Guo Zuquan and Huang Xiaodan: Ai Siqi's Atheist Thought and Its Enlightenment
From 1932 to 1937, Ai Siqi conducted a multi-year struggle of cultural propaganda in Shanghai against the Kuomintang reactionaries. Based on the needs of this struggle, Ai decided to attempt the popularization and concrete dissemination of Marxist philosophy. In 1934, while serving as a teacher at the "Liangcai Amateur School," he meticulously prepared his lessons and listened humbly to the students' opinions. He produced 24 lecture drafts (later edited into Philosophical Talks), which were serialized in the magazine Reading Life. In June 1936, seeking to evade the risk of being banned by the Kuomintang's book and periodical censorship authorities, Philosophical Talks was officially renamed Macroscopic Philosophy [1]. Macroscopic Philosophy did not merely propagate Marxist philosophical thought; it also provided deep reflection, analysis, induction, and summary regarding the issues of theism and atheism in philosophy, proposing a path and method for the struggle against theism.
I. The Origins of Atheistic Thought in Macroscopic Philosophy
The times give birth to thought, and thought guides practice. The atheistic ideas in Macroscopic Philosophy were formed on the basis of Ai Siqi’s extensive reading of Marxist philosophical texts and his observation and tactile experience of the people's daily lives. Since the beginning of the modern era, the dissemination of scientific and cultural knowledge, the influence of Marxist atheism, and the atmosphere of his family environment during his personal growth provided the ideological enlightenment, theoretical basis, and external conditions for Ai Siqi to write Macroscopic Philosophy.
(1) The influence of the dissemination of scientific and cultural knowledge since the modern era.
Since the beginning of the modern era, the invasion of Western powers caused, on the one hand, profound suffering for the Chinese nation and its people. On the other hand, it also allowed the Chinese people to realize deeply that there were lessons to be learned from Western science and culture. Yunnan, located on China's southwestern frontier, was extremely backward in terms of economy, technology, society, and culture. To save the country and its people, some students from here—like patriotic students elsewhere in China—chose to go abroad for advanced studies to learn the advanced ideas and technologies required for national salvation. These overseas students sent progressive books and periodicals back home, hoping to awaken their elders. Some among them cried out: "Wake up! Wake up! Wake up! My elders, uncles, and brothers. Rise! Rise! Rise! My elders, uncles, and brothers. Strive! Strive! Strive! My elders, uncles, and brothers." In addition to the ideological influence of these Yunnanese students abroad, progressive figures in Yunnan were also positively influenced by scientific and cultural propaganda published in domestic progressive journals like New Youth [2]. This included articles such as Chen Duxiu’s "The French and Modern Civilization" and "The Thoughts of Two Great Modern Civilized Scientists," Wang Xinggong’s "The Origin and Effects of Science" and "What is the Scientific Method," Zhou Jianren’s "Darwinism" and "The Origin of Species," and Ma Yinchu’s "Methods of Population Calculation."
Ai Siqi, born Li Shengxuan, was born in 1910 in Shuidui Village, Heshun Township (now Heshun Town), Tengchong County (now Tengchong City), Yunnan Province. In the autumn of 1925, Ai entered Yunnan Provincial First Middle School, where he met the Communist Party member Li Guozhu. Li Guozhu leveraged his position as a librarian to distribute revolutionary books to progressive students within the school. Ai Siqi, Zhang Keqin, and other classmates often borrowed Marxist-Leninist works from Li Guozhu, such as the Communist Manifesto translated by Chen Wangdao, The ABC of Communism, and periodicals published at the time like New Youth and The Guide. The dissemination of scientific and cultural knowledge expanded Ai Siqi’s horizons, enlightened his thinking and wisdom, and provided an important basis for the atheistic case studies later written in Macroscopic Philosophy.
(2) The influence of the dissemination of Marxist atheism.
