Chen Huiming: An Exploration of the General Education Course "Introduction to Marxist Atheism" in Universities
Opening a general education elective course, "Introduction to Marxist Atheism," in colleges and universities is the best way to advance atheism into textbooks, classrooms, and the minds of students. Based on the author's experience in teaching and researching general education courses on atheism, this course has clear pedagogical goals, including helping university students consolidate their Marxist ideals and convictions and helping them establish correct views on religion and ethnicity. This course should be undertaken by Schools of Marxism, primarily because it is first and foremost an ideological and political theory course focused on "explaining the logic" [1], and should not be limited to serving as a specialized course for disciplines such as Marxist theory or religious studies. In the process of developing a general education course on Marxist atheism, universities must center on pedagogical goals, rigorously produce teaching manuals, syllabi, and lesson plans, carry out targeted classroom teaching of Marxist atheism, and monitor teaching quality throughout the entire process.
I. The Significance of Opening General Education Courses on Marxist Atheism in Universities
Opening a general education course, "Introduction to Marxist Atheism," in universities can clearly explain the logic of why "ghosts and gods do not exist" and confirm the truth of atheism. On this basis, it achieves pedagogical goals such as consolidating students' Marxist ideals and convictions, firmly establishing a correct view of religion, and forging a strong sense of community for the Chinese nation.
(1) Consolidating university students' Marxist ideals and convictions
The fundamental task of higher education lies in "fostering virtue through education" (立德树人); it must continuously strengthen the education of students' ideals and convictions, cultivating socialist builders and successors with comprehensive development in ethics, intelligence, physical physique, aesthetics, and labor. Our country adheres to the principle of the separation of education and religion. To maintain the ideological security of university campuses, no soil must be left for the cultivation or dissemination of theism, such as religion. Once a large number of students in universities believe in religion or other forms of theism, the spread and diffusion of theism on campus would become difficult to control, thereby eroding the position of the mainstream Marxist ideology and undermining the ideological foundation for young students to strive toward the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation. Entering the New Era, the guiding position of Marxism in the ideological field of universities has been effectively consolidated, and the space for the growth of theism and religion in universities has been compressed. Offering Marxist atheism in the classroom to guide students toward a thorough belief in Marxist atheism is an effective way to further suppress the influence of theism within universities.
"The concept of atheism has appeared in the field of social consciousness desde the very beginning as the antithesis of the concept of theism. It is a reflection of the concept of theism in a negative form, and its fundamental orientation is always the opposition to theism." The main thread of teaching the general education course on Marxist atheism is to explain the truth that "the concept of ghosts and gods does not exist," comprehensively exposing the essence of such concepts and the falsehood of theism. It guides students to establish a scientific worldview and become advanced Marxist atheists, helping to consolidate the Marxist ideals and convictions of contemporary youth from both negative and affirmative dimensions.
First is the negative dimension. Based on the basic view of the essence of religion—that "all religion, however, is nothing but the fantastic reflection in men’s minds of those external forces which control their daily life"—the content of the Marxist atheism course can demonstrate that the concept of ghosts and gods is merely an illusory consciousness and does not truly exist in the real world. It can also reveal that the essence of such concepts lacks objective reality and is a false reflection of the real world. The illusory concepts promoted by theism are detrimental to students forming a scientific worldview. Through theoretical analysis and practical critique of theistic thought, the Marxist atheism course negates theistic concepts and helps students establish and consolidate a scientific Marxist worldview.
Second is the affirmative dimension. Marxist atheism is the foundation and premise of Marxist theory; education in Marxist atheism is an important component of education in Marxist ideals and convictions. Conducting Marxist atheism education in universities can effectively consolidate students' Marxist ideals and convictions. As a high-level form of the development of atheistic thought, Marxist atheism is an organic part of the systematized theory of Marxism. The purpose of strengthening the publicity and education of Marxist atheism lies in consolidating Marxist ideals and convictions; thus, Marxist atheism possesses the function of constructing scientific ideals and convictions. As a general education course of the ideological and political category, it can be regarded as a constituent part of ideological and political theory courses, forming a synergy with other such courses to guide students in firmly establishing their faith in Marxism and Communism.
