Being an Inheritor “from Confucius to Sun Yat-sen” — The Historical Opportunity of the Yan’an “New Philosophy Society”

The core and origin of Chinese civilization is Chinese philosophy. But in modern times, especially after the May Fourth period, Chinese philosophy gradually declined. In the 1930s, some even believed that Chinese culture was “on the path to extinction” and had to admit that it “in no respect compares with Western culture.” This perception also, to a certain extent, fostered a mindset within the Chinese Communist Party of “always citing Greece” [1]1 “Always citing Greece” is a phrase from Mao Zedong’s 1941 speech “Reform Our Study,” criticizing those who mechanically quoted foreign theories (especially Western ones) while ignoring China’s own realities and history.. To this end, as early as 1938, Mao Zedong issued a call to the entire Party, demanding that they be inheritors “from Confucius to Sun Yat-sen.” Mao Zedong not only raised this important proposition but also directly participated in the research and discussion concerning “Chinese philosophy.” This prompted Yan’an scholars to be able to “on their own soil,” “using new methods, to excavate their own national cultural tradition,” thereby laying a solid historical and cultural foundation for the theoretical development of the Chinese Communist Party and for adapting Marxism to the Chinese context.

中华文明的核心与本源就是中国哲学。但是到了近代，尤其是五四时期以后，中国哲学却日渐式微。上世纪30年代，有人甚至认为中国文化正在“趋于消灭的途程”，不能不承认它“无论在哪一方面，都比不上西洋文化”。这种认知在当时也一定程度上助长了中国共产党内“言必称希腊”的思维定式。为此，早在1938年毛泽东就向全党发出号召，要求做“从孔夫子到孙中山”的继承者。毛泽东不仅提出这一重要命题，而且还直接参与到有关“中国哲学”的研究和讨论中。这促使延安学者能够“在自己土壤上”，“使用新的方法，掘发自己民族的文化传统”，从而为中国共产党的理论发展，为马克思主义中国化奠定坚实的历史基础和文化基础。

The establishment of the Yan’an New Philosophy Society was a landmark event in the history of Chinese philosophy.

延安新哲学会成立是中国哲学史上一个标志性事件

In the summer and autumn of 1938, at Mao Zedong’s initiative, the Yan’an New Philosophy Society was established. Its purpose was “to accept all the best theoretical achievements of China and abroad” and “to develop the finest elements of the Chinese national tradition.” This was a landmark event in the history of Chinese philosophy. The establishment of the New Philosophy Society also had its specific historical background. On the one hand, against the backdrop of the War of Resistance, Chiang Kai-shek’s “practice” philosophy, Yan Xishan’s “mean” philosophy, and Chen Lifu’s “vitalism” philosophy were once prevalent, all of which, in the name of China’s “inherent philosophy,” resisted and attacked Marx’s dialectical materialism. On the other hand, within the Communist Party, the long-prevailing mindset of dogmatizing Marxism had not only not been cured but, after Wang Ming’s return to China in November 1937, showed signs of resurgence [2]2 Wang Ming was a senior CPC leader who, after returning from the Soviet Union in 1937, promoted a dogmatic line that emphasized following Comintern directives and Soviet models, directly challenging Mao Zedong’s authority.. All this forced the Party to vigorously promote the integration of Marxism with China’s actual conditions and indigenous culture, so that its research results would not only “become the best practical guiding theory” but also “become the development and inheritance of all China’s fine national traditions.”

