Knowledge Groups Revolution In The May Fourth Discourse

Revolution is unquestionably the most important concept in modern Chinese history. However, the conceptual transformation of it has not been thoroughly studied in existing studies. This might be the result of the spread of the belief of "the end of the Age of Revolution". The neglect of people's view of revolution in the May-fourth era, the period immediately after the 1911 revolution, was especially conspicuous as research of it could barely be found. This study aims at filling this gap by investigating May-fourth intellectual groups' narratives of revolution.This dissertation employs an approach of multiple case studies instead of relying on a single individual or intellectual group to present the May-fourth intellectual landscape. In this study, different views of revolution held by different May-fourth intellectual groups are juxtaposed and respectively examined. The underlying belief of the study is that every historical concept should have multiple senses instead of one single sense because a concept would be perceived in different ways in different contexts. But the fact that the different views of the concept in question came into being in the same historical context suggests that they bear certain genealogical similarities. And these similarities could help us map out the unique characteristics of the May-fourth conception of revolution.This study puts the different views of revolution in their respective historical contexts and depicts how this concept was perceived by different intellectual groups. In this study, the then most influential journals were seen as the reflections of different intellectual groups' stances and beliefs. Journals instead of other media were used as the research objects because their number is relatively small. This makes them more operable and facilitates the concentration of analytical attention. But the most important reason is that these intellectual journals were the so-called tongren zazhi (journals of the like-minded). They were homogeneous and highly exclusive in nature, thus could accurately reflect the ideological differences of different intellectual groups.This dissertation consists of eight chapters. The first chapter introduces the research methodology. The second chapter investigates the May-Fourth intellectual field and its constitution. The third chapter uses the case study of Xin qingnian I (New Youth I) to illustrate how the new intellectuals saw the concept of revolution passed on from the generation of the 1911 revolution after the founding of the republic andthe ensuing political pandemonium. The fourth chapter tries to portray pro-Kuomintang intellectuals' view of revolution by investigating their journals Xingqi pinglun (Weekly Critic) and Jianshe (Construction). The fifth chapter examines how the Research Clique, an intellectual group closely related to the Progressive Party (Jingbudang) and the constitutionalists, perceived revolution by studying their journal Jiefang yu gaizao (The Emancipation and Reconstruction Semi-Monthly). The sixth chapter turns attention to Nuli zhoubao (The Endeavor) to see how the intellectuals influenced by Western liberalism and pragmatism counteracted the fervor for revolution by advocating gradual reform. The seventh chapter presents the Marxist intellectuals' view of revolution through an analysis of their journals Xin qingnian II )New Youth II) and Xiangdao(Guide). As a conclusion, the eighth chapter points out that the May-fourth views of revolution can be divided into two categories: static revolution and dynamic revolution. The advocates of the former called for cultural reform and were dismissive of political and social mobilization. This category includes intellectuals from Xin qingnian I group, Hu shih and his followers, and the Research Clique. In comparison, the advocates of the latter were enthusiastic about mass mobilization campaigns. The Marxists and the pro-Kuomintang intellectuals fall into this category.