(2) Guiding university students to establish a correct view of religion
The general education course on Marxist atheism systematically introduces the laws of the origin, development, and disappearance of religion, as well as its social functions. It guides students to understand religion from the perspective of Marxist atheism and to form the three basic attitudes of Marxists regarding religious issues: first, recognizing that religion, as an inverted worldview, possesses no true reality, and that one must break free from the influence of theistic thought and should not believe in religion; second, understanding why some people still believe in religion in a socialist society and respecting the right to freedom of religious belief for the religious masses; and third, strategically struggling against theism while actively publicizing Marxist atheism.
By systematically dissecting religion, the "Introduction to Marxist Atheism" course can help students recognize it as a relatively backward worldview and social ideology, explaining the logic of why young students should not believe in religion. The relationship between theism and atheism is an "either-or," mutually exclusive one; that is, a person cannot simultaneously believe that ghosts and gods truly exist while firmly holding that they have no objective reality. Therefore, a true Marxist atheist cannot believe in religion. The theism propagated by religion does not possess truth; the illusory future it promises lacks reality; it only maintains the interests of specific religions or religious organizations and cannot represent the interests of the broad masses of the people. Conversely, the advanced nature of the Marxist atheist worldview far exceeds that of the religious worldview; contemporary university students should adhere to Marxism rather than religious belief. For members of the Communist Party of China (CPC) and the Communist Youth League, the atheism course can clearly explain the proposition explicitly stipulated by the Party Central Committee that "Party members must not believe in religion," emphasizing that this is first and foremost a political proposition and "a major matter concerning the country's guiding ideology, theoretical foundation, and the cultivation of builders and successors." Marxists must be thorough atheists, and Party members, probationary members, and League members among the student body must not believe in religion.
By expounding on the social basis of religion's existence, the atheism course can explain the reasons why theistic phenomena such as religion still exist in a socialist society, and that young students must respect the right to freedom of religious belief of the religious masses. Religion in our country possesses a "mass character" [2], and "the essence of the Party's religious work is mass work." The course should guide students to correctly view the relationship between non-believing and believing masses, understanding that the contradiction between the two in terms of worldview belongs primarily to "contradictions among the people" [3], but that they share a consistency in their fundamental economic and political interests—both are the mass foundation for the Party's governance. In a socialist society, the existence and development of religion still have natural, social, and cognitive roots. Marxist atheism opposes the use of administrative orders to abolish religion and does not mobilize atheists to criticize the religious masses, so as to avoid stimulating religious fanaticism. Marxists respect the right of theists to freedom of religious belief, advocate that the Party and government safeguard the normal religious needs of the religious masses according to the law, and oppose causing divisions within the masses over issues of religious belief.
The atheism course must also teach that Marxists "must be adept at struggling against religion," actively publicizing the scientific worldview of Marxist atheism, resolutely struggling against forces engaged in illegal activities under the guise of religion, and utilizing Marxist atheism in practice to contribute to the development of spiritual civilization and social stability. On one hand, when facing family, friends, and neighbors, one must have the courage to publicize Marxist atheism and patiently explain its scientific worldview to them, so they recognize the illusory nature of theism and are helped away from the temptations of various theistic beliefs. On the other hand, against forces engaged in illegal religious activities, religious extremism, overseas religious penetration [4], or crimes committed under the guise of religion, Marxists must resolutely carry out thorough critiques and struggles and actively report leads on such activities to public security departments. In particular, in ethnic areas of our country where the proportion of religious masses is high, conducting Marxist atheism education in universities is of extreme importance and can effectively curtail the space for religious extremism to grow and spread in society.
(3) Forging a strong sense of community for the Chinese nation
An important function of the "Introduction to Marxist Atheism" course is to dissolve the interference of theistic thought on students' efforts to forge a strong sense of community for the Chinese nation, guiding them to adhere to a correct view of the history of the Chinese nation and to strengthen their sense of community. The course can reinforce students' understanding of the "Four Commons" [5], guiding youth to use the methods of dialectical materialism and historical materialism to think through problems and recognize that the history of China has always been created by the hands of the sons and daughters of the Chinese nation together, and there has never been a role played by supernatural ghosts or gods. China’s vast territory was opened up by all ethnic groups together; no supernatural "deity" led the Chinese people to settle on the land of China. The long history of the Chinese nation was written by all ethnic groups together; there can be no ink from ghosts or gods in this historical process. Chinese culture was created by all ethnic groups together; there is no participation of supernatural forces within it. The great spirit of the Chinese nation was nurtured by all ethnic groups together; the Chinese people do not need to mix illusory consciousness into the spiritual genealogy of the Chinese nation.
