Adaptation to World Trends: a Rereading of the May Fourth Movement Radicalization Jyväskylä: University of Jyväskylä, 2013, 236 P
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JYVÄSKYLÄ STUDIES IN EDUCATION, PSYCHOLOGY AND SOCIAL RESEARCH 463 Jarkko Haapanen Adaptation to World Trends A Rereading of the May Fourth Movement Radicalization JYVÄSKYLÄ STUDIES IN EDUCATION, PSYCHOLOGY AND SOCIAL RESEARCH 463 Jarkko Haapanen Adaptation to World Trends A Rereading of the May Fourth Movement Radicalization Esitetään Jyväskylän yliopiston yhteiskuntatieteellisen tiedekunnan suostumuksella julkisesti tarkastettavaksi yliopiston vanhassa juhlasalissa S212 maaliskuun 23. päivänä 2013 kello 12. Academic dissertation to be publicly discussed, by permission of the Faculty of Social Sciences of the University of Jyväskylä, in Auditorium S212, on March 23, 2013 at 12 o’clock noon. UNIVERSITY OF JYVÄSKYLÄ JYVÄSKYLÄ 2013 Adaptation to World Trends A Rereading of the May Fourth Movement Radicalization JYVÄSKYLÄ STUDIES IN EDUCATION, PSYCHOLOGY AND SOCIAL RESEARCH 463 Jarkko Haapanen Adaptation to World Trends A Rereading of the May Fourth Movement Radicalization UNIVERSITY OF JYVÄSKYLÄ JYVÄSKYLÄ 2013 Editors Jussi Kotkavirta Department of Social Sciences and Philosophy, University of Jyväskylä Pekka Olsbo, Harri Hirvi Publishing Unit, University Library of Jyväskylä URN:ISBN:978-951-39-5114-6 ISBN 978-951-39-5114-6 (PDF) ISBN 978-951-39-5113-9 (nid.) ISSN 0075-4625 Copyright © 2013, by University of Jyväskylä Jyväskylä University Printing House, Jyväskylä 2013 ABSTRACT Haapanen, Jarkko Adaptation to World Trends: A Rereading of the May Fourth Movement Radicalization Jyväskylä: University of Jyväskylä, 2013, 236 p. (Jyväskylä Studies in Education, Psychology and Social Research, ISSN 0075-4625; 463) ISBN 978-951-39-5113-9 (nid.) ISBN 978-951-39-5114-6 (PDF) This thesis is a rereading of the May Fourth movement radicalization. Instead of studying ideologies as such, the study examines the political languages that were used in May Fourth Movement journals in China before the official establishment of the Chinese Communist Party in July 1921. It argues that the radicalization of the May Fourth Movement cannot be explained only through ‘outside forces’, or reactions to ‘outside events’. One should also take into account interpretations of the borderline between possible and impossible and struggles related to these interpretations. These struggles are perceived in this study through competing interpretations on world trends. The study shows that reinterpretations of prevailing world trends and socialist trends played a vital role in acts of redirecting the debates in the May Fourth journals: prevailing trends were reinterpreted as Comintern versions of revolutionary Marxism and class struggle whereas other versions of socialism were rejected. The research strategy in the study is inspired by John Pocock’s writings on political languages. Conceptual transformations during the May Fourth period are analyzed through the interaction of two ‘languages’: the ‘language of mutual aid and democracy’ and the ‘class struggle language’ within which the concepts were used. The debate on the relevance of the class struggle was related to different visions of China’s development and difference versions of the outside world that involved competing interpretations of “world trends” that China was supposed to follow. With the help of the concept of world trend a version of the ‘outside world’ was created in which China belonged to a worldwide proletarian class that was struggling against international capitalism. The trends that China was to follow were revolutionary trends of class struggle and proletarian dictatorship. ‘World trend’ was not the only concept that was given a meaning that would support the idea of following the Soviet Russian example in development. ‘Real democracy’ and ‘real freedom’ became ideals that could be realized only through class struggle. Individualism, on the other hand, became a negative concept associated with selfishness and inefficiency. Keywords: world trends, history of concepts, rhetoric, May Fourth Movement, mutual aid, class struggle Author’s address Jarkko Haapanen Department of Social Sciences and Philosophy / political science P.O. Box 35, FI-40014 University of Jyväskylä [email protected] Supervisor Pekka Korhonen Department of Social Sciences and Philosophy / political science University of Jyväskylä Reviewers Associate Professor Luo Tianhong Doctor Marko Kauppinen Opponent Associate Professor Luo Tianhong ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS First, I wish to thank my supervisor Professor Pekka Korhonen for his general support, encouragement, and insightful feedback on the manuscript. I would also like to thank the Department of Social Sciences and Philosophy and the unit of Political Science at the University of