Traditional political culture, Marxism and democracy: The case of China

This thesis seeks to explain the reasons for the lack of democracy in modern China. The main argument is that the absence of democracy in China is related to two interrelated issues: the theoretical development of Marxism and traditional Chinese culture organized around authority and hierarchy. The last issue is central since it provides a framework for the implementation of a form of Marxism.;It is suggested that Marx foresaw the need for participatory democracy. But, his emphasis on centralization--which impeded the development of his notion of democracy--exerted a strong influence on Lenin's and Mao's views of Marxism. It is contended that this factor explains the absence of democracy in both the Soviet Union and China, as well as that this form of Marxism was viable in China because traditional Chinese political culture was already characterized by centralism, which is a central aspect of Chinese totalitarianism.