Author ｜
Fan-sen Wang
Abstract ｜
This article explores the “split” in the political thoughts after the May Fourth movement since 1920. The advocates and opponents of Zhuyi 主義 (doctrinism) implied different worldviews and two opposite stands on how to save the nation and restore the social order. While some scholars considered doctrine as a manifestation of truth and the resolution to all national and social crises, the anti-doctrinists, unlike their rivals who held onto political beliefs and had more effective mobilization ability, tended to voice their opinions individually and sporadically. They inherited the skepticism of May Fourth Movement and criticized both “dialectical materialism” and “Three Principles of the People” as they disapproved of taking “doctrine” as the panacea for all problems. Moreover, the critics of doctrinism usually belonged to at least one of the following categories: 1. experimentalist, such as Hu Shi; 2. positivist, such as Fu Sinian; 3. people who were influenced by Anglo-Saxon Liberalism or constitutional thought such as Chu Kuang-Chien, Lin Yutang, Zhang Dongsun, Wu Chingchao, etc. Although they did not necessary have a thorough study on the theory of liberalism, they usually have years of experience living in Western or Japanese societies; 4. people who opposed to politics dominated by doctrines, such as Liang Shuming and Zhang Shizhao. Those influenced by the thoughts of May Fourth demonstrated a more conservative or even opposing attitude toward doctrinism as they argued that, before following and promoting any doctrines, there were other issues of higher priority, for instance, the identity of the advocates of doctrines. In addition, morality, education and literature, as well as individual’s conscience, doubts and awareness were also regarded as more essential than doctrines. In other words, the anti-doctrinists believed that personal awareness should not be assimilated into collective political life in order to avoid the danger of personal life being dominated and governed by the principles, doctrines and beliefs of political party. It also indicates that the “political hollowing out” was a result of the acclamation to doctrinized politics ever since the establishment of Republican China and is worth further consideration.
keywords ｜
zhuyi/doctrinism, anti-doctrinism, Republic of Three Principles of the People, non-political life, political hollowing out