The atheism course can guide students to firmly establish the community concept of the "Four Sharings" [6], emphasizing that "the Chinese nation is by no means an 'imagined community,' but a hyperscale national community steeped in more than 5,000 years of Chinese civilizational tradition and burdened with the mission of building a modern Chinese civilization." The Chinese nation is a community where everyone shares breath, honor and disgrace, life and death, and a common destiny. It must rely on the joint maintenance of people of all ethnic groups and should not entrust its destiny to ethereal ghosts and gods. The big family of the Chinese nation is a community of destiny where "one's honor is everyone's honor, and one's loss is everyone's loss" (一荣俱荣、一损俱损); no ethnic group or individual will receive special care because of "blessings from ghosts or gods." Only under the leadership of the Communist Party can the Chinese nation create brilliant achievements in contemporary China; theistic ideology should not be allowed to interfere with the historical process of the Chinese nation moving toward its great rejuvenation.
The atheism course can strengthen students' grasp of the "Four Pairs of Relationships" [7], supporting and promoting ethnic unity, equality, and cultural fusion. The course guides youth to recognize that religious belief should not become a factor that weakens the commonality of ethnic groups or strengthens their differences. Under the guidance of socialism with Chinese characteristics, ties for exchange, interaction, and fusion among all ethnic groups should be built, and the relationship between commonality and difference should be managed in practice. Through atheism education, the influence of theism and religion on youth of all ethnic groups can be continuously eliminated, consolidating the Marxist faith of the sons and daughters of the Chinese nation and guiding students to grasp the relationship between the consciousness of the community for the Chinese nation and the consciousness of each individual ethnic group. Within the holistic perspective of Chinese civilization, the course teaches the history of the development of Chinese atheistic and theistic thought, guiding students to correctly master the relationship between Chinese culture and the cultures of various ethnic groups. By adhering to the perspective of Marxist atheism, establishing the basic Marxist principle that matter is primary while spirit is secondary (yet reacts upon matter), the course guides students to correctly grasp the relationship between the material and the spiritual.
In summary, teaching the general education course "Introduction to Marxist Atheism" in universities can both firm up students' Marxist ideals and convictions and consolidate the status of Marxism as the mainstream ideology in universities; it can also guide students to establish correct views on religion and ethnicity, maintain social harmony and ethnic unity, and continuously forge a strong sense of community for the Chinese nation.
II. General Education Electives are the Best Way for Classroom Teaching of Marxist Atheism in Universities
For universities to strengthen Marxist atheism education and realize its normalization and long-term effectiveness among students, the best way is to offer a general education course "Introduction to Marxist Atheism" to undergraduates. Based on the important status of Marxist atheism education in the Party’s ideological and political work, as well as the current status of the curriculum system for ideological and political theory courses in universities, "Introduction to Marxist Atheism" should be designated as an ideological and political general education elective.
(1) Opening general education courses is the best way for classroom teaching of Marxist atheism in universities
At present, classroom instruction of Marxist atheism in universities primarily takes three forms: first, "integrated" teaching, where Marxist atheism is integrated into classroom instruction of Ideological and Political Theory courses and various professional courses, using specific knowledge points from these courses as vehicles to disseminate corresponding Marxist atheist thought. Second, "thematic" teaching, where specific chapters within Ideological and Political Theory courses are designated for thematic lessons on Marxist atheism, specifically introducing its basic viewpoints. Third, specialized course instruction in Marxist atheism, which systematically teaches the basic content and related knowledge of Marxist atheism through specialized major courses or general education (liberal arts) courses. Among these, "integrated" and "thematic" teaching cannot provide a complete propagation of Marxist atheism; they can only serve as transitional methods or temporary strategies for conducting Marxist atheism education in universities, rather than the optimal approach. "Integrated" teaching relies mainly on the instructor's own reserve of atheist knowledge and their subjective initiative in imparting it, thus lacking stability and standardization. "Thematic" teaching suffers from a limited number of class hours; instructors can only briefly introduce basic Marxist atheist viewpoints to help students form a basic cognitive framework, making it difficult to produce effective educational results. Furthermore, specialized major courses in atheism have narrow student coverage, generally being limited to Marxist Theory or Religious Studies majors, which makes it hard to achieve the goal of propagating atheist education to the entire university student population.