After the Meiji Restoration in 1868, Japan embarked on the path of capitalist development, and the large-scale study and dissemination of Western learning began within the country. At the end of the 19th century, Marxism was introduced to Japan by some intellectuals, and the socialist movement began to rise quietly. China and Japan are separated only by a narrow strip of water; in the early 20th century, many progressive Chinese youths studied in Japan, which gradually became an important channel for the transmission of Marxism to China. Ai Siqi traveled to Japan twice to study, in 1927 and 1930. During his studies in Japan, he worked hard to learn Japanese and German and read a large number of Marxist works. To better experience the "original flavor" of Marxism, Ai Siqi purchased not only Japanese translations of the works of Marx and Engels but also original German editions. He often studied these works by comparing the Japanese and German versions; this was how he studied Engels’ Anti-Dühring, learning both the languages and the original philosophical texts. In Anti-Dühring, Engels argued that Dühring stood on a "bridge" leading from pantheism to deism. Subsequently, Engels refuted Dühring's views and elucidated Marxist atheistic thought. By reading the original works of Marx and Engels and mastering the theories of dialectical materialism and historical materialism, Ai Siqi gradually grew into a steadfast Marxist atheist. He applied materialist dialectics to reflect on the specific conditions of China, writing many articles with practical guiding significance, such as "Phenomenon and Essence" and "Form and Content—A Reply to Liao Mingjun." His serious study of the original works of Marx and Engels laid a solid theoretical foundation for the subsequent writing of Macroscopic Philosophy.
(3) The influence of the family environment during Ai Siqi’s growth.
Ai Siqi’s growth into a true Marxist atheist was influenced by many factors and was a process of continuous developmental change and gradual progress. Among these, the influence of the family environment was a crucial factor. Ai Siqi was born into a revolutionary family; his father, Li Yuegai, was a member of the Tongmenghui [3] and a bourgeois democratic revolutionary. Li Yuegai attached great importance to Ai Siqi’s education, exposing him to and having him study philosophical ideas from a young age. At the same time, Li Yuegai hoped his children would study the natural sciences to transform and build the country. Li Yuegai often told his children: "I hope you brothers can each study a type of practical science; only then will you have a place to stand for the country and yourselves. However, philosophy is the summation of all learning, researching the ultimate principles of all things; it is advisable to read some philosophy books." Beyond his father’s education, some childhood experiences also helped nurture Ai Siqi’s atheistic thought. Ai Siqi’s mother was a devout Buddhist who frequently invited nuns to their home. A nun once preached to his mother that dogs and women must not go onto the rooftop, or it would trigger a fire. To test the truth of this claim, Ai Siqi carried a small dog onto the roof and called his sister to join him. After the experiment, the house did not catch fire. This experiment proved that superstitions regarding ghosts and gods were all deceptive. From then on, at a young age, Ai Siqi began to hold the idea of not believing in ghosts or gods. In 1929, after reading a large number of Marxist-Leninist works, a fundamental transformation occurred in Ai Siqi’s thinking, leading him to establish a communist worldview and outlook on life. After returning to China from Japan, Ai Siqi reflected deeply on the paths for the popularization, simplification, and Sinicization of Marxist philosophy. He disseminated new philosophical ideas and demolished the concepts of gods and ghosts in the minds of the people, further promoting the propaganda of Marxist atheism.
II. An Overview of the Content of Atheistic Thought in Macroscopic Philosophy
The content related to atheistic thought in Macroscopic Philosophy is mainly reflected in how to view the obscuring nature of various theistic ideas in philosophy and the paths to their demystification. Ai Siqi discussed and explored theistic ideas in philosophy, atheistic viewpoints in philosophy, and the application of materialist dialectics as a "weapon of struggle."
(1) Ai Siqi’s analysis and critique of theistic ideas in philosophy.
First, the issue of the "mysterious" nature of the philosophical learning process. Some believe that philosophy is a very profound and mysterious discipline, seemingly far removed from our lives. Ai Siqi, however, believed that philosophical thought and the impressions of daily life are closely connected and share commonalities. The reason people consider philosophy profound and mysterious is that they only notice the opposition between philosophy and daily life impressions, failing to see the unity between them. Glimpses of people's understanding of the mystery of philosophy can be seen in their impressions of daily life. Ai Siqi used the example of floods and droughts common in peasant farming to illustrate this. Once peasants suffer from floods or droughts, they attribute the disasters to "fate" or "the will of heaven." Ai Siqi argued that in the real world where people live, there are natural and man-made disasters; to explore their causes, one should seek answers within the real world. However, the peasants did not seek answers in reality, instead attributing all outcomes to a "Ruler" of the world. In Ai Siqi’s view, this is precisely what is mysterious and hollow. People’s daily life impressions contain mysterious ideas, and idealist philosophy (conceptualism) also contains mysterious ideas. Different philosophical thoughts lead people toward different cognitions and paths. Some people use the mysterious viewpoints of idealism to control the thoughts of others to maintain their own status. Ai Siqi used the example of Voltaire: "Voltaire was a great 18th-century French philosopher. Once at a banquet, when his friends talked about the issue of atheism, he immediately called his servant outside and then told his friends privately: 'One must never advocate atheism in front of servants, otherwise he will rebel!' This is a very famous story." Ai Siqi deconstructed theistic ideas in philosophy; a portion of philosophical thought contains mystical colors, highlighting a theistic nature. This theistic nature in philosophical thought is closely related to people's mysterious feelings regarding the unknown in daily life, because philosophical thought and daily life impressions possess unity. Such theistic viewpoints are often exploited by certain people to protect their own interests and better achieve control over the masses.
