A Research On The Multiplicity Of Early Dissemination Of Marxism In China

This article illustrates the multiplicity of early dissemination of Marxism in China by specifying the roles and approaches of the Comintern and the Kuomintang during the time of the late 19th and early 20th century. The purpose is to recover the original situation of the early dissemination of Marxism and to show the powerful influence of Marxist theories in China just then.Chapter One is to discuss the connotation of multiplicity and its expressions during the early dissemination of Marxism in China. Multiplicity, in contrast with simplicity, was one of major characteristics of the early dissemination of Marxism in China, and the idea of multiplicity has been supported by evidences from various academic researches. The multiplicity represents the diversity of the subjects, channels, methods, and contents of dissemination of Marxism in the early stage. The Comintern and the Kuomintang were considered as two important forces to disseminate Marxism in China in the late 19th and early 20th century.Chapter Two is to demonstrate the multiplicity in the dissemination of Marxism with the focus on the main channels and methods utilized by the Comintern. One of the main tasks of the Comintern was to spread Marxism and help establish communist parties in other countries. This article shows how the Comintern introduced Marxism to China, including organizing symposiums and participating in commemorations in China, making speeches, publishing articles, building media agencies, opening schools, establishing new publications, reforming and financing publications, utilizing certain other publications to publicize Marxism, holding representative conferences, and inviting the Chinese to study in Russia, and so on.Chapter Three is to show the contents of the dissemination of Marxism by the Comintern. The Comintern did not introduce the original texts of Marxism to the Chinese directly, because the Marxist theory was not easy to understand for the ordinary Chinese. The Comintern started with the introduction of its essential values and objectives, the experience of the Russian Revolution and the world proletarian revolutionary movement, as well as the life stories of the revolutionary leaders. Russia was one of the trial areas of Marxism then and the success of the Russian Revolution made the Comintern act as a spokesperson for Marxism. Since the success of the revolution was more attractive than the theory, the early Marxism introduced to the Chinese was Russianized Marxism to some extent.Chapter Four is to introduce some major advocates of Marxism from the Kuomintang as well as the multifaceted roles of media. In the works of Sun Yat-sen, Zhu Zhixin, Dai jitao, Hu Hanmin, Feng Ziyou, Shen Xuanlu, Chen Jiongming and other members of the Kuomintang, there were numerous descriptions and discussions of Marxism. That these members became advocates of Marxism could be traced back to and explained from their personal experiences and choices as well as the larger social and political backgrounds of the era. They published a large number of articles in the publications of their own and others to demonstrate their own viewpoints on Marxism. The publications such as Minbao, Xingqi Pinglun, Jianshe, Min Xing and many others played an important role in the introduction of Marxism. Their attitudes towards Marxism were diverse as well, such as being skeptical, critical, questioning, praising, from skeptical to convinced, from praising to convinced, praising but not convinced, from skeptical to admiring, and so forth.Chapter Five is to examine the "Marxism" introduced by the members of the Kuomintang. In comparison with the work of the Comintern, what the Kuomintang introduced were the basic principles of Marxism, such as historical materialism, theory of class war, theory of political economy, and so forth. After the Russian Revolution, the members of the Kuomintang made a great effort to publicize the revolution to the Chinese. Meanwhile they did their own research on the revolution as well. Praising comments on the achievements of the Russian Revolution could often be seen on different types of media.The Kuomintang’s effort to introduce Marxism to the Chinese was a significant part of multiplicity in the early dissemination of Marxism in China. The systematical study of the role played by the Kuomintang can help people understand and recognize Kuomintang’s own approach in the magnificence of diverse approaches in the early dissemination of Marxism. Such a study can also let people fully appreciate the charm of Marxism in China.Chapter Six is an evaluation on the role and status of the Kuomintang in the early stages of the spread. The conclusion is the Kuomintang plays an important role in the early stage of the dissemination. It is Kuomintang members and the rudiments of communist ideology intellectuals support each other, mutual echo and then common contributed to the widespread dissemination of Marxism in China.The end of the article, as an epilogue, is to address the biases of the academic community, and to propose that the early dissemination of Marxism was characteristic of multiplicity or diverse approaches. This fact should be acknowledged. Particularly, the Kuomintang worked together with other Marxist intellectuals, and their joint effort played an important role in the promotion of Marxism in China. An objective and fair evaluation of the roles and approaches of the Comintern and the Kuomintang in the dissemination of Marxism should be given.