Gong Yun: Historical Lessons for the Prosperity and Development of Philosophy and Social Sciences
Philosophy and the social sciences are important tools for humanity to understand and transform the world; they are important forces for promoting historical development and social progress. Attaching importance to philosophy and the social sciences is a tradition and advantage of the Communist Party of China. Born out of the baptism of "Mr. Democracy" and "Mr. Science" [1] during the May Fourth New Culture Movement, the CPC has, since the day of its founding, focused on exerting the role of philosophy and the social sciences. It has led a new force of science and culture guided by Marxism, raising the understanding of society to a scientific stage and bestowing a new appearance upon Chinese philosophy and the social sciences. Summarizing the achievements and historical experience of the CPC's leadership over philosophy and the social sciences during the New Democratic Revolution period [2] possesses important realistic significance for promoting the prosperity and development of these fields, and holds important reference value for promoting the great development and prosperity of socialist culture.
The Course of the Party’s Leadership over Philosophy and the Social Sciences
During the New Democratic Revolution period, the Party’s leadership over philosophy and the social sciences primarily relied on the charm and appeal of the scientific nature and truth of Marxism, on ideological leadership, on the correctness of the Party’s line, principles, and policies, on the exemplary role of Party-member social science workers, and on the inspirational power of the revolutionary cause led by the Party.
In the early period of the Party's founding, the Party led philosophy and social science workers in conducting research centered on the dissemination of Marxism in China. Early Party leaders such as Chen Duxiu, Li Dazhao, Li Da, Qu Qiubai, and Mao Zedong personally disseminated, researched, and applied Marxism, engaging in polemics against various anti-Marxist trends of thought. After the May Fourth Movement, four major polemics were carried out against bourgeois trends of thought: the debate on "problems versus -isms" [3]; the debate on socialism; the debate on anarchism; and the debate on science versus the outlook on life. These effectively refuted various erroneous trends of thought and extensively disseminated Marxism.
Important achievements of philosophy and the social sciences led during the early period of the CPC's founding are represented by works published in this era, such as China’s first systematic introduction to Marxist philosophy, An Outline of Social Philosophy (by Qu Qiubai); the first textbook of Chinese Marxist sociology, Modern Sociology (by Qu Qiubai); and the first Marxist work on historical theory, Essentials of Historical Studies (by Li Dazhao).
During the Agrarian Revolutionary War [4], in the period of the ten-year civil revolutionary war, "at that time there were two kinds of counter-revolutionary 'encirclement and suppression' [5]: military 'encirclement and suppression' and cultural 'encirclement and suppression.' There were also two kinds of revolutionary deepening: the deepening of the rural revolution and the deepening of the cultural revolution." Under the leadership and influence of the CPC, and through the indomitable struggle of the vast numbers of Communists and progressive cultural workers, Marxism-Leninism was widely disseminated and practically applied in China.
In the autumn of 1929, the Central Propaganda Department established a specialized agency—the Central Cultural Work Committee (shortened to Wenwei)—to provide unified leadership for revolutionary cultural work. After its establishment, the Wenwei immediately set about preparing for the establishment of a united front organization to unify the leadership of the development of China’s burgeoning social science movement and to unite the vast number of social science workers inside and outside the Party for common struggle—the Chinese League of Social Scientists (shortened to Shelian). On May 20, 1930, the Shelian was established in Shanghai. Under the leadership of the CPC, the Party's philosophy and social science workers and progressive cultural figures carried out the following work: for instance, translating and publishing Marxist-Leninist classics on a large scale; striving to study and apply Marxist theory; and earnestly exploring various issues in Chinese social history, politics, economy, thought, and culture. They engaged in uncompromising polemics against all sorts of reactionary trends of thought from feudalism and the bourgeoisie. The Party Central Committee, through the Wenwei, led debates on the nature of Chinese society, Chinese social history, and the nature of Chinese rural society, elucidating its own viewpoints. This provided a scientific basis in theory for the Democratic Revolution led by the Party, allowing Marxism to gradually expand its influence and occupy a leading position in the fields of social science, literature, and art.
During the War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression [6], to adapt to the transition in the Party’s central tasks, the Party adopted different policies based on the varying environments of the Anti-Japanese Base Areas, the Kuomintang-controlled areas, and the enemy-occupied areas. It organized a cultural united front, leading and uniting the vast progressives among the intellectuals to conduct philosophy and social science research centered on the War of Resistance.