Second, the problem of idealism (conceptualism) in the process of learning about worldviews. Ai Siqi inherited the method of dividing the worldview camps used by classical Marxist authors, dividing philosophy into materialism and idealism. He believed that idealism contains theistic thought. Idealists regard subjective things as primary, exaggerating the role of the subjective and thereby denying objectively existing things. Fatalists, as members of the idealist camp, consistently use theism as their propaganda weapon. Fatalists believe the entire world is controlled by deities and governed by the will of the gods, which humans have no way to change. Ai Siqi pointed out: "This worldview, although it does not completely deny objective things, treats all objective things as being produced by the will of the gods, as if everything were created by a divinized subjective will and is subject to that subjective will." This fatalism is, in essence, an idealist viewpoint.
Third, the relationship between idealism and religion. Ai Siqi believed that idealism would become the bridge for people to eventually walk into the embrace of religion. Idealist solipsists believe that the world is nothing but human sensation: if a person has sensations, the world exists; if a person lacks sensation, the world disappears. Except for oneself, all existing things are not real; the entire world is "me" itself. However, these people are often unable to justify their own arguments, so they begin to look for another support from the outside, ultimately choosing to cry out loudly to the deities for help. Ai Siqi pointed out that these idealist solipsists seek help from deities because of their internal doubts; they mistakenly believe that human sensations are controlled by the gods—when the gods have sensations, only then do humans have sensations, and human sensations are a part of the gods' sensations. Ultimately, this idealist solipsism, much like fatalism, will fall into the abyss of religion. Religion and idealism have a very close relationship; idealists are accustomed to exaggerating the role of the subjective, elevating sensations, thoughts, the mind, and other spirit-related things to an extremely high position. Ai Siqi believed that religion and idealism share certain commonalities but also have differences. Their commonality is that both emphasize that consciousness determines matter. The difference is that idealism is divided into objective idealism and subjective idealism; most religions belong to objective idealism and are merely one component of idealism. Ai Siqi pointed out: "Although idealism itself is not religion, it is a sturdy bridge leading toward religion. Superstition and rituals can only make the ignorant burn incense and worship Buddha, but with the help of idealism, even scholars and thinkers will go to chant sutras and beat the wooden fish." When idealist philosophical thought combines with religion, it will further erupt with powerful force.
Fourth, on the question of theism within pseudo-materialism. Pseudo-materialists appear to acknowledge the world as a collection of real, externally existing things; however, upon deeper reflection, they often lapse into the errors of idealism. For instance, they observe that the objective material world undergoes change, but claim this change is by no means a change of matter itself, but must involve the interference of an external force. To the pseudo-materialist, this external force is the human soul or spirit. Thus, the pseudo-materialist falls back into the camp of idealism and is utilized by religionists. Religionists believe that the divine is a spiritual substance and that everything in the material world is arranged and dominated by the divine; humans can only exist in a state of being dominated, unable to achieve change or breakthrough. Others advocate animism, attributing human death to the soul detaching from the physical shell. Ai Siqi argued that, from a philosophical perspective, the view that all things have souls can be categorized as hylozoism [4] or panpsychism, views which bear an extremely close correlation to religion itself. For example, Buddhist monks and nuns are adherents of such views, as evidenced by their frequent performance of rites to release the souls of the deceased. Whether it be animism or divine-control theory, both become one of many destinations for the pseudo-materialist.