Only by offering a specialized general education course entitled "An Introduction to Marxist Atheism" can universities realize the normalization and long-term effectiveness of atheist education. Regarding educational content, the general education course provides detailed explanations of the basic tenets of Marxist atheism, critiques theism, and analyzes important propositions such as "upholding Marxist atheism is a major principle" and "Communist Party members must not believe in religion." It also introduces guidelines and policies such as the "separation of religion and education" and "freedom of religious belief," and clarifies the basic qualities a Marxist atheist should possess. In terms of educational efficacy, the course can better guide university students to become Marxist atheists and establish a materialist scientific worldview by providing systematic Marxist atheist education, thereby consolidating their Marxist ideals and convictions. Regarding implementation, "An Introduction to Marxist Atheism," as a general education course, is typically offered on a semester or academic year cycle, ensuring the normalization and continuity of Marxist atheist education.
(2) It is necessary to clarify the attribute of the Marxist atheism general education course as an Ideological and Political Theory course.
Marxist atheism both belongs to scientific atheism and transcends other types of scientific atheism. It includes the negation of theism and establishes a stable foundation for the construction of a new worldview. It is the advanced form of scientific atheism—a truly scientific atheism—and in a strict sense should be called "Marxist scientific atheism." The general education course "An Introduction to Marxist Atheism" possesses distinct specialized and political characteristics; however, the course's specialized nature serves the goal of consolidating students' Marxist ideals and convictions. This course is, first and foremost, an Ideological and Political Theory course.
On one hand, the atheist course is highly specialized and can clearly explain the truth that "ghosts and gods do not exist." The course thoroughly reveals the essence of theism and the laws of its origin, development, and eventual demise, guiding contemporary youth to view the social role of theism comprehensively and scientifically. It enables them to analyze various theistic phenomena with focus and treat both religious and non-religious masses correctly, truly establishing a belief in Marxist atheism. On the other hand, the Marxist atheism general education course possesses the attributes of an Ideological and Political Theory course, which can effectively consolidate students' Marxist ideals and convictions. Education in Marxist atheism is a vital component of the Party's ideological and political work and education in Marxist ideals and convictions. In the real world, the struggle between the two ideologies of theism and atheism is unavoidable. If universities do not conduct Marxist atheist education, it will be difficult for students to deeply recognize the fallacies and harms of theism regarding their worldview, and the guiding position of Marxism in the ideological sphere of universities could be threatened. The Marxist atheism general education course has strong ideological and political attributes, effectively reducing the influence of theistic ideology on campus and consolidating students' Marxist ideals and convictions.
(3) "An Introduction to Marxist Atheism" is suitable to be established as a general education elective course.
Based on the current status of the Ideological and Political Theory course (IPTC) system in universities, the Marxist atheism general education course is suitable to be established as an IPTC-category general education elective for undergraduates, rather than a compulsory course. Currently, Chinese universities have generally established compulsory IPTC courses for all undergraduates, including "Ideological, Moral, and Legal Rule," "An Introduction to Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era," "Basic Principles of Marxism," "An Introduction to Mao Zedong Thought and the Theoretical System of Socialism with Chinese Characteristics," "Outline of Modern and Contemporary Chinese History," and "Situation and Policy," as well as "Four Histories" [8] selective compulsory courses. Some universities also offer a compulsory course on "An Introduction to the Community for the Chinese Nation." In the short term, it is difficult to add other public compulsory IPTC courses. Therefore, at this stage, "An Introduction to Marxist Atheism" is suitable to serve as a general education elective rather than a public compulsory course.
As an IPTC-category general education elective, "An Introduction to Marxist Atheism" should be handled by the School of Marxism in universities. Regarding the guarantee of teaching faculty, Schools of Marxism can fully mobilize IPTC teachers to participate in course construction and teaching activities. By strengthening Marxist atheist education training among IPTC teachers, the shortage of teaching personnel for atheist courses can be effectively addressed, thus expanding the reserve forces for atheist education. In the process of demonstrating the necessity of the course, as a general education elective, its establishment does not involve revising the training programs of various specialized colleges, which can more easily reduce the concerns and resistance specialized colleges might have toward offering an atheist course. Throughout the entire process of offering the course, the School of Marxism can provide political oversight, ensuring the course always implements the Marxist atheist standpoint, viewpoints, and methods, making Marxist atheist education deep and substantive.
