A Modest Proposal for the Disciplinary Construction of Marxist Atheism

Abstract: As a body of knowledge that negates and critiques theism, atheism can fully constitute an independent discipline. However, according to China’s current disciplinary classification standards and the catalogue of academic disciplines and specialties, it is not yet possible to carry out the disciplinary construction of atheism independently. One may consider adding Marxist atheism as a second-level discipline under the first-level discipline of Marxist theory. It is suggested that we draw on Fei Xiaotong’s “five viscera and six bowels” [n] theory proposed during the restoration and reconstruction of sociology, constructing a complete disciplinary system from four aspects: the principles of Marxist atheism, the history of atheism, the critique of theism, and the propaganda and education of Marxist atheism; and cultivating a series of disciplinary departments from five aspects: learned societies, research institutions, academic departments, library and reference materials, and professional journals. This would promote the early establishment of Marxist atheism as an independent discipline.

提要：作为否定和批判有神论的知识体系，无神论完全可以构成一门独立学科。但根据我国现行的学科分类标准和学科专业目录，尚不能独立进行无神论的学科建设，可以考虑在马克思主义理论一级学科下增设马克思主义无神论二级学科。建议借鉴费孝通先生在社会学恢复重建时提出的“五脏六腑”说，从马克思主义无神论原理、无神论史、有神论批判、马克思主义无神论宣传教育等四个方面来构建其完整的学科体系，从学会、研究机构、专业学系、图书资料、专业期刊等五个方面来培育其系列的学科部门，由此推动马克思主义无神论独立学科地位的早日确立。

A discipline is a relatively independent body of knowledge within a given field. Clearly defining a discipline is the foundation and prerequisite for scientific research. In the history of human thought, before the concept of theism emerged, the concept of atheism already existed spontaneously. As theism arose and gradually dominated the minds of most people in the world in the form of religion, atheism has also been enriching and developing itself in various forms, igniting and sustaining the light of reason and wisdom in the treasure house of human thought. Whether such a light of reason and wisdom can constitute an independent discipline and develop steadily concerns not only the historical inheritance of atheism itself and its advancement with the times, but also whether the Marxist ideology, which takes atheism as its cornerstone, can stand firm and remain stable.

学科是一定领域内相对独立的知识体系。明确地界定学科，是科学研究的基础和前提。在人类思想史上，有神论的观念产生之前，无神论的观念已经自发地存在着了。随着有神论产生并逐渐以宗教的形式统治了世界上大多数人的头脑，无神论也一直以各种不同的形式丰富和发展着自身，点燃并支撑着人类思想宝库中的理性之光、智慧之光。这样的理性之光、智慧之光，能否构成一个独立学科并稳健发展，不仅关系着无神论自身的历史传承、与时俱进，也关系着以无神论为基石的马克思主义意识形态能否站得住、立得稳。