In the Anti-Japanese Democratic Base Areas, the social sciences guided by Marxism-Leninism flourished. To raise the theoretical level of the whole Party, in May 1938, the CPC Central Committee established the Academy of Marxism-Leninism (shortened to Malie Xueyuan) in Yan'an. The Academy was a cadre school specialized in the study, research, and propagation of Marxism-Leninism, featuring research offices for Marxism-Leninism, Chinese problems, philosophy, political economy, and history. Additionally, the first specialized agency in the Party’s history for compiling and translating Marxist-Leninist works—the Compilation and Translation Department—was established within the Academy. It organized the translation and publication of a batch of Marxist-Leninist works in a led and planned manner, and conducted extensive research centered on China’s practical problems, promoting the increasingly wide and deep dissemination of Marxism-Leninism.
Academic groups for the social sciences were established. The main social science research groups in Yan'an included the Association for the Study of the War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression, the Association for the Study of Modern Chinese History, the Association for the Study of Nationalities (Ethnic) Issues, the Association for the Study of History, the Yan'an New Philosophy Society, and the Association for the Study of Current Affairs in Yan'an. These research associations actively carried out research activities and academic exchanges, and many important results were published.
In the Kuomintang-controlled areas, the philosophy and social sciences led by the Party also saw great development. The Southern Bureau of the CPC Central Committee creatively implemented the Party's line, principles, and policies, strengthened anti-Japanese democratic propaganda, led the Party's social science workers, supported the development of progressive cultural movements, united progressive personages, and utilized legal channels to conduct social science research. This not only preserved and developed the Party’s social science organizations and forces in the Kuomintang-controlled areas and united more progressive forces around the Party, but also created favorable conditions for the formation of the "Second Front" [7] during the War of Liberation.
During this period, the philosophy and social science research led by the Party, with Yan'an as the center, achieved great success, becoming the first period of prosperity in the development of philosophy and the social sciences under the Party’s leadership. In this stage, the theory of New Democracy was systematically expounded, marking the further development of Mao Zedong Thought—the first major theoretical achievement of Sinicized Marxism—and its establishment as the Party's guiding ideology at the Seventh National Congress of the CPC.
During the War of Liberation [8], to adapt to the new situation of the impending victory of the revolution, the Party, on one hand, led philosophy and social science workers to coordinate with the revolutionary armed struggle from the ideological and cultural front, making them an important part of the Second Front. On the other hand, it promoted the great unity of the philosophy and social science ranks and protected a large number of progressive intellectuals, preparing a precious force for the development of philosophy and social sciences in New China. Works such as Hu Sheng's Imperialism and Chinese Politics, Wang Ya'nan's A Study of Chinese Bureaucratic Politics, and Xu Dixing's On the New Democratic Economy were important achievements of this stage.
Achievements and Experience of the Party’s Leadership over Philosophy and Social Sciences
During the period of the New Democratic Revolution, the Party led philosophy and the social sciences to form the initial framework of a Chinese Marxist system for these fields. It established a lean force of Marxist philosophy and social science workers and made significant contributions to promoting the Sinicization, modernization, and popularization of Marxism. This promoted the formation and development of Mao Zedong Thought, played an important role in winning the victory of the New Democratic Revolution, opened up a new path for the development of Chinese culture, initiated a new era of Marxist scholarship, and accumulated preliminary experience in leading philosophy and the social sciences. These experiences mainly include:
Attaching high importance to research in philosophy and the social sciences and creating conditions for it. Since its founding, the CPC has attached great importance to philosophy and the social sciences, regarding them as an important component of revolutionary culture. Mao Zedong once pointed out: "Revolutionary culture is a powerful weapon of the revolution for the great masses of the people. Before the revolution, it is ideological preparation for the revolution; during the revolution, it is a necessary and important front within the general revolutionary front." The main purpose of the revolution led by the Party during the New Democratic Revolution period was to create political prerequisites for the development of Chinese society, including the development of philosophy and the social sciences. In the process of leading the revolution, the Party created conditions for the development of philosophy and social sciences as much as possible.
In December 1929, Mao Zedong, in the "Resolution of the Ninth Congress of the Fourth Army of the Red Army of the Communist Party of China" which he drafted, proposed strengthening "investigation and research into the social economy of guerrilla areas," "the study of Marxism-Leninism," "the study of social-economic science," and research into "the current stage of the revolution and its future prospects."