Fifth, the question of theism within pragmatism. Pragmatists acknowledge the relativity of truth, believing that any principle is truth so long as it has a "utility effect" in achieving the goals they have in mind. Targeting the fallacies of pragmatism, Ai Siqi pointed out: "Science naturally has practical value, and pragmatists do not deny that science is truth; but at the same time, religion—which is absolutely incompatible with science—can also be considered truth by the pragmatist. This is because religious superstition has a great power to delude people, which is also a kind of practical effect." Pragmatists blur the objectivity of truth and regard the thoughts and opinions of different people in different positions as truth, reflecting the absurdity of their rhetoric.
Sixth, the question of theism within mechanism and mechanical materialism. Although mechanists acknowledge the changeability of things, they believe that the change of things is not a movement of the things themselves, but is driven by a "magician." Ai Siqi argued that in order to seek a rational explanation, these mechanists have no choice but to attribute the driver of change to a "magician"; yet, finding no suitable human to serve as this "magician," they resort to attributing this powerful force to God. Mechanical materialists, on the other hand, are a type of extreme objectivist who exaggerates the power of the environment, highlights the effect of the objective environment on humans, and denies human subjective agency, ultimately causing humans to fall into the quagmire of fatalism. Regarding mechanical materialism, Ai Siqi argued that if one analyzes the "fatalistic" [5] thinking believed by many Chinese people, one finds it consistent with determinism. Fatalistic thinking leads people to believe that everything happening in the world has been properly arranged in the "unseen realms" [6] beforehand; therefore, these people deny the necessity and possibility of resistance and struggle. The extreme objectivism manifested in this mechanical materialism exaggerates the influence of the environment, believing that humanity is absolutely controlled by the objective environment, possesses no power to struggle or resist, cannot exert subjective agency, and cannot react back upon the environment. This pushes them toward theism and eventually transforms them into adherents of idealism.
(2) Ai Siqi’s Explanation of Atheistic Perspectives in Philosophy
First, on the question of breaking the sense of mystery in the process of learning philosophy. Philosophy is mysterious, in Ai Siqi's view, primarily because some idealists—based on the need to maintain their own interests—deliberately shrouded philosophy in a layer of mist. Ai Siqi provided three methods to break this mystery. First, one must reflect on the causes of changes in things from the perspective of daily life. Daily life contains the seeds of philosophy; the change of things stems from internal causes within the things themselves, and to investigate these causes, one must return to the things themselves. Second, one must eliminate mysterious elements through social practice and study correct philosophy. Progressive philosophy can help people solve problems more quickly and nimbly. Third, one must integrate philosophy with social practice. Philosophy should not merely remain at the theoretical level but should be applied to the practice of concrete life; meanwhile, one must observe and experience life, grasping new philosophical insights within it to promote the development and progress of philosophy. Ai Siqi pointed out: "Only in this way can we more deeply recognize in philosophy the truths of the most practical and least mysterious things themselves."
Second, on the question of materialism in the process of learning about worldviews. Ai Siqi believed that materialism and idealism are irreconcilable; materialism advocates for the eradication of all gods, ghosts, and superstitious thoughts. When socio-political changes occur, materialism becomes the ideology advocated by those who move forward. Ai Siqi subsequently refuted the superstitious thoughts of theists. Spirit is manifested as being subordinate to a certain physical object. Superstitious people believe that the ghosts and gods appearing in dreams are independently existing spirits, but in fact, these things are imagined by one's own brain and cannot exist apart from the mind. If an formless spirit is to move tangible matter, it must rely on matter. For example, if a person wants to move a stone, relying on imagination alone certainly will not work; therefore, they must apply the idea in their mind to their hand and move the stone through the hand.
Third, on the question of using practice to understand the world. In practice, people may experience painful failures and setbacks; however, it is precisely because of practice that people can obtain rich lessons and experience, providing them with abundant knowledge and prompting them to seek scientific methods of practice. Ai Siqi believed that the material world possesses two major characteristics: first, matter has objective independence, existing independently of human mind or will; second, matter is capable of motion and change on its own. Ai Siqi emphasized that material motion has its own regularity, which people must prove through practice. Ai Siqi pointed out: "Because human life is often unsatisfactory and requires struggle and combat, people must understand the laws of material motion through practice. Only by utilizing these laws can we engage in effective struggle and turn unsatisfactory matters into satisfactory ones; praying and seeking gods is entirely useless." Humans possess subjective agency and often exert this agency to create imaginings. Therefore, subjective truth sometimes contradicts objective facts. Ai Siqi also believed that if one wishes to transform a believer in ghosts and gods into an atheist, one can only do so by proving to them that ghosts and gods do not exist in this world; otherwise, there is no way to eradicate the "malady" in their heart. To solve this problem, only through human practice—contacting the things of the world through activities aimed at changing the world—can one truly understand this world and thereby correct the cognitive biases in one's mind.
