User:Ldc30507/Chen Duxiu

Formation of Yue Fei Loyalist Society
In order to support overthrowing the Qing government, Chen Duxiu had joined Yue Fei Loyalist Society (岳王會 Yuewang hui) which emerged from Elder Brothers’ secret society (哥老會 Gelao hui) in Anhui and Hunan province. By 1905, some people from gentry class like Sun Yujing and Bo Wenwei who also opposed to the Qing government joined Yue Fei Loyalist Society. Chen Duxiu carried forward the society by adding the branches in Wuhu, Anqing. Members of Anqing became Qing soldiers to spread the idea of revolution in the military camp.

Connection with Anhui Public School
Chen Duxiu used Yue Fei Loyalist Society as a agency to establish an organization of students from Anhui public school, prorebel QIng soldiers and secret society members. Not long after that, Chen Duxiu ran away to Japan due to the Auhui governor Enming gave order to arrest Chen.

Achievement
Chen Duxiu got significant achievement in his hometown Anhui by carrying forward Yue Fei loyalist society and adding the branch to Anhui. He also created Anhui Patriotic Society and connect with Anhui public school. Those contributions gave him a chance to get in touch with nationally prominent group of revolutionaries.

Chen Duxiu and Leon Trotsky
After the communist movement in the late 1920s, Chen Duxiu and Leon Trotsky started to have a complex relationship that was not known in the west. Their relationship reveals the developments of Trotskyism in China and deepen the understanding of the relationship between the Communists of China and Soviet Union.

Due to lack of related resources, the public did not have a full understanding of the relationship between Chen Duxiu and Leon Trotsky. Nowadays, this situation has already improved a lot by following reasons. Firstly, more printed Chinese materials about Chen Duxiu are available. Secondly, in 1980, the "Exile papers of Leon Trotsky" which includes letters, personal notes, manuscripts, and many unpublished resource were accessible.

Life in the early republic
After the newspaper like Shen Bao differentiate the debating academics in to several factions (xuepai), Hu Shi and Chen Duxiu seems like government victims and their opponents like the warlord's allies. During the May Fourth Movement, the atmosphere becomes hostile. Hu Shi and Chen Duxiu's ideas were seen as the expression of anti-government and soon after their ideas were labeled as the core of "New Culture Movement"

Chen Duxiu In 1916 was not yet a Marxist. As a professor and dean at Peking University, he wrote "If we wish to construct a Western-style new state and organize a Western-style new society in order to seek an existence suitable to our modern times, then the fundamental issue is that we must import the foundation of a Western-style society and country, that is to say, the new faith in equality and human rights...Unless [Confucianism] is suppressed, [the new Way] will not prevail; unless [supporters of Confucianism] are stopped, [the new Way] will not be practiced." When Chen Duxiu defines Western civilization, he focussed on egalitarianism rather than competition. He also wrote:"socialism is, therefore, a theory of social revolution succeeding political revolution; its aim is to eliminate all inequality and oppression. We can call it ‘contemporary’ European civilization, which opposes the (merely) ‘modern’.”

Crisis with Liang Shuming
Chen Duxiu said "In many people’s estimation, the differ- ences among Chinese, Indian, and European culture are almost entirely differences in ethnicity, and thus are not limited to those of culture.” This argument is clearly about criticizing Liang’s Eastern and Western Cultures and Philosophies. Chen Duxiu viewed human history as a whole thing, as a single entity. A monistic evolutionary historical model was suggested by Chen Duxiu's arguement. On the other hand, Liang Shuming clearly divided cultures into three types: European culture, Chinese culture and  Indian culture. European culture is characterized as the “primary, forward-seeking orientation”; Chinese culture is the “secondary, harmony and middle-ground-seeking orientation”; and Indian culture, the “tertiary, self-reflective and backward-looking orientation.” Liang Shuming saw Chinese culture as backwardness and it would have weakness to develop science and democracy. However, Chen strongly disagreed Liang. Chen Duxiu believed that Liang Shuming had potential to bring the rank-and-file of the revolution which may crush down from the inside.