1938年夏秋，在毛泽东倡议下，延安新哲学会成立。其目的在于“接受一切中外最好的理论成果”，“发扬中国民族传统中最优秀的东西”。这是中国哲学史上一个标志性事件。新哲学会的成立也有其特殊的历史背景。一方面，在抗战大背景下，蒋介石“力行”哲学、阎锡山“中”的哲学和陈立夫“唯生”哲学一度大行其道，他们均以中国“固有哲学”名义，抵制和攻击马克思的辩证唯物论。另一方面，在共产党内，长期盛行的将马克思主义教条化的思想不仅未获根治，而且还在1937年11月王明回国后有卷土重来之势。这都迫使党必须大力推进马克思主义与中国实际和本土文化的结合，使其研究成果不仅要“成为最好的实践的指导理论”，而且还要“成为中国一切优秀民族传统的发展和继承”。

This reflected that Mao Zedong was not satisfied with the study of specific wartime policies but hoped to think about and plan the nation’s future from a strategic and philosophical height. He also attempted to accumulate philosophical knowledge by extensively reading Marxist works such as Engels’ *Anti-Dühring* and Lenin’s *Materialism and Empirio-Criticism*. Mao Zedong even made over 14,000 characters of marginal notes in some books, such as *A Course in Dialectical Materialism* co-authored by Shirokov and Eisenberg, and *Dialectical and Historical Materialism* by Mitin and others, showing the depth of his effort. It was precisely on this basis that he wrote the *Outline of Dialectical Materialism (Lecture Notes)* in July 1937 and went to the Counter-Japanese Military and Political University to lecture. In his lectures, Mao Zedong not only closely integrated China’s history and revolutionary reality but also cited many historical and mythological stories from classical works such as *Water Margin*, *Romance of the Three Kingdoms*, *Journey to the West*, and *Classic of Mountains and Seas* to elucidate profound philosophical principles.

这反映毛泽东并不满足于战时具体方针的研判，而希望从战略和哲学的高度思考和规划民族未来。他还试图通过大量阅读恩格斯《反杜林论》、列宁《唯物论与经验批判论》等马克思主义著作，以积累哲学知识。毛泽东甚至在一些书籍，如西洛可夫、爱森堡等合著的《辩证法唯物论教程》和米丁等著的《辩证唯物论与历史唯物论》上作1万4千多字的批注，足见其用力之深。也正是在此基础上，他于1937年7月撰写《辩证法唯物论（讲授提纲）》，到抗日军政大学去讲授。毛泽东在讲课中不仅紧密结合中国历史和革命实际，而且还从《水浒传》《三国演义》《西游记》《山海经》等古典作品中引述许多历史和神话故事，以阐发深刻的哲学道理。

Beyond “cutting and polishing” [3]3 “Cutting and polishing” (如琢如磨) is a classical Chinese idiom from the *Book of Songs*, originally describing the crafting of jade, and metaphorically refers to the meticulous refinement of one’s character or scholarship through self-cultivation., Mao Zedong also advocated “grinding and filing” [4]4 “Grinding and filing” (如切如磋) is a paired idiom from the same source, referring to collaborative discussion and mutual learning among scholars to improve understanding., pooling wisdom and learning from each other’s strengths. From the New People’s Study Society in the May Fourth period to the New Philosophy Society in the Yan’an period, Mao Zedong always followed this scholarly path of traditional Chinese intellectuals. In the Yan’an New Philosophy Society, initiated and established by 18 people including Ai Siqi and He Sijing, Mao Zedong discussed various philosophical issues with everyone. Among them, the most frequent exchanges and interactions with Mao Zedong were with Ai Siqi.

在“如琢如磨”之外，毛泽东还主张“如切如磋”，集思广益、取长补短。从五四时期的新民学会，到延安时期的新哲学会，毛泽东均遵循中国传统读书人的这一治学之道。在由艾思奇、何思敬等18人发起成立的延安新哲学会中，毛泽东和大家共同讨论各类哲学问题。其中与毛泽东交流互动最为频繁的是艾思奇。

Ai Siqi became famous for publishing *Popular Philosophy* in 1936, but he also held a strong interest in Chinese philosophical issues. As early as 1934, he published an article specifically discussing the “doctrine of the mean,” arguing that “the doctrine of the mean is a kind of idealism that sanctifies qualitative phenomena.” However, Mao Zedong valued more his contribution to propagating Marxist philosophy. In a letter to Ai Siqi, Mao said: “Your *Philosophy and Life* is a deeper book among your works; I have benefited a lot from reading it.” In April 1938, Ai Siqi, in his article “The Current Situation and Tasks of Philosophy,” explicitly raised the slogan of “the Sinicization and realization of philosophy,” which became an important intellectual resource for Mao Zedong to expound on “adapting Marxism to the Chinese context” at the Sixth Plenary Session of the Sixth Central Committee of the CPC in October 1938.

