Study On The Discussion Of Mao Zedong's Unthorough Criticism Of Populism

The relationship between Mao Zedong and Populism is a compliated problem that has caused much controversiy in the academic circle. There are many scholars in the theoretical circle who study the problem, yet few have made any systematic review of such a discussion. Therefore, the author has made a comparison and study on the discussion. Attempts are made to conduct a systematic study and arrangement on the dispute from a macroscopic angle. Thus those who are concerned about Mao Zedong and his thought could understand more clearly the origin and development of the relationship between Mao Zedong and Populism. Through a systematic study and arrangement of the current dispute, the thesis assumes that in this dispute, Chinese domestic scholars have given an overall denial on foreign scholars' viewpoint that "Mao Zedong is a Populist." The historical background and characteristics of the production of the Russian Populism is described. It is formulated in the thesis that in the period of Yan'an, Mao correctly handled the relationships between China-the Soviet Union and China-American relationships. He summarized the experience and lessons in victories and failures of China's revolution and put forward the theory of the new democracy that is an important theoretical result of the Sinicization of Marxism. In the theory, Mao's correct analysis on the peasant problem and the capitalist problem is his significant contribution for the development of Marxism. All this shows that Mao Zedong is a great Marxist, and not a Populist. Through the comparison and study of a large amount of literature and materials, the thesis assumes that the focus of the dispute lies in whether Mao had the tendency of Populism in his later years of life. Scholars with respectable Mr. Hu Sheng as the center think that the argument that Mao was dyed with some colors of Populism after the founding of PRC is expressed in his remarks of "a piece of blank paper" and the saying that "extremely great socialist activity is hidden among peasants". The source is that the small-scale peasant economy is the hotbed of the generation of Populism. They also analyze influences of China's traditional culture, mainly the thought of Great Harmony, the folk traditional culture and the traditional culture in Hubei and Hunan on Mao's socialist view. However, other scholars with Professor Sha Jiansun as the center think that Mao did not have the tendency of Populism in his later years of life. The proposal of the saying of "a piece of blank paper" after the founding of PRC has its concrete reasons and the background. When Mao uttered these remarks, he thought that based on such an argument, we could begin from a rather high starting point in our country in building the new (modern) industry, agriculture, transportation, culture and education. He hoped that in a not too long period, the backward situation of our country could be changed, our country could be built into a strong socialist country, thus to catch up with and surpass big capitalist countries might not need so long time as thought before. Though a great discussion has been aroused on the relationship between Mao Zedong and Populism in the theoretical circle, we can firmly say that Mao Zedong is a great Marxist. The problem on the relationship between Mao and Populism is to be further explored in the academic circle.