On February 5, 1940, in his "Speech at the Founding Meeting of the Natural Science Research Society of the Shaanxi-Gansu-Ningxia Border Region," Mao Zedong pointed out: "In order for people to obtain freedom in society, they must use the social sciences to understand society, transform society, and carry out social revolution."
In May 1942, in the "Talks at the Yan'an Forum on Literature and Art," Mao Zedong pointed out: "In our struggle for the liberation of the Chinese people, there are various fronts, among which there can be said to be two fronts, the civil and the martial, which are the cultural and the military fronts. To defeat the enemy, we must rely first of all on an army with guns in its hands. But this army alone is not enough; we also need a cultural army, which is an indispensable army for uniting ourselves and defeating the enemy."
On May 1, 1941, the "Administrative Program for the Shaanxi-Gansu-Ningxia Border Region" drafted by Mao Zedong stipulated: "Guarantee the human rights, political rights, property rights, and the freedoms of speech, press, assembly, association, belief, residence, and movement of all anti-Japanese people (landlords, capitalists, peasants, workers, etc.)." "Encourage free research, respect intellectuals, promote scientific knowledge and literary and artistic movements, welcome scientific and artistic talent, protect exiled students and youth who have lost the chance to study, grant students in schools democratic self-governance rights, and implement a two-hour study system for civil servants."
On August 9, 1940, Zhou Enlai pointed out in "Cultural Work and the Cultural Movement in the War of Resistance": "Since we must carry out the New Culture Movement, we must strengthen leadership over it." "We should value the cultural movement in all aspects and give it concrete help, so that the two fronts of the military and culture can advance together."
Strengthening political leadership. When leading philosophy and the social sciences, the Communist Party of China focused on providing political guidance so that research in these fields would center on the New Democratic Revolution. It insisted on the correct political and academic direction for the development of philosophy and the social sciences to serve the cause of national independence and the liberation of the people.
In 1930, the program of the Chinese League of Social Scientists, directly led by the CPC, stipulated: "Analyze Chinese and international politics and economy from a Marxist perspective to promote the Chinese revolution; study and introduce Marxist theory to make it popularized among the general public; systematically lead the development of China’s burgeoning social science movement and expand the propaganda of correct Marxism; revolutionary Marxists must never limit themselves to theoretical research, but should undoubtedly strive to participate in the practical struggles of the Chinese proletarian liberation movement."
In 1934, Mao Zedong pointed out in his report to the "Second National Soviet Congress" [9]: "The general policy of Soviet [10] culture and education... lies in educating the broad masses of the toiling people with the spirit of communism, in making culture and education serve the revolutionary war and class struggle, in linking education with labor, and in ensuring that the broad masses of the Chinese people become people who enjoy the happiness of civilization."
In May 1942, Mao Zedong pointed out in his "Talks at the Yan'an Forum on Literature and Art": "Literature and art must become a well-integrated part of the whole revolutionary machine, serving as a powerful weapon for uniting and educating the people and for attacking and destroying the enemy, and helping the people fight the enemy with one heart and one mind."
On October 30, 1944, in his speech "The United Front in Cultural Work" delivered at a conference of cultural and educational workers of the Shaanxi-Gansu-Ningxia Border Region, Mao Zedong pointed out: "Our culture is a people's culture; cultural workers must have high enthusiasm for serving the people, and must link themselves with the masses instead of being divorced from them. To link with the masses, one must follow the needs and the will of the masses. All work for the masses must proceed from the needs of the masses, rather than from any high-minded personal desires."
Giving full play to the appeal and guiding role of the truth of Marxism. When the Party led philosophy and social science work, it focused on strengthening the ideological guidance of Marxism, giving full play to the charm and attraction of the scientific nature and truth of Marxism.
Marxism is a science for understanding society. Just as Mao Zedong said...
"For a long period of history, people's understanding of social history was limited to a one-sided view. On the one hand, this was due to the prejudices of the exploiting classes, which constantly distorted social history; on the other hand, it was due to the narrow scale of production, which restricted people's horizons. It was only with the emergence of the modern proletariat alongside the massive productive forces—large-scale industry—that people were able to gain a comprehensive and historical understanding of the development of social history, turning the knowledge of society into a science. This is the science of Marxism." [11] The founding of Marxism provided a rational worldview and advanced methodology for all sciences, triggering a fundamental transformation in the guiding ideology of the social sciences. It made it possible, for the first time, for the social sciences to truly become a science, opening a new era in the development of philosophy and the social sciences.