Jyväskylä for providing me the basic conditions for my research. I thank the reviewers of this thesis, Professor Luo Tianhong and Doctor Marko Kauppinen, for the valuable comments to improve on my work. I am grateful to Professor Kari Palonen, Doctor Vasileos Syros and Doctor Jouni Tilli for their helpful comments on the manuscript. Thanks to Susanne Kalejaiye and Wang Xinhong for correcting the language. The Doctoral Program of Contemporary Asian Studies has supported my research intellectually and financially. Regular seminars of the program have offered me opportunities to present and discuss my research. Especially, discussions with Professor Joseph Cheng have been very helpful. For financial support I also wish to thank the Finnish Cultural Foundation, the University of Jyväskylä, and the Center for Chinese Studies in Taipei. The staff at the library of the Institute of Chinese Studies at the Heidelberg University and at the National Central Library in Taipei provided me with excellent and swift assistance. Finally, I would like to thank all my colleagues, friends, and my family for their support. Jyväskylä 25.2.2013 Jarkko Haapanen CONTENTS ABSTRACT ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS 1 INTRODUCTION ................................................................................................ 9 1.1 The Setting ................................................................................................. 13 1.2 Definitions .................................................................................................. 17 1.3 Previous Research on the May Fourth Movement and the Origins of the CCP .................................................................................... 25 1.4 Research Material ..................................................................................... 32 1.4.1 New Youth ....................................................................................... 33 1.4.2 New Tide .......................................................................................... 35 1.4.3 Citizen ............................................................................................... 36 1.4.4 Weekly Critic .................................................................................... 37 1.4.5 Young China .................................................................................... 37 2 POLITICAL LANGUAGES AND TIME ......................................................... 39 2.1 Language, Historical Research and Politics .......................................... 40 2.2 Rhetorical Approach to Time .................................................................. 45 2.2.1 Cyclicality, Linearity, and Evolution ............................................ 47 2.2.2 Temporalization and China ........................................................... 52 2.2.3 Cyclicality, Linearity and Evolution in May Fourth Journals .. 55 2.3 Adaptation to the Needs of Time ........................................................... 59 2.4 Political Languages ................................................................................... 65 3 LANGUAGE OF MUTUAL AID AND DEMOCRACY ............................... 75 3.1 Origins and Sources .................................................................................. 77 3.2 Mutual Aid in May Fourth Journals ...................................................... 80 3.2.1 Work-Study Mutual Aid Groups .................................................. 82 3.2.2 New Village ...................................................................................... 84 3.2.3 Spirit of Mutual Aid and Democracy ........................................... 86 3.3 Basic Concepts ........................................................................................... 98 3.3.1 Endorsement of Mutual Aid, Democracy, Freedom, Humanism, and Equality ............................................................... 99 3.3.2 Criticism of Militarism, Warlordism, Nationalism, and Capitalism ....................................................................................... 106 4 CLASS STRUGGLE LANGUAGE ................................................................. 111 4.1 Origins and Sources ................................................................................ 113 4.2 Class Struggle in May Fourth Journals ................................................ 116 4.2.1 Class Struggle Thematic Introduced .......................................... 118 4.2.2 Class Struggle and China ............................................................. 130 4.3 Basic Concepts ......................................................................................... 136 4.3.1 Endorsement of Class Struggle, Social Revolution and Proletarian Dictatorship ............................................................... 136 4.3.2 Criticism of Anarchism and Evolutionary