Fourth, on the question of understanding the regularity of the motion and change of things. Both in nature and human society, there exists a certain state and order, which can be viewed as a law. Some people believe that the state and order of various things are imposed externally by someone who pre-determined them; unable to find a specific person in life to explain this, they resort to attributing their ideas to gods or a "Ruler of All Things." Ai Siqi consistently emphasized that these changes are produced by the internal changes of things themselves. Ai Siqi argued that gods are nothing but deceptive fantasies and that practice can prove they do not exist. For example, when floods and droughts occur frequently, the pious prayers of farmers fail to achieve the desired results; through this practical experience, farmers can intuitively see the deceptiveness of gods and religion. Therefore, the masses should not believe in gods, nor should they believe that the order of the world is established by them. The essential state of motion and order of things is manifested through different circumstances; these circumstances and manifestations can be viewed as the phenomenal state of motion and order. Phenomena cannot be divorced from essence. If the masses hope to discern these laws and rules composed of states of motion and order, they need to set aside phenomena and dig into the essence.
(3) Ai Siqi’s Reflections on Using Materialist Dialectics as a "Weapon of Struggle"
Because people were powerless under the oppression of "natural forces" and "social forces," they placed their hopes for relief from these pains in gods, in God, and in the happiness of the "afterlife," thus giving rise to various religions. The concept of gods, ghosts, and spirits shackles the thoughts of the masses. In the methodology of Philosophy for the Masses, Ai Siqi proposed various perspectives to oppose idealistic theism. On one hand, people must acknowledge the necessity in the process of the development of things; on the other hand, they must use scientific methods to oppose the fallacies of fatalists who interpret necessity as "destined fate." Among these, the application of materialist dialectics can provide a powerful "weapon of struggle" for atheists.
First, the law of the unity of opposites. Everything in the world exists within contradiction; one might say contradictions are everywhere and at all times. The motion and change of all things exist every moment, and change itself is the process of the movement of things. Some people believe that the change of things is caused by a "magician" controlling things from behind. Ai Siqi, however, argued that the change and development of things are not controlled by a "magician" but stem from the contradictory movement of the things themselves. Ai Siqi illustrated this with the example of eating in daily life. On one hand, humans eat daily to maintain physical nutrition; on the other hand, they consume energy daily, reaching a point of fatigue after releasing energy to a certain extent. This shows that things contain elements contrary to themselves—that is, contradictions. Contradiction is the fundamental driving force for the motion and development of things. Ai Siqi pointed out: "In short, the cause of all these changes in things—this contradiction—exists internally; it is not a god or a magician performing a trick." By mastering the law of the unity of opposites, people can use more scientific methods to struggle against theism, seeking the laws of development from the internal contradictory movements of things rather than analyzing them from the perspective of external control by gods or ghosts.
Second, the law of the transformation of quantity into quality. When discussing the laws of qualitative and quantitative change, Ai Siqi used the case of the collapse of the Leifeng Pagoda [7] as an illustration. The reasons for the collapse also contained the thought of materialist dialectics. Because the masses believed there was some sort of divinity within the Leifeng Pagoda, they stole bricks from it to take home, hoping to ward off disasters and bring blessings. But as the bricks of the pagoda decreased day by day, there finally came a day when the Leifeng Pagoda collapsed completely. Ai Siqi argued that the collapse was not some sudden ghostly power commanding it to fall, but a process of quantitative and qualitative change. The daily theft of bricks was the process of quantitative change, while the sudden collapse was the manifestation of qualitative change. At the same time, Ai Siqi pointed out that because contradictions can transform into one another, the collapsed Leifeng Pagoda was hauled away by people for new uses like building walls, thus beginning a new process of quantitative and qualitative change.
Third, the law of the negation of the negation. Affirmative factors within a thing maintain its stability; when negative factors within a thing occupy a dominant position, they cause the thing to change. At this point, a second negation is needed—the negation of the negation—to realize the unity of opposites, making the development of things characterized by "forward movement in waves" and "upward movement in spirals." Within the negation of the negation, there exist instances of overcoming and preservation. Ai Siqi pointed out: "Therefore, the so-called 'preservation' here is by no means kowtowing to old forces." Ai Siqi believed that this overcoming and preservation is not a return to old ideas. In the old China of the past, theistic ideas exerted a long-standing influence on the masses, and many books promoting these ideas existed; however, under the background of the New Era, these must be "sublated" [8].