It should be noted that although offering a specialized "An Introduction to Marxist Atheism" general education elective is the best method for classroom instruction, it is still necessary for universities to continue promoting "integrated" and "thematic" classroom teaching. Given that universities currently cannot offer the course as a public compulsory subject, these two teaching forms can effectively ensure total coverage of Marxist atheist education while also prompting students interested in Marxist atheism to proactively choose the "An Introduction to Marxist Atheism" elective.
III. The implementation path for offering Marxist atheism general education courses in universities
In the process of building the "An Introduction to Marxist Atheism" course, universities must always adhere to the correct political direction and closely follow the course's teaching objectives. They must strictly produce teaching lecture notes, syllabi, and lesson plans, guiding instructors to carry out targeted classroom instruction.
(1) Organize the compilation of teaching lecture notes for "An Introduction to Marxist Atheism."
Among the existing academic works related to Marxist atheism, the Contemporary Atheism Course (China Youth Press, 2000), compiled by the Chinese Atheism Society, and the Scientific Atheism Course (Xinjiang Education Publishing House, 2002), edited by Professor Li Jiansheng of Xinjiang Normal University, are two quite good textbooks. However, it has been over twenty years since these two textbooks were published. They require updates in the expression of atheist concepts and propositions, the introduction of the Party's religious policies, the focus on theistic issues, and atheist practice; therefore, they cannot be used directly as textbooks for university atheist courses. In the absence of an authoritative published textbook suitable for a general education course in "An Introduction to Marxist Atheism," a prerequisite for universities offering this course is to independently compile teaching lecture notes.
Universities have two main options for compiling these notes: first, to organize atheist research teams from within and outside the university to tackle key problems and re-write lecture notes based on existing excellent research results in Marxist atheism. Second, for the School of Marxism or the course group to strictly select one or more books related to Marxist atheism as a draft and edit/revise the content into a reliable set of lecture notes. Considering factors such as the time cycle for compilation, team organization, and research capacity, the first option is relatively complex and difficult, while the second is relatively simple and feasible. Universities could consider selecting Contemporary Atheism Course or Scientific Atheism Course as the draft for their lecture notes. By focusing on the teaching goals of consolidating Marxist ideals and convictions and establishing correct views on religion and ethnicity, and by accurately grasping the authoritative discourse of the Party and government on atheism and theism, they can compile lecture notes by fully referencing the latest academic research on Marxist atheism and integrating it with specific theistic problems that need resolution.
(2) Design the instructional content for "An Introduction to Marxist Atheism."
To facilitate the precise and effective promotion of these courses, universities should ensure consistency between the framework of the lecture notes, syllabus, and lesson plans, designing content around two major modules: theory and practice. It is suggested that the theoretical module include "The History of the Development of Atheism" and "Basic Content of Marxist Atheism," while the practical module includes "Communists' Attitudes and Policies Toward Religion" and "Marxists' Adherence to and Practice of Marxist Atheism."
Regarding the theoretical module, the first part should summarize the origins and development of atheism, viewing the advanced nature of atheism—particularly Marxist atheism—through a diachronic lens and exposing the backwardness and fallacies of various types of theism. This section should include summaries of the discourses of classical Marxist writers on religion and atheism, the history of atheist development in China and the West, and the main process and theoretical achievements of the Sinicization of Marxist atheism, with the introduction of classical Marxist writers' discourses as the focus. The second part should introduce the basic content of Marxist atheism in detail, mainly including Marxist atheist discourse on the nature, origins/roots, development, demise, and social role of religion.
Regarding the practice module, the first part must accurately teach the attitudes and policies of Communists toward religion. On one hand, it should accurately convey the basic attitude of Marxists toward theism and clarify important propositions like "upholding Marxist atheism is a major principle," "Marxists are thorough materialists and atheists," and "Communist Party members must not believe in religion." On the other hand, it should introduce the Party's religious policies and religious work, particularly the "policy of freedom of religious belief" and the "principle of separation between education and religion." The second part should explain how Marxists uphold and practice Marxist atheism, focusing on "promoting the scientific spirit" and "practicing Marxist atheist propaganda and education," guiding students to become resolute Marxist atheists.
(3) Conduct classroom instruction for "An Introduction to Marxist Atheism."
