Chen Duxiu Democratic Concept Study

With a comprehensive and progressive delineation of Chen Duxiu's notion of democracy as its fulcrum, this thesis is trying to explore the awkward predicament which Chen's idea on democracy finds itself in, both in terms of theory and practice. On the whole, the thesis takes a situation-based approach. Situating itself within the broader context of modernity, the thesis probes the immensely complex and intimate relationship of Chen Duxiu's democratic notion with nationalism, evolution theory, and socialism, which are the three prime modes of manifestation of modernity in modern China. The three above-mentioned prime modes of ideology are beset by a perpetual and perplexing paradox that is unique to modern China, and we term, for the sake of clearer further illustration, as the paradox of nationalism, the paradox of evolution theory and also the paradox of socialism. Chen's solution for this kind of paradox is quite straightforward and by every means clearly expressed. Democracy for Chen is absolutely the royal means of getting out of this paradoxical situation. Democracy, nationalism, evolution theory and finally, socialism provide the whole picture of Chen Duxiu's genealogy of modernity in his earlier years. However, Chen Duxiu's political and practical failure inspired him to reflect his previous flawed thinking in a serious way and only by means of this very reflection did Chen Duxiu achieve his so-called 'final belief', and we find this belief was gained only by his arduous reasoning and relentless self-reflection. Chen Duxiu's thinking is anything but static and unvarying, and the final stage in his belief system can roughly correspond to what Hegel famously describes as negation of the negation, as the final stage of the exertion of his equally famous notion of Idea. By crowning democracy with absolute and unquestionable priority, this so-called 'final belief' redefines the essential nature of democracy, reconciles the seemingly-irreconcilable conflicts between bourgeois democracy and that of the proletariat, which had been afflicting him for quite a long time, and in this method Chen, who now deemed democracy as the ultimate way out in modern China, could finally be seen as a faithful and steadfast follower of ultimate democracy. Democracy is a core issue in Chen's systematic theory and Chen's democratic belief system is remarkable for its uniqueness and profoundness. However, this uniqueness and profoundness can never be an excuse for its practical failure and intrinsic inconsistency. Through the analysis of the restricted validity Chen's solution and the dilemma of his notion of democracy, the thesis is trying to give a full picture of Chen's inherent predicament.