III. Contemporary Inspirations of the Atheistic Thought in Philosophy for the Masses
By analyzing the atheistic thought in Philosophy for the Masses and combining it with the characteristics and mission of the New Era, we can derive three inspirations: first, persist in integrating Marxist atheistic thought with the Party's purpose and attributes; second, persist in using Marxist atheistic thought to occupy the high ground of ideology; third, persist in promoting the popularization of Marxist atheistic thought.
(1) Persist in Integrating Marxist Atheist Thought with the Party's Purpose and Attributes
First, it is necessary to understand the correlation between Marxist atheism and the fundamental purpose of the Communist Party of China (CPC), achieving an integration of the two through deconstruction and restructuring. Historically, theistic perspectives have long served as tools and means for the ruling classes to control the people. In Mass Philosophy [9], Ai Siqi cited the example of Voltaire not propagating atheism to his servants to illustrate this point. Voltaire believed that if servants were exposed to atheism, they would rebel. Ai Siqi critiqued Voltaire’s approach, noting: "This is a deliberate act. Although it is not a universal phenomenon among idealist philosophers, there is no doubt that all idealist philosophers, constrained by their status and traditional thought, unconsciously drift toward a mystical path." Before the birth of Marxism, religious theism spread throughout the world; the upper ruling classes frequently used it to exercise ideological control over the common people and employed the power generated by theocracy to consolidate their dominance. As society developed, religion was gradually co-opted by the emerging bourgeoisie, becoming a tool and means to justify their exploitation and suppression of the proletariat. Simultaneously, the bourgeoisie utilized religion to consolidate the superstructure in order to better realize control over the exploited. The CPC is a party armed with Marxism and is an atheistic party. The starting point of Marxist atheism differs from that of religious theism. Fundamentally, the CPC is a proletarian party that has demolished theocratic ideas, discarding the previous concepts of the feudal landlord and bourgeois classes who relied on theism to realize control over the people. The purpose of the CPC is to serve the people whole-heartedly; "serving the people" embodies the quality of "people-centeredness." CPC members, whose minds are armed with atheism, serve the broad masses of the people. This is essentially different from the previous ideas of the feudal landlord and bourgeois classes, who hoped to use theism to manipulate, exploit, and enslave the people. By having CPC members play an exemplary role among the masses and take the lead in propagating atheism, the broad masses are able to encounter and understand Marxist atheism. When the masses can master correct atheistic thought with a scientific spirit, they can break the ideological shackles of theism, allowing people to encounter and study science and cast aside ignorant old ideas, thereby better serving the interests of the vast majority.
Second, it is necessary to understand the connection between Marxist atheist thought and the essential attributes of the CPC, achieving an integration of the two through analysis and synthesis. Advanced nature and purity are among the essential attributes of a Marxist party. Compared to previous theists, the advanced nature of CPC members lies in the fact that a Communist Party member should be a thorough atheist. Through the tempering of practice, Ai Siqi forged himself into a steadfast atheist warrior. Ai not only propagated atheist thought in Mass Philosophy but also critiqued the fallacies of theism in other essays. In an article discussing the relationship between the natural and social sciences, Ai pointed out: "There are all kinds of scams in society, and the greatest scam is the superstition of religious deities." Superstition in religious deities causes the poor to immerse themselves in fantasy; deluded people are not only unable to recognize the true face of society, but even the true appearance of nature is obscured from their sight by deities. Looking at the content of Ai Siqi’s Mass Philosophy, the relationship between the "New Philosophy" he propagated and atheism has never been fragmented; there is a close connection between the two. CPC members are the inheritors and developers of Marxism. Engels noted: "Marx and I were both firm atheists and materialists almost as early as Bakunin." Entering the New Era, the study and mastery of Marxist atheist thought has been further emphasized. General Secretary Xi Jinping emphasized at the National Conference on Religious Work in April 2016: "Communist Party members must be steadfast Marxist atheists, strictly abide by the provisions of the Party Constitution, strengthen their ideals and convictions, keep in mind the Party's purpose, and must never seek their own values and beliefs in religion." Therefore, CPC members must fully understand the connection between Marxist atheism and one of the Party's essential attributes (advanced nature and purity), remain firm in atheistic thought, demonstrate the advanced nature of Party members, take Marxism as their guide, study the Party's theories, arm their minds with the Party's guiding ideologies, and forge themselves into steadfast Marxist atheists in the great practice of Socialism with Chinese Characteristics in the New Era.