The theoretical authority of Marxism is not endowed by some form of political power. Rather, it was established through struggle within the development of human social science and the revolutionary practice of the proletariat, and it is deeply rooted in the practices of the proletariat and the masses.
After Marxism was introduced to China, and especially following the October Revolution and the May Fourth Movement [12], it spread throughout the country with irrepressible force. On May 19, 1941, Mao Zedong pointed out in Reform Our Study: "It was only after the First World War and the Russian October Revolution that we found Marxism-Leninism, the best of truths, as the best weapon for liberating our nation. The Communist Party of China has been the advocate, publicist, and organizer in the exercise of this weapon. As soon as the universal truth of Marxism-Leninism was integrated with the concrete practice of the Chinese revolution, the face of the Chinese revolution was completely transformed."
Respecting and uniting with intellectuals: To develop philosophy and the social sciences, one must emphasize the role of intellectuals. In leading philosophy and social science, the Party has placed great importance on respecting and uniting with intellectuals.
On December 1, 1939, Mao Zedong drafted the decision Recruit Large Numbers of Intellectuals for the CPC Central Committee, noting: "In the long and ruthless war of national liberation, in the great struggle to build a New China, the Communist Party must be adept at absorbing intellectuals. Only thus can it organize a great strength for the Resistance, organize the millions of the peasant masses, develop the revolutionary cultural movement, and develop the revolutionary united front. Without the participation of intellectuals, victory in the revolution is impossible."
On May 7, 1941, Zhou Enlai pointed out in a telegram to Liao Chengzhi, then head of the Eighth Route Army's Hong Kong office: regarding friends on the cultural front and both Party and non-Party cadres, "We must learn from the vision, attitude, and standards of Lenin and Stalin toward Gorky [13]—only then can we help and promote the advancement of these men of culture."
On December 15, 1944, Mao Zedong pointed out in The Tasks for 1945: "The overwhelming majority of the intellectuals in our Liberated Areas are good people. Their shortcomings or even mistakes can be remolded through work. They are a valuable asset for the people's cause and they should be valued."
On April 24, 1945, Mao Zedong pointed out in On Coalition Government: "All intellectuals who have distinguished themselves in the service of the people should be respected and regarded as valuable assets of the state and society."
Relying on the appeal of the proletarian revolutionary cause, the personal examples set by Party leaders, and the exemplary roles of Party-member philosophy and social science workers and progressive cultural figures: The New Democratic Revolution [14] led by the CPC, as a righteous cause, attracted countless progressive figures in philosophy and the social sciences to throw themselves into the Party’s work, serving the Party-led revolutionary cause through their research.
Party leaders not only emphasized research in philosophy and the social sciences but also personally engaged in, guided, and encouraged such research. This provided a significant impetus to the development of the philosophy and social science undertakings led by the Party. Mao Zedong is a representative of a Party leader who personally researched and guided philosophy and social science studies.
On October 14, 1938, in The Role of the Chinese Communist Party in the National War, Mao Zedong issued a call: "Generally speaking, all Communist Party members who have a reasonable capacity for study should study the theory of Marx, Engels, Lenin, and Stalin, study our national history, and study the current situation and trends; and through them, they should educate those members whose level of culture is low. In particular, cadres should focus on studying these, and members of the Central Committee and senior cadres should intensify their study even more. For a political party leading a great revolutionary movement, it is impossible to achieve victory without revolutionary theory, without historical knowledge, and without a profound understanding of the actual movement."
Under the cultural autocracy and oppression of the Kuomintang and despite harsh material conditions, Party-member philosophy and social science workers and progressive cultural figures sincerely believed in Marxism and correctly understood and applied it. They were consistent in word and deed, possessed a strong spirit of dedication, and played an exemplary role in the philosophy and social science undertakings led by the Party.
The achievements in philosophy and social science led by the Party under difficult conditions during the New Democratic Revolution laid the foundation for the development of these fields after the founding of New China. These experiences still hold significant historical value as a reference for promoting the development of philosophy and the social sciences in our country and for the flourishing of socialist culture.
Philosophy and the social sciences are important tools for humanity to understand and transform the world, and they are significant forces driving historical development and social progress. Their level of development reflects a nation’s capacity for thought, its spiritual character, and its civilized quality; it embodies a country’s comprehensive national strength and international competitiveness.
(Author’s Affiliation: Institute of Marxism Studies, Chinese Academy of Social Sciences) Source: Practice (Ideological and Theoretical Edition), Issue 10, 2016 Editor: Huihui