艾思奇曾因1936年出版《大众哲学》而闻名于世，但他对中国哲学问题也持有浓厚兴趣。早在1934年他即发文专论“中庸观念”，认为“中庸主义就是将质量现象神圣化了以后的一种观念论”。不过毛泽东更看重其在宣传马克思主义哲学方面的贡献。他在给艾思奇的信中说：“你的《哲学与生活》是你的著作中更深刻的书，我读了得益很多”。1938年4月艾思奇在《哲学的现状和任务》一文中，明确提出“哲学的中国化和现实化”的口号，更是成为毛泽东在1938年10月党的六届六中全会上阐发“马克思主义中国化”的重要思想资源。

“We are Marxist historicists; we must not cut off history.”

“我们是马克思主义的历史主义者，我们不应当割断历史”

At the same time, some Yan’an scholars also attempted to find “Marxist” elements from within the Chinese cultural tradition and determined that the thoughts of ancient Chinese philosophers also contained certain traces of materialism and dialectics. Clearly, this differed from Mao Zedong’s understanding at the time. Because as early as early 1938, he still believed that “the philosophical trend of dialectical materialism developing in China today did not come from inheriting and transforming one’s own philosophical heritage, but from the study of Marxism-Leninism.” But Mao Zedong quickly realized the value of researching this issue. In a letter to He Ganzhi in January 1939, he explicitly stated: “Among our comrades, there are few with the interest and determination to study Chinese history,” “My tools are insufficient; this year I can only do tool research, that is, study philosophy, economics, Leninism, with philosophy as the main focus.”

与此同时，一些延安学者还试图从中国文化传统中寻找“马克思主义”的元素，并认定中国古代哲学家的思想中也含有唯物论和辩证法的某些痕迹。显然，这与当时毛泽东的认识存在差别。因为他在1938年初还一度认为，“中国今日发展着的辩证法唯物论哲学思潮，不是从继承与改造自己哲学的遗产而来的，而是从马克思列宁主义的学习而来的”。但毛泽东很快意识到这一问题研究的价值。他于1939年1月在给何干之信中就明确表示：“我们同志中有研究中国史的兴趣及决心的还不多”，“我的工具不够，今年还只能作工具的研究，即研究哲学，经济学，列宁主义，而以哲学为主”。

This indicated that Mao Zedong and the Yan’an scholars had begun to think from the perspective of adapting Marxism to the Chinese context. In fact, as early as early 1938, someone wrote in *Free China*, which was inscribed by Mao Zedong, proposing: “We are historical theorists; we believe that the emergence of new morality cannot be unrelated to the development of old morality,” “nor do we think that old ideas have left no tradition for new ideas.” This was similar to the expression in the report Mao Zedong later submitted to the Sixth Plenary Session of the Sixth Central Committee. In the report, Mao said: “We are Marxist historicists; we must not cut off history. From Confucius to Sun Yat-sen, we should summarize and inherit this precious legacy.” The former uses “historical theorists,” the latter uses “historicists,” but the core concept in both is emphasizing the unique role of history as a value judgment.

