Chinese Communists' Understanding And Practice Of Traditional Culture In The Period Of New - Democratic Revolution

The period of New Democratic Revolution was an era of dramatic change. During this time, rapid and great changes took place in Chinese politics, culture, and ideology. Chinese Communists also had a drastic change in their knowledge and practice of tradition culture. For a more comprehensive and profound understanding of the historical development of our country during this period, it is necessary study transmutation concept of the traditional culture of the Chinese communists during the new democratic revolution period. Its significance at least lies in the following four aspects. First, it helps to deepen the understanding of the new democratic culture and ideology. During new democratic revolution period, the formation and development of new democratic culture and Chinese Communists thought on traditional culture were logically connected. Understanding the development of the Chinese Communist Party’s knowledge and practice of traditional culture during this period opens a new window for us to examine the new democratic culture and ideology. Second, it contributes to the construction of advanced socialist culture with Chinese characteristics. Formation and development of Chinese traditional culture concept during Communists Democratic Revolution was also the history when the Chinese Communists pursued advanced culture. This will provide valuable historical experience for the construction of socialist advanced culture with Chinese characteristics. Third, it is conducive to the further development of Chinese traditional culture. How Chinese communists during New Democratic Revolution dealt with the traditional culture still has practical implications for today. Fourth, it offers reference for correct handling the relationship between Chinese traditional culture and foreign cultures. Of course, it is not only limited in the above domains. Although literature in this field is abundant, it is still worthwhile to conduct an in-depth research on it from a new angle by exploring new materials.According to the principle of unifying the history and logic, this study divides Culture Perspective Transmutation of Chinese Communists. During the Period of New Democratic Revolution into4stages starting from the beginning of New Culture Movement:1) infancy in the period May4th Culture Movement;2) formation and development stages from the founding of CPC to the early failure of the revolution;3) establishment phase during the decade of civil war;4) mature stages from the Anti-Japanese War to Liberation Civil War. The first stage is mainly discusses the early Marxists including Chen Duxiu, Li Dazhao and Mao Zedong changed from the traditional doctrine to Marxism. The main characteristic of this stage is:1. Continuously exploring scientific cultural knowledge weapons;2. Establishing a scientific cultural viewpoint but still having limitations;3. The negative and critical opinions on the traditional culture is dominant in view of a radical change;4. While early analysis of the traditional culture has not built on the basis of marxist historical materialism, but once established the cultural view of marxism, the understanding on the basis of the marxist cultural view get rapid development.The second phase mainly covers the Chinese Communists’ opposition against the ideological with the standpoint of historical materialism retro ideologies (mainly refering to the "Oriental Culture School","Reexamine the National Heritage" and Xue Heng School, Tai Chi-tao doctrine), Chinese Communists’ establishment of communist proletarian culture beyond Chinese traditional culture, and the importance that Chinese farmers traditional culture received during the national revolution. The main characteristic of this stage is:1.The traditional concept was lack of sole or diversity;2.The knowledge and the practice of traditional culture is the demand of domestic revolutionary struggle;3.The traditional culture’s preliminary practice.The third phase deals with Chinese Communists’ new understanding of Chinese farmers culture and traditional Chinese art of war, criticism and research on Chinese history of ancient thought, criticism on China-based Culture construction in the new Enlightenment "New life Movement", and endeavor to establish integrated culture. The main characteristic of this stage is:1.Inheritance to the beneficial parts of traditional culture;2. Critique to the Kuomintang’s cultural viewpoints;3. Criticism to the conservative cultural viewpoints;4. Reflections on the May4th new culture movement.The fourth phase discusses the Chinese Communists’ abandoning and developing of Chinese traditional philosophy, historiography, ethics, and arts based on Marxism theory. The main characteristic of this stage is:1. It formed scientific traditional culture concept on the basis of mature in Sinicization of Marxism;2. From the aspects of philosophy, history, ethics, literature and art to summa the traditional culture, it carry forward the national excellent traditional culture by selecting the refined and discarding the crude;3. The understanding of traditional culture of the Yanan period was formatting and developing the environment of the national war, that provides a new perspective for the Chinese communists awareness of cultural nationality. National war prompted the class and stratum of people all over the country to recognize their own traditional culture. The Chinese communists had a more comprehensive understanding of traditional culture in the new situation.In this paper, the author refined and summarized the Chinese communists’ unity and multidimensional traditional cultural view, and constructed the basic framework of the traditional concept in the Yanan period. This basic structure is to create a unity and multidimensional traditional cultural viewpoin. That is to treat traditional culture from nationality, ideology, regional characteristics, historical heredity multiple dimensions on the basis of marxist historical materialism relationships between economic basis and superstructure. It formed various methods of treating to traditional culture, such as critical inheritance law, national form inheritance law, comprehensive innovative the inheritance law, abstractive inheritance law, etc..And it recognized the important function of traditional culture, which itself becomes a important way to guide the great national war, which is the source of the national spirit, the constitute part of the national culture, and the part of the national style of Sinicization Marxism. This study has certain innovation.The above research shows that Chinese Communists during the New Democratic Revolution period has experienced a complicated and long-term process. They have formed a unity and multidimensional traditional concept of Marxism with Marxism scientific method, in the struggle with Kuomintang’s restoring ancient ways of culture, westernization party’s negation to he traditional culture and conservatism’s one-sided debate. That new traditional cultural concept which is public, scientific and national, was built in the exploration and practice of Sinicization of Marxism and has realized rationality of the scientific understanding of the traditional culture. Conforming to the trend of historical development, they have sublated and developed the Chinese traditional culture at that time in the development of China’s advanced culture. The knowledge and practice of Chinese Communists’ traditional culture is the important achievement of Sinicization of Marxism, which has important theoretical significance and practical value. Today, in our journey of the construction of socialist culture with Chinese characteristics, it still has important historical value and practical value. In terms of how to deal with traditional Chinese culture, there are at least three implications:First, we must continue to lead traditional Chinese culture with the advanced culture; Second, we must constantly develop traditional Chinese culture by localizing, popularizing Marxism in the advance of times and history in China. Third, we must achieve a harmonious coexistence and mutual development of traditional Chinese culture and world culture.