The Analysis Of MaoZedong's Thought On The Nature Of Intellectual Class

People who are familiar with history know intellectuals have a close relationship with our country and their fates are tied up. Concerning our Party's policies on intellectuals, there are achievements as well as mistakes mainly caused by the wrong understanding of intellectuals. The changing ideas of Mao Zedong—the founder of Chinese revolution—have something to do with these mistakes. We can learn a lot by the analysis of these reasons. Considering truth and history, this paper provides a exploration of the nature of intellectual class by using dialectical materialism and historical materialism. It consists three chapters. In the first part of chapter one are the explanations of what intellectuals are, what the nature is and how to judge the nature of it. Then some Marxist writers'viewpoints are given. At the end of this chapter is a chronological description of Chairmen Mao's understanding on the nature of intellectual class. Before the foundation of People's Republic, he categorized this class to petty bourgeoisie according to Marxist classic analysis, which marked the maturity of his ideology, while the wrong categorization to bourgeoisie based on world outlook after the foundation of People's Republic showed that his thought has been led astray. Chapter two is analysis about the great changes of MaoZedong's understandings on the nature of intellectuals. Analyzed systematically, we can find four main reasons that caused this mistake. The first reason is the abandonment of Marxist classic analysis and undue stress on world outlook, which has influenced the correct understanding of the class nature. The second is Chairman Mao's obviously prejudiced thought on intellectuals because of intellectuals own weak points and shortcomings. With the happening of a series of international events and the intensifying of contradictions among people, Chairman Mao's has become more and more distrustful about them and has had extreme views on them. The third reason is the magnifying of class struggle in our Party. Having changed his correct judgment, Chairman Mao thought that contradictions inside our Party are the reflection of social class contradiction, which caused more and more mistakes. The last reason is the confusing of class category. The theory advocated at that time deviated from Marxism. The so-called viewpoint that there is a political class except economic ones is a negation of the understanding of class nature.. Chapter three is the afterthoughts of Chairman Mao's understanding on class nature. First there must have been correct policies on intellectuals. Second a correct understanding of the intellectuals should be approved. Their contributions should be strategically evaluated. The third is to uphold the basic principle of Marxism to make our practice coincide with theory. Our Party's policy on intellectuals should be implemented. Intellectuals should be respected, trusted and depended on. They also should be helped to solve some practical problems, or any policy is just a mere scrap of paper. And their capacities can't be brought into full play. The fourth is to strengthen the self-construction of intellectuals in order to lead them to cooperate with practice, workers and peasants. By doing that, intellectuals can fulfill their historical missions and play an active role in modern socialism building. The fifth, we must strengthen the party's construction of democratic centralism ,...