(II) Persisting in Occupying the Ideological High Ground with Marxist Atheist Thought
In the era when Ai Siqi wrote Mass Philosophy, Marxism had not yet truly become the mainstream thought in China and was, to a certain extent, subjected to encirclement and suppression by the Kuomintang authorities. However, after the CPC led the people of the whole country to achieve national independence and popular liberation, the situation underwent a major change. After the founding of New China, Ai Siqi edited philosophy textbooks such as Dialectical Materialism and Historical Materialism, promoting the popularization and dissemination of Marxism in China and making important contributions to enhancing the discourse power of Marxism in China's ideological field. In contemporary China, Marxist theoretical workers should learn from Comrade Ai Siqi and continue to promote the popularization of Marxist philosophy and Marxist atheist thought to consolidate the dominant position of Marxism in the ideological field.
First, persisting in atheism must implement Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era. General Secretary Xi Jinping attaches great importance to ideological work, profoundly pointing out: "Ideological work is an extremely important task for the Party." As an important component of ideological work, the propaganda and education of Marxist atheism should receive a high degree of attention. Because Marxist atheist education was absent to a certain extent during some periods after the Reform and Opening-up, some theistic ideas began to spread again among the masses. Some people, including some Party and government cadres, lack knowledge of Marxist atheism; among a very small number of individual Party and non-Party cadres, the phenomenon of "believing in ghosts and gods instead of Marx and Lenin" [10] has even appeared. Fundamentally, this is because their ideals have been lost and their convictions have wavered; they vainly attempt to find spiritual sustenance through feudal superstitions, seeking the secrets of career promotion through fortune-telling, face-reading, and burning incense to Buddha. General Secretary Xi Jinping pointed out: "The wavering of ideals and convictions is the most dangerous kind of wavering; the sliding of ideals and convictions is the most dangerous kind of sliding." The Sinicization of Marxism has yielded many new theoretical achievements; in today’s China, the latest Sinicized Marxist theory must be used as the guiding ideology for Marxist atheist education. Implementing Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era means firming up Marxist faith, persisting in Marxist atheism, and grasping communist ideals, convictions, and political direction.
Second, the study of the theory of religion with Chinese characteristics must persist in Marxist atheism. CPC members are thorough materialists who always seek truth from facts, formulate basic policies for religious work that conform to China’s national conditions, persist in viewing religion with correct perspectives, treat religion with scientific methods, accurately recognize and grasp the laws of religion's own development, and actively guide religion to adapt to socialist society, unifying it within the service of the state’s supreme interests and the overall interests of the Chinese nation. Research on the theory of religion with Chinese characteristics should be conducted under the guidance of the Party's religious policies. In the New Era, conducting religious research must persist in Marxist atheist thought. Religious research with Chinese characteristics must, on the one hand, reveal the philosophical ideas within religion, and on the other hand, differentiate and identify the superstitions and unscientific viewpoints existing within religion. Theistic ideas within religion should not and cannot be widely popularized or propagated. Conducting research on the theory of religion with Chinese characteristics must be linked with the progress of science and technology. Scientific and technological progress can enable people to further perceive the absurdity of theism, and the scientific spirit embodied in such progress can enrich and develop atheism, making it more persuasive. In the process of developing Socialism with Chinese Characteristics, religion should also play its active role; as for its negative and backward aspects, these need to be critiqued. Our country is a socialist state led by the Communist Party; we can neither use feudal or capitalist ideologies and values as the spiritual pillar of the whole society, nor can we use religion as the spiritual pillar of the whole society.
Third, the conduct of ideological and political education must be guided by Marxist atheism. Courses on worldviews, outlooks on life, and values within ideological and political education are key courses for us to realize the goal of fostering virtue through education (立德树人). The Sinicization of Marxism has produced many new theoretical achievements; in today's China, we must use the latest Sinicized Marxist theory as the guiding ideology for Marxist atheist education. Promoting Marxist atheist education helps to establish correct materialistic ideas in the hearts of those being educated, helps them master the ideological methods of dialectical materialism and historical materialism, and helps them recognize the materiality of the world's composition and the people-centered nature of historical development. Through correct "Three Worlds" [11] education, scientific atheism and ideological tools for grasping the truth can be established in students' minds, allowing them to better understand the world and serve the masses.