In the process of carrying out teaching for the "Introduction to Marxist Atheism" course, instructors must, in addition to systematically teaching the theory and practice of Marxist atheism, also reference the influence of theistic factors within the socio-cultural background of their specific region. They should selectively emphasize course content to ensure the practical effectiveness of atheism education. First, in regions where the influence of religion and other forms of theism is relatively small, university atheism courses should focus on explaining ultimate questions [9] such as the meaning of human life, the value of existence, and death. This guides university students to seek life goals within the common ideal of socialism with Chinese characteristics and the far-reaching ideal of communism, while continuously consolidating their faith in Marxism and communism. Second, in frontier ethnic regions heavily influenced by religion, the course must focus on the critique of religious extremism, clarify the relationship between religion and ethnicity, and guide students to consciously struggle against religious extremism. Third, in other regions with significant religious influence, the course should systematically teach the critiques of religion by classical Marxist writers on a theoretical level, and on a social level, explain the harms of illegal religion and overseas religious penetration [10], thereby guiding students to consciously guard against and resist such activities. Fourth, in the southeastern coastal areas where folk beliefs [11] have a major influence, the course must clarify the distinction between folk beliefs and "feudal superstition" [12], guiding students to critique concepts of ghosts and gods and to promote the scientific spirit.
Instructors should pay particular attention to managing the influence of a theistic atmosphere within the family on university students, lest they receive a relatively complete atheistic education at school only to fall back under the influence of theism upon returning home. In order to cut off the intergenerational transmission and the transmission of religion through friends, relatives, and social circles, the teaching of atheism must adopt a "dual-track approach" in both theory and practice. It is necessary not only to explain deeply and thoroughly the reasons why one should not believe in religion, but also to guide students to practice this in their daily lives. Students should be encouraged to actively practice and propagate scientific atheist viewpoints outside of school, promoting the construction of a "home-school community" for atheism education and becoming thorough Marxist atheists.
(IV) Universities Must Guarantee Classroom Teaching Quality in All Respects
As a General Education course within the Ideological and Political Theory curriculum, the baseline requirement for "Introduction to Marxist Atheism" is that no speech contradicting Marxist ideology may be delivered in the classroom. Because an atheism course inherently possesses the characteristic of negating theism, the classroom will inevitably involve discussions of theistic content. Universities must ensure that the classroom does not become a venue for propagating religion or other theistic trends under the banner of atheism. Therefore, instructors must teach according to the established teaching calendar to ensure that the content conforms to the teaching materials and lesson plans, strictly delivering a high-quality General Education course on Marxist atheism. To guarantee classroom quality, universities need to arrange for the offering college and teaching supervisors to maintain continuous attention to the instructor’s teaching and the students' classroom performance. University-level and college-level teaching supervisors should focus on the delivery of the course; if "unhealthy speech" [13] from teachers or students occurs in the classroom, they must intervene promptly to stop it and report it to the offering college and the Academic Affairs Office. The offering college and instructors should value student evaluations of the course, seriously assessing the questions and areas for improvement raised by students to continuously enhance the quality of instruction.
IV. Conclusion
The establishment of "Introduction to Marxist Atheism" as a General Education course in universities is a task that tangibly strengthens Marxist atheism education among university students. This move helps students consolidate their Marxist ideals and convictions, and establish a scientific worldview, a correct view of religion, and a correct view of ethnicity. This course possesses strong attributes of an Ideological and Political Theory course; according to the current state of the Ideological and Political Theory curriculum system in China’s universities, it is suitable to be set as an elective General Education course in the ideological-political category for undergraduates. Generally speaking, Marxist Colleges in universities across the country basically possess the teaching resources to undertake the opening of "Introduction to Marxist Atheism," and teams of ideological-political teachers who have undergone education and training in Marxist atheism are also capable of serving as lead lecturers. However, there is currently no standard textbook for "Introduction to Marxist Atheism" in academic circles. Universities need to organize Marxist atheism teaching and research teams to compile course materials, laying the foundation for the smooth introduction of the course. The promotion of this course by universities does not conflict with "integrated" or "thematic" teaching methods. "Integrated" and "thematic" teaching can achieve comprehensive coverage of Marxist atheism education, helping all undergraduates gain initial exposure to its knowledge; meanwhile, the General Education course can provide systematic and complete Marxist atheism education, helping young students interested in the subject to comprehensively grasp its knowledge and become thorough materialists and atheists.
( Author Biography: Chen Huiming, Associate Professor, School of Marxism (Institute of Philosophy), Xinjiang University. ) Web Editor: Tongxin Source: Science and Atheism, No. 6, 2024.