Wang Ruoshui
Encyclopedia
Wang Ruoshui was a Chinese
journalist
and philosopher, major exponent of Marxist humanism
in China and of Chinese liberalism
.
Wang studied philosophy in the late 1940s, converting to Marxism and joining the Communist Party prior to the establishment of the People's Republic of China in 1949. Joining the staff of People's Daily
, he became editor of its theory section.
In the 1950s, Wang was a devotee of Maoism
and took part in ideological campaigns targeting the previously popular ideas of Hu Shi, Liang Shuming
and Hu Feng (1902-1985, a follower of the writer and critic Lu Xun
). He wrote an article entitled "Philosophy of the Table" which defended Mao's version of dialectical materialism
, winning praise from Mao himself.
In the 1960s Wang became an advocate of One Divides Into Two
and attacked Yang Xianzhen
. This would come back to haunt him in the 1970s when Yang was restored to power.
Prior to the Cultural Revolution, at the height of the Sino-Soviet split
Wang was recruited by Maoist literary henchman Zhou Yang to a group he was organizing to research and criticize the Marxist humanism which was then influential in the Eastern bloc, exemplified by (among others) György Lukács in Hungary.
Soon after the downfall of the Maoists in the later 1970s, Wang revealed that these much reviled "revisionist" doctrines had had a great impact on him, and had provided a lens through which he could understand and condemn the Cultural Revolution and the cult of Mao himself.
Wang was expelled from the Communist party in 1987 as a part of a campaign against "bourgeois liberalization". He continued to write trenchant criticisms of the regime, and conduct polemics against Mao's former secretary Hu Qiaomu
(1912-1993), a doctrinaire Marxist who had been behind his expulsion from the Party.
China
Chinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture...
journalist
Journalist
A journalist collects and distributes news and other information. A journalist's work is referred to as journalism.A reporter is a type of journalist who researchs, writes, and reports on information to be presented in mass media, including print media , electronic media , and digital media A...
and philosopher, major exponent of Marxist humanism
Marxist humanism
Marxist humanism is a branch of Marxism that primarily focuses on Marx's earlier writings, especially the Economic and Philosophical Manuscripts of 1844 in which Marx espoused his theory of alienation, as opposed to his later works, which are considered to be concerned more with his structural...
in China and of Chinese liberalism
Chinese liberalism
Liberalism in China or 'Chinese liberalism' resulted from the introduction of classical liberalism into China during the period of Western domination towards the end of the Qing Dynasty...
.
Wang studied philosophy in the late 1940s, converting to Marxism and joining the Communist Party prior to the establishment of the People's Republic of China in 1949. Joining the staff of People's Daily
People's Daily
The People's Daily is a daily newspaper in the People's Republic of China. The paper is an organ of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China , published worldwide with a circulation of 3 to 4 million. In addition to its main Chinese-language edition, it has editions in English,...
, he became editor of its theory section.
In the 1950s, Wang was a devotee of Maoism
Maoism
Maoism, also known as the Mao Zedong Thought , is claimed by Maoists as an anti-Revisionist form of Marxist communist theory, derived from the teachings of the Chinese political leader Mao Zedong . Developed during the 1950s and 1960s, it was widely applied as the political and military guiding...
and took part in ideological campaigns targeting the previously popular ideas of Hu Shi, Liang Shuming
Liang Shuming
Liang Shuming , October 18, 1893—June 23, 1988), born Liang Huanding , courtesy name Shouming , was a philosopher, teacher, and leader in the Rural Reconstruction Movement in the late Qing Dynasty and early Republican eras of Chinese history.Liang was of Guilin, Guangxi origin, but born in Beijing...
and Hu Feng (1902-1985, a follower of the writer and critic Lu Xun
Lu Xun
Lu Xun or Lu Hsün , was the pen name of Zhou Shuren , one of the major Chinese writers of the 20th century. Considered by many to be the leading figure of modern Chinese literature, he wrote in baihua as well as classical Chinese...
). He wrote an article entitled "Philosophy of the Table" which defended Mao's version of dialectical materialism
Dialectical materialism
Dialectical materialism is a strand of Marxism synthesizing Hegel's dialectics. The idea was originally invented by Moses Hess and it was later developed by Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels...
, winning praise from Mao himself.
In the 1960s Wang became an advocate of One Divides Into Two
One Divides Into Two
The One Divides into Two controversy was a philosophical debate about the nature of contradiction that took place in China in 1964. The concept originated in Lenin's Philosophical Notebooks. The philosopher Yang Xianzhen, originated the idea of Two Unites into One which he said was the primary law...
and attacked Yang Xianzhen
Yang Xianzhen
Yang Xianzhen was a Chinese Communist politician who was the tenth president of the Party School of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China, the highest training center for party workers and leaders...
. This would come back to haunt him in the 1970s when Yang was restored to power.
Prior to the Cultural Revolution, at the height of the Sino-Soviet split
Sino-Soviet split
In political science, the term Sino–Soviet split denotes the worsening of political and ideologic relations between the People's Republic of China and the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics during the Cold War...
Wang was recruited by Maoist literary henchman Zhou Yang to a group he was organizing to research and criticize the Marxist humanism which was then influential in the Eastern bloc, exemplified by (among others) György Lukács in Hungary.
Soon after the downfall of the Maoists in the later 1970s, Wang revealed that these much reviled "revisionist" doctrines had had a great impact on him, and had provided a lens through which he could understand and condemn the Cultural Revolution and the cult of Mao himself.
Wang was expelled from the Communist party in 1987 as a part of a campaign against "bourgeois liberalization". He continued to write trenchant criticisms of the regime, and conduct polemics against Mao's former secretary Hu Qiaomu
Hu Qiaomu
Hu Qiaomu , was a revolutionary, sociologist, Marxist philosopher and prominent politician of People's Republic of China...
(1912-1993), a doctrinaire Marxist who had been behind his expulsion from the Party.