with funded support to launch a batch of academic works and popular readings with theoretical depth, academic value, and social influence, thereby achieving the hallmark results of disciplinary development.
Professional Journals Professional journals are an important support for disciplinary development, providing a basic platform for the release of the latest achievements and the exchange of frontier issues. In the field of atheism research and education, there is currently only one professional journal: Science and Atheism, sponsored by the China Association for Atheism. Since its founding in 1999, the journal has published a series of articles exposing "supernormal abilities," clarifying superstitions about ghosts and gods, and criticizing the advocacy of theism. It has become the flagship publication for professional atheism research. However, for various reasons, it has not yet entered the A Guide to the Core Chinese Periodicals or the Chinese Social Sciences Citation Index (CSSCI). Although so-called core journals and source journals have been much criticized in recent years, they remain important indicators for a considerable number of teaching and research units in evaluating professional titles, degree applications, and disciplinary centers. In February 2014, Science and Atheism was admitted into the CSSCI (2014–2015) Extended Edition Source Journal Catalog, which is a great encouragement and impetus for both the journal and the discipline. If we can reach the next level [16] and enter the CSSCI Source Journal Catalog, it will inevitably attract more scholars to invest in atheism research, driving the rapid development of the discipline with high-quality research results. This requires further improving the quality of the journal, increasing the academic rigor and standardization of published articles, and creating conditions for the journal's upgrade. At the same time, the networking resources of the China Association for Atheism can be utilized to encourage other journals to publish articles on atheism or even open special columns on atheism, allowing atheism research to move beyond Science and Atheism and demonstrate its results and expand its influence in a broader academic space.
In short, the direction has been determined and the path has been pointed out; now, "the main thing is to actually do it, not just talk or criticize." Currently, the development of the Marxist atheism discipline is still in its nascent stage. Whether in the construction of the disciplinary system or the cultivation of disciplinary departments, the overall level is certainly relatively low. But what of it? The haze of "theism is preached by many, while atheism is preached by none" has not yet completely dissipated. "Having slept for a long time, how can one produce high-level things as soon as one opens one's eyes? If we only talk and do not act, and do not start from a low level, it will remain the same way after many years, and then we will be unable to escape the blame." (The Collected Works of Fei Xiaotong, Vol. 8, Qunyan Press, 1999 edition, p. 288.)