From Evolution To Historical Materialism: Reserch On Chen Duxiu's Ideology Change During The May 4th New Culture Movement

The beginning of the 20 th century was an era in which all kinds of social ideologies were agitated in the history of Chinese ideologies.Chen Duxiu,as an influential thinker and revolutionist in modern Chinese history,the chief general of the May 4th New Culture Movement,the representative of China's first batch of Marxist disseminators and the important founder of the Communist Party of China,two truly influential western cultural trends of ideologyevolution and historical materialism also played an important role in the evolution of his ideologies.During the May 4th New Culture Movement,his main ideology experienced an important change from evolution to historical materialism.The theory of evolution has a long course of development in Europe,with a long history and various forms.Due to the realistic needs of the objective reality in modern China,the advanced intellectuals in modern China pay more attention to the theory of social evolution which has full explanatory power and applicability in the field of social and historical development.The development of the theory of evolution in China began with the Theory of Heaven translated by Yan Fu.After the understanding,dissemination and development of different subjects such as reformists and revolutionaries,the theory of evolution has gradually become the mainstream ideology of advanced intellectuals in modern China.It meets the needs of the modern advanced intellectuals who hope and advocate "change" for a new ideology.The theory of evolution played an important historical role in the enlightenment in modern China,and its historical role was mainly reflected in the impact on the traditional world outlook and historical view of the Chinese people,and became the theoretical basis of the social revolution in modern China,and stimulate the enlightening spirit of freedom,science,democracy,rationality and so on.In the early stage of the May 4th New Culture Movement,as the most influential world outlook and values in Chinese ideological circles at that time,the theory of evolution also had an important impact on Chen Duxiu's ideologies,which had a strong color of evolution and showed a strong revolutionary nature.Young Chen Duxiu embarked on the journey of national salvation with sincere patriotic enthusiasm,and took how to change the current situation of poor and weak China as the core issue of his thinking.In the early days of the May 4th New Culture Movement,Chen Duxiu strongly advocated the theory of evolution,believing that it was "the fundamental law of the universe" and changed human mind completely new.The theory of evolution also became the main theoretical basis of Chen Duxiu in the early stage of the May 4th New Culture Movement.He expounded a series of viewpoints around the view of history,ethics and outlook on life,while using the theory of evolution to explore the way out of China and attack the old ideas and systems.He further develops the materialism and initiative principle of evolution.With the development of the Chinese revolutionary situation,especially the influence of the victory of the Russian October Revolution,Chen Duxiu's ideology experienced the change from evolution to historical materialism.This is the combined effect of external reasons such as environment,society and practice,and internal reasons such as personal reading,research,experience and so on.According to the carding and study of Chen Duxiu's collections,manuscripts and other historical materials,this paper tries to depict clearly the track of Chen Duxiu's ideology change from evolution to historical materialism during the May 4th New Culture Movement.In the bottom Awareness of labourers,Chen Duxiu spoke highly of the social status of labourers,showing the bud of the masses' view of history.In "the problem of Hunan female Workers in Shanghai Housheng Yarn Mill",Chen Duxiu first explained the ideology of surplus value and used it to study the problem of Chinese workers."Talking about Politics" shows that Chen Duxiu initially agrees with the idea of proletarian dictatorship.In "Socialist criticism--A speech at the Guangzhou Public School of Law and Politics",Chen Duxiu discussed the necessity and possibility of China's choice of socialism and what kind of socialism to choose.In Marx's Theory published in April 1922,Chen Duxiu systematically explained his understanding and understanding of Marx's theory,including "historical materialism","surplus value","class struggle","labor dictatorship" and so on.It focuses on the inherent unity of historical materialism and the theory of class struggle,and refutes the non-Marxist point of view.In the "two Spirits of Marx",grasp the two true spirits of Marx.The change of ideology has its complicated reasons,which is inseparable from the specific external historical environment.At the same time,the internal logic of Chen Duxiu's change from evolution to historical materialism is the pursuit of individual liberation and social democracy,the reflection of the new culture movement on the theory of evolution,and the internal agreement with Chinese traditional culture.Chen Duxiu systematically explained the theoretical essence of historical materialism and accurately grasped the "two essentials" of historical materialism.to form a more profound understanding of Marx's historical materialism on the laws of human culture and social system changes,class and class struggle theory,proletarian dictatorship theory,state theory,political party theory,etc.On the whole,it accords with the original intention of the basic theory of Marxism.It further enriches and deepens the Chinese people's initial understanding and understanding of historical materialism,and promotes the wide spread and in-depth development of historical materialism in China.Together with Li Dazhao,Cai Hesen and Li Da,they have made fundamental contributions to the spread of historical materialism in China.By analyzing Chen Duxiu's interpretation of historical materialism,this paper tries to outline the picture of the initial spread of Marxism in China after the May 4th Movement.At the same time,Chen Duxiu used historical materialism to analyze and explore the road of Chinese revolution in the two-way interaction between theory and practice.One is about how to understand the nature of Chinese society,the use of Marxism to analyze China's specific national conditions,the analysis of Chinese social problems,and the correct positioning of China's semi-colonial and semi-feudal social nature.The second is about how to understand the nature of the Chinese revolution.Chen Duxiu thought that the Chinese revolution should be divided into two steps,and concretely analyze the status and role of various classes in the revolution.The third is to use historical materialism to analyze the influential socialist factions at that time,and in the road dispute,it is clearly pointed out that China should choose and implement the Soviet-Russian socialist road.The fourth is about promoting the development of the communist movement in China,leading the establishment of the Communist Party of China as the leading force of the proletarian revolution,publicizing Marxism to inspire and awaken the consciousness of the proletariat,organizing trade unions to carry out the workers' movement,and liaising with the revolutionary bourgeoisie to launch the democratic revolution.As an influential historical figure among the first batch of Marxists in China,Chen Duxiu's ideology change from evolution to historical materialism during the May 4th New Culture Movement not only affected the track of personal life,but also changed the course of Chinese society and history.By making a historical evaluation of this ideology change according to the principles of historical materialism,we can see that whether it is to endow the enlightenment with new spiritual content at the value ideal level,to promote the spread and establishment of the value ideal of scientific socialism in China,or to explain and publicize historical materialism at the theoretical level,to promote the wide spread of Marxism in China,or to lead the establishment of the Communist Party of China at the practical level,to open the curtain of using Marxism to study China issues,this change of thought has great historical significanceis.At the same time,it should also be noted that due to the limitations of the individual,the times,the international environment and other aspects,there are still some historical limitations in his ideology change,such as simplification and mechanization in the understanding and cognition of historical materialism.But on the whole,Chen Duxiu's ideology change from evolution to historical materialism during the May 4th New Culture Movement is progressive and revolutionary.he has made important historical contributions to the wide spread of Marxism in China and its combination with the Chinese revolution.Marxism has entered China for more than a hundred years.In more than a century,the Chinese people's understanding of Marxism has long been different from the past,and socialist China has made historic achievements under the strong leadership of the Communist Party of China.Looking back at history,without the initial positive choice and interpretation of Marxism by Chen Duxiu and other advanced Chinese intellectuals,there would be no combination of Marxism with the objective reality of the Chinese revolution and no great historical achievements of socialism with Chinese characteristics.Today,in the new era,we should rationally examine the history of Chen Duxiu's ideology change during the May 4th New Culture Movement,clarify the context and track of his ideology change,and strive to show the historical features and inherent laws of Chen Duxiu and other advanced intellectuals in choosing,spreading and applying Marxism,so as to provide rich ideological resources for the study of Marxism in China from one dimension.