Analysis Of Li Dazhao's Views About Social Religion

The Chinese patriarchal traditional religion that integrated in custom, enchased in monarchy, clan authority, and patriarchy, lasted several thousands years ever created political, family and spiritual life in Chinese ancient society. Influenced by the current of "the west culture communication to China" and Enlightenment, rational spirit and the request of national state became the theory and words source with which new culture intellectuals reacquainted the traditional religion.As an important figure who advocated new culture concept and leaded the May 4th ideological trend, Li Dazhao took part in the religious movement personally, he is a religious researcher who involved religious field earlier and thought deeply in religion. His religious thoughts is a symbol of the ideological trend in May 4th new culture movement, it is also valuable for researching the religious phenomenon and policy. However, the study of Li Dazhao's ideology is rare, rough and lack of systemic and comprehensive analysis. On this basis, this paper accesses Li Dazhao's original documents in order to clarify the logic system of his religious thoughts and explore its value.The traditional religion that emerged in primitive society, completed in feudal society combined with the Patriarchal system, which is of great significant for stabilizing the traditional social order. But criticizing religion is the mainstream of Enlightenment religious thoughts in the period of new culture movement. Li Dazhao's religious thoughts arouse from the collision between traditional religion and Enlightenment ideology, his radical criticism of religion made him become the representative figure of the ideological trend of religious criticism in May 4th period.Li Dazhao's religious thought is not only plentiful in content, but also rigorous in logic system.As the representative figure of the early Marxist, the character of Li Dazhao's religious thought is obviously accord with Marxism Materialist dialectics. He defined religion as a kind of social ideology. With Materialist dialectics, he analysed the relation between religion and society, the religion's impact on social vicissitudes, religion's social function.As the leading figure of May 4th new culture movement, Li Dazhao's religious thought is engraved with the imprint of Enlightenment religious ideology. He criticized Confucianism and Christianity thoroughly with the weapons of Democratic constitutionalism and scientific ideology.As an intellectual of Social transition, Li Dazhao pursued modernity obviously by criticizing religion. On one hand, his critical thought of religion revealed his choice of equity and freedom, which are the fulcrums of modern society. On the other hand, on the process of criticizing religion, Li Dazhao called for Individual rights, imagined the construction of national state, made use of instrumental and rational thinking, all which reflected his pursuit of modernity.The meaning of this paper is to integrate Li Dazhao's religious thoughts into a complete system around Materialist dialectics, critics, modernity firstly In another aspect, this paper opens a door to explore the value of religious thought and social problem behind religious phenomenon.