这表明毛泽东和延安学者已开始从马克思主义中国化角度思考问题。其实早在1938年初，由毛泽东题词的《自由中国》上就有人撰文提出：“我们是历史论者，我们认为新道德的产生是不会和旧道德的发展没有关系的”，“也不是认为旧思想没有任何传统遗留给新思想”。这与后来毛泽东提交的党的六届六中全会报告的表述相似。毛泽东在报告中说：“我们是马克思主义的历史主义者，我们不应当割断历史。从孔夫子到孙中山，我们应当给以总结，承继这一份珍贵的遗产。”前者使用“历史论者”，后者使用“历史主义者”，核心观念都是强调历史作为价值判断的独特作用。

After the Sixth Plenary Session of the Sixth Central Committee in November 1938, Mao Zedong, together with Ai Siqi and others from the New Philosophy Society, was able to gather under the theme of “adapting Marxism to the Chinese context” to conduct in-depth research on Chinese philosophical issues. It was precisely under Mao Zedong’s inspiration and guidance, and through exchanges and interactions with Mao Zedong, that Yan’an scholars wrote a series of important articles on Chinese philosophical issues. In this regard, Ai Siqi gave a high evaluation: Since the War of Resistance, Chinese scholars’ “research on China’s inherent philosophy,” and “the promotion of the elements of materialism and dialectics in China’s own past philosophical history,” “this aspect has also achieved considerable results.”

1938年11月党的六届六中全会后，毛泽东与新哲学会艾思奇等人，更是得以聚集在“马克思主义中国化”主题下，深入研讨中国哲学问题。也正是在毛泽东的启发引导下，在与毛泽东的交流互动中，延安学者针对中国哲学问题写出了一系列重要文章。对此，艾思奇曾有高度评价：抗战以来，中国学者“对于中国的固有的哲学的研究”，“对于中国自己的过去哲学史上的唯物论和辩证法的因素的发扬”，“这一方面也有它的相当的成绩”。

(The author is a professor and doctoral supervisor at the School of Marxism, Peking University.)

（作者为北京大学马克思主义学院教授、博士生导师）

[Extended Reading] The Origin of the New Philosophy Society

【阅读延伸】新哲学会缘起

In 1938, Mao Zedong initiated the establishment of the New Philosophy Society, designating Ai Siqi and He Sijing as president and vice president to preside over the society’s work, and Guo Huaruo as secretary-general to handle specific affairs. In August 1938, the New Philosophy Society was established. In September, the “Origin of the New Philosophy Society,” drafted by Ai Siqi, was officially published, announcing the consensus of the initiators to the outside world. The article pointed out: “In philosophy, in theory, we lack more specialized things; this is a great deficiency in our theoretical work since the War of Resistance.” Theoretical workers across the country should “for the task of the War of Resistance and national reconstruction, for the development of theory in China, use collective strength to fulfill their responsibilities,” inclusively absorb the essence of all thoughts, ancient and modern, Chinese and foreign, unite all possible allies, create an open and inclusive theoretical environment, and form a united front in the cultural circles. The article emphasized that “we cannot only study the philosophical thought of a single school,” and for this reason, “it is necessary to gather various philosophical schools for joint discussion.” This article was subsequently reprinted by the Chongqing *Wartime Culture* monthly (1939, Vol. 2, No. 1) and *Translation Report Weekly* (1939, Vol. 1, No. 16), expanding the influence of the New Philosophy Society in the progressive cultural circles of the Kuomintang-controlled areas. (Ji Wen)

1938年，毛泽东倡议发起新哲学会，指定艾思奇、何思敬担任正、副会长，主持学会工作，郭化若担任秘书长，负责具体事务。1938年8月，新哲学会成立。9月，艾思奇起草的《新哲学会缘起》正式发表，对外宣示了发起人的共识。文章指出：“在哲学上、在理论上，我们更缺少较专门化的东西，这是抗战以来我们的理论工作中的一个很大的缺陷。”全国理论工作者应“为抗战建国的任务，为着理论在中国的发展，用集体的力量来尽自己的责任”，兼容并蓄古今中外一切思想精华，团结一切可能的同盟者，营造开放、包容的理论环境，组成文化界统一战线。文章强调，“不能仅仅研究唯一派别的哲学思想”，为此，“需要集合各种各样的哲学派别来做共同的研讨”。该文先后被重庆《战时文化》月刊（1939年第2卷第1期）、《译报周刊》（1939年第1卷第16期）转载，扩大了新哲学会在国统区进步文化界的影响。 （纪文）

Online editor: Huihui

网络编辑：慧慧