(III) Persisting in Promoting the Popularization and Secularization of Marxist Atheist Thought
Ai Siqi’s Mass Philosophy promoted the popularization and secularization of philosophical knowledge. Mr. Li Gongpu [12] believed: "This book uses the most popular brushstrokes and the style of daily conversation to melt specialized theories, so that the mass of readers can accept them without great effort." In the preface to the fourth edition of Philosophy Talks [13], Ai Siqi wrote: "I only hope that this book, on city streets, in shops, and in the countryside, can relieve the 'intellectual famine' of those who have lost the chance for schooling. I dare not dream that it must reach the hands of noble university students, for it is not a beautifully decorated Western pastry, but merely a piece of dry-baked flatbread." Ai Siqi's thinking on the popularization of philosophy still possesses important reference significance and value today. In the New Era, to promote the popularization and secularization of Marxist atheism, we can proceed from three aspects.
First, promote the popularization of Marxist atheist study among Party members, non-Party cadres, and the masses. Currently, the CPC has over 90 million members, and the ideological concepts of Communist Party members greatly influence the masses. The broad masses of Party members and cadres should take the initiative to study Marxist atheist thought and propagate it to the surrounding masses in their daily lives. Beyond Party members and cadres, being a member of a democratic party or a person without party affiliation does not mean one is exempt from studying Marxist atheism or is free to propagate theistic ideas. Progressive members of democratic parties and non-party personages should all draw closer to the leadership core of the socialist cause and strengthen their study of relevant CPC political theories. Studying Marxist atheism and establishing scientific ideas is conducive to the construction of the cadre contingent. Both Party and non-Party cadres should shoulder the responsibility of propaganda, ensuring that Marxist atheist thought goes deep among the masses. At the same time, cadres should also accept the supervision of the masses; if a cadre is found to be believing in religion or to have lost their ideals and convictions, they should be supervised and reminded in a timely manner, and must not be allowed to develop unchecked. A favorable atmosphere of respecting, loving, and studying science should be created in society to promote the forward development of the socialist cause.
Second, make good use of new technologies and new media platforms to propagate Marxist atheist thought. Propaganda, ideological, and cultural work is highly political, ideological, and instructional; it is an extremely important aspect of ideological work. In the New Era, with the continuous progress of science and technology and the upgrading of new technologies, new media cultural propaganda platforms have increasingly become important channels for the masses to obtain information. The concepts propagated through information channels will, to a large extent, affect the thoughts of the masses. Researchers and propagandists of Marxist theory should be adept at using new media dissemination platforms such as WeChat public accounts, Weibo, and Xiaohongshu to move forward the propaganda of Marxist atheism. The propaganda of Marxist atheism is closely linked to education in the Marxist worldview, which is a component of philosophical education. Therefore, it is necessary to disseminate Marxist philosophy on a large scale across society and promote the popularized development of atheistic thought.
Third, in the construction of philosophy and social sciences in universities, importance must be placed on the study of Marxist atheism as a discipline, and popularized Marxist atheism textbooks must be compiled. During certain periods, the neglect of Marxist atheism as a discipline led to a long-term absence of atheistic research, publicity, and education. This resulted in a weak response to the infiltration and spread of religious theology and the resurgence of the dregs [14] of feudal superstition, becoming one of the "short boards" [15] in the work of the Party and the state. Therefore, it is necessary to improve the disciplinary construction of religious studies in universities and establish specialized disciplines for atheism research. At the same time, experts in Marxist philosophy and religious studies should be introduced to work together to compile popularized atheism education textbooks that adapt to the development of the New Era, and specialized courses on Marxist atheism should be offered. In the ideological and political theory courses [16] for university students, a specific segment for Marxist atheism education should be established, and experts in atheism research should be invited to give lectures. Furthermore, atheism propaganda teams should be organized among students, and school public platforms should be utilized to film relevant promotional videos, using popularized language to spread Marxist atheism.
(Author Bios: Guo Zuquan, Professor at the School of Marxism, Southwest Forestry University; Huang Xiaodan, Master's student in Marxist Theory at the School of Marxism, Southwest Forestry University)
Web Editor: Tongxin Source: Science and Atheism, Issue 6, 2023