Comparison Study Of Mao Zedong And Deng Xiaoping's Views On Democracy

The classic Marxist authors on democracy theories and views are the theoretical source of Mao Zedong and Deng Xiaoping's democratic thought, and both Mao Zedong and Deng Xiaoping are successors of the Marxist democracy views. Mao Zedong and Deng Xiaoping insisted on unity of democracy and dictatorship; creating and perfecting the theory of the people's democratic dictatorship, maintained to distinguish strictly difference between the two tapes of democracy and insisted on the socialist direction of democracy. The course of the Chinese Communists marching revolution and construction, represented by Mao Zedong, is great process of leading people fighting for and realizing democracy. During the new historic period, Deng Xiaoping advanced the principle to develop socialist democracy and perfect socialist legality, provided a bright light for the construction of socialist democracy.Mao Zedong thought and Deng Xiaoping theory are born of the same scientific system. Mao Zedong and Deng Xiaoping had identical views on the problems of democratic construction, and Deng Xiaoping's were of direct legacy, plenum and development of Mao Zedong. Concretely, upon the position and function of democracy, both of them thought democracy was the destination as well as means and unity of destination and means. Upon the forms of democracy, both of Mao Zedong and Deng Xiaoping were against greater democracy and were both for "the Big of Four". Upon establishing and perfecting the socialist democracy institution, the first generation of central leadership collective, headed by Mao Zedong, established these systems: the system of the people's congresses, the system of multi-party cooperation and political consultation under the leadership of the Communist Party, the system of the regional national autonomy, and Deng Xiaoping maintained and perfected these systems. During the long revolution and construction,Mao Zedong and Deng Xiaoping both emphasized the importance of democracy in the Party, insisted on the principles of democratic centralism and collective leadership. Upon democratic supervision, Mao Zedong called for people's supervision, and Deng Xiaoping maintained the same opinion and come out with the view that "the Communist Party must accept supervision". Both Mao Zedong and Deng Xiaoping analyzed profoundly bureaucracy, put forward the expression and harmfulness of bureaucracy, source of existence and provided solution to overcome bureaucracy.Nevertheless, there is difference between Mao Zedong and Deng Xiaoping's democratic thought. Mainly they are: The first is understanding of basic influence of economy and culture to democracy development. Mao Zedong always adhered to the views of the people's sovereign rights, but he couldn't think over carefully the material and economical conditions of realizing people's democracy. Deng Xiaoping's proposition that developing productive forces and engaging in modern construction laid a solid foundation for realizing the people's democracy. The second is the vision angle of relation between democracy and socialism. Mao Zedong thought that democracy was a cardinal principle to handle correctly the contradictions among the people. Deng Xiaoping emphasized the inner unity and interaction between democracy and socialism. The third is the guarantee of democracy in politics. Mao Zedong advanced to systematize the masses line and collective leadership, but they were not insisted and implemented correctly in practice. Deng Xiaoping not only stressed on the systematization and legalization of democracy in theory, but also carried out them conscientiously in practice of reform, opening and modern construction.