Research On Chinese Early Political Populism (1907-1927)

The doctorial article《research on Chinese early political populism (1907—1927)》made comprehensive research on populism during 20 years from 1907 to 1927 in the stand point and method of Marxism. This article first analyzed the connotation and characteristics of populism and differentiated populism democracy from populism socialism;Then the article discussed the development and decline of populism in modern china;Based on the above, this article analyzed the social and cultural conditions of the emergence and development of populism in modern china and concluded the native characteristics of political populism in modern china. Based on the comprehensive analysis of populism in modern china, this article made objective appreciation on historical status and effect of populism.The article is divided into five chapters:In first chapter the article discussed the status and basic problems of populism research in general. The article first concluded the status research of Chinese modern populism systemically. Based on the conclusion of past achievements, the article proposed the meaning and incising point. This part also analyzed the concept denotation and the characteristics of populism systematically。At the same time, this article sorted populism with a new method and differentiated populism democracy from populism socialism. This article analyzed the unique denotation of the populism of mass in modern china and differentiated the populism of mass from populism effectively.In chapter two this article analyzed the social and cultural condition of modern Chinese populism political thoughts. The modernization and society itself in modern china faced all round crises. With the dissemination of Chinese traditional society and the development of commercial economy, peasants accelerated the pace from traditional peasant to commercial peasant and the petty bourgeoisie also enlarged. Commercial peasants in modern china had dual nature of modernization and anti modernization. The characteristics of commercial economy made the nature of modernization and response of enlighten thoughts the nature of petty production made the nature of anti modernization that expressed through populism. Commercial peasants in modern china made the main basis of populism in modern china. There were several conditions of thoughts and culture that affected the forming and developing of populism in modern china;Tolstoy and Rousseau also had direct and indirect effect on populism in modern china. This part will explain all these problems.In chapter three this article discussed the forming developing and declining of populism in modern china. This part first explained two schools of populism thoughts in modern china——populism democracy and populism socialism then explained populism democracy of sun yisan. Then this article explained the main stream of populism political thoughts in modern china——populism socialism. Populism socialism has two branches of mass and tradition. The thoughts of Li dazhao and Qu qiubai are the representation of mass populism socialism;The thoughts of Liu shipei and Zhang taiyan are the representation of traditional populism socialism. During the new cultural movement populism political thoughts reached its peak and made the first experience with thoughts of xincun and gongdu. After the failure of great revolution with the stepping down of anarchism populism became potential stream of thoughts, which embodied with the form of cultural thoughts and political psychology.In chapter four this article concluded the Chinese characteristics of populism in modern china. The unique conditions in modern china made populism have unique characteristics. Populism political thoughts in modern china was under the background of nationalism that made it have national characteristics. Taking li dazhao as example this article analyzed the national denotation of populism in modern china. Populism in modern china has rich traditional cultural source , witch were as below :thoughts of datong,the theory of benevolence nature,fan—moralism thinking method etc.Under the fully scrutinizing populism in modern china the last paragraph made objective appreciation on its status and effect. Populists were the front-runners of Chinese modern thoughts; they pay attention on the countryside and made the first exploration on Chinese development. Populism had great promoting effect on the change of Chinese modern left political thoughts. The effect is as below:taking people as essence is the basic characteristic of populism , the evolution of the"people"promoted the formation of the view of people in modern sense;the direct democracy in populism promoted the formation of the thought that takes legislation and administrative power as whole;The worshiping of the working class promoted the approval of proletarian revolution. Populism thoughts in modern china forcefully promoted the early spread of Marxism in modern china. At the same time, the negative contents of Chinese populism led to left wing opportunism on certain degree.The research on populism in modern china has both historical and realistic meaning. During the Chinese all—round modernization Chinese peasants have transforming from commercial peasants to modern peasants. But traditional thinking method cannot be deleted in one night. The petty production thinking method is interrupting modernization and populism also emerges in various forms. Research on populism can provide useful lessons for the construction of socialism harmonious society.