I. The Prerequisite for Disciplinary Construction: The Establishment of an Independent Disciplinary Status

一、学科建设的前提：独立学科地位的确立

Atheism is the negation and critique of theism. For thousands of years, the intellectual achievements of theism have been voluminous and self-contained, forming their own systems. Religious studies and religious theology have taken these as important or basic objects of study and have thereby been established and developed. Correspondingly, the intellectual achievements of atheism are equally vast as the ocean. Theoretically, they can also serve as a type of knowledge system and constitute an independent discipline. In reality, however, it cannot yet be said that the independent disciplinary status of atheism has been fully established. In the *National Standard of the People’s Republic of China for Classification and Codes of Disciplines (GB/T 13745—2009)* (hereinafter referred to as the *Standard*), promulgated in 2009 by the General Administration of Quality Supervision, Inspection and Quarantine and the Standardization Administration of China, atheism is set as a second-level discipline under the first-level discipline of religious studies, with four third-level disciplines under it: history of atheism, Chinese atheism, foreign atheism, and other subjects of atheism. However, in the *Catalogue of Disciplines and Specialties for Granting Doctoral and Master’s Degrees and Cultivating Graduate Students* issued in 1997 by the Academic Degrees Committee of the State Council and the State Education Commission, and in the *Catalogue of Disciplines for Degree Granting and Talent Cultivation* (hereinafter referred to as the *Catalogue*) revised in 2011 by the Academic Degrees Committee of the State Council and the Ministry of Education, neither the discipline nor the specialty of atheism appears. Instead, religious studies is set as a second-level discipline under the first-level discipline of philosophy. Thus, atheism, which still existed as a second-level discipline in the *Standard*, has disappeared from the *Catalogue*, which is “applicable to the granting of master’s and doctoral degrees, enrollment and cultivation, and used for disciplinary construction and educational statistical classification.” Although one could infer from the *Standard* that atheism should be a “third-level discipline” or research direction under the second-level discipline of religious studies, a “third-level discipline” or research direction that does not appear in the *Catalogue* cannot independently carry out disciplinary construction work such as the layout of disciplinary points, the construction of disciplinary systems, the setting of disciplinary echelons, and the cultivation of disciplinary talent. Only second-level or first-level disciplines that appear in the *Catalogue* can independently engage in disciplinary construction.

无神论是对有神论的否定和批判。千百年来，有神论的思想成果汗牛充栋、自成体系，宗教学、宗教神学都把这当作重要的或基本的研究对象而得以建立和发展。与此相对应，无神论的思想成果同样浩如烟海，从理论上讲，也可以作为一类知识体系，构成一门独立学科。但在现实中，无神论的独立学科地位尚不能说已经完全确立。在2009年国家质量监督检验总局、中国国家标准化管理委员会颁布的《中华人民共和国学科分类与代码国家标准（GB/T 13745—2009）》（以下简称《标准》）中，在宗教学一级学科下设有无神论二级学科，其下又设有无神论史、中国无神论、外国无神论、无神论其他学科等四个三级学科。但在1997年国务院学位委员会、国家教育委员会下发的《授予博士、硕士学位和培养研究生的学科、专业目录》和在此基础上2011年国务院学位委员会、教育部修订的《学位授予和人才培养学科目录》（以下简称《目录》）中，均没有出现无神论学科和专业，倒是在哲学一级学科下设有宗教学二级学科。可见，在《标准》中尚作为一个二级学科的无神论，在“适用于硕士、博士的学位授予、招生和培养，并用于学科建设和教育统计分类等工作”的《目录》中已经不见其踪影了。尽管可以根据《标准》类推出无神论应作为一个“三级学科”或研究方向隶属于宗教学二级学科，但不能见之于《目录》的“三级学科”或研究方向是不能独立进行学科点布局、学科体系构建、学科梯队设置、学科人才培养等学科建设工作的。只有能见之于《目录》的二级学科或一级学科，才能独立进行学科建设。

Of course, placing atheism as a “third-level discipline” or research direction under religious studies does have its rationality, because the fundamental purpose that religious studies should follow—from “studying religion, criticizing theology” (Ren Jiyu, “Study Religion, Criticize Theology,” *Guangming Daily*, September 27, 1977) to “academics require rationality, faith requires tolerance” (Lü Daji, *A New Comprehensive Introduction to Religious Studies*, China Social Sciences Press, 1998, p. 26)—is essentially different from theological speculation based on fideism, and both inevitably require atheism as their basic standpoint and ultimate destination. Adhering to such a standpoint and destination can both ensure the correct direction of religious studies and promote the healthy development of the discipline of atheism; deviating from such a standpoint and destination would likely cause religious studies to degenerate into religious theology, and the development of the discipline of atheism would inevitably fall into a dead end.

当然，把无神论作为宗教学下的一个“三级学科”或研究方向确有其合理性，因为宗教学研究所应遵循的根本宗旨——从“研究宗教，批判神学”（任继愈：《研究宗教，批判神学》，《光明日报》1977年9月27日）。到“学术需理性，信仰要宽容”（吕大吉：《宗教学通论新编》，中国社会科学出版社1998年版，第26页）。——都与基于信仰主义的神学思辨有着本质的不同，都必然要求以无神论为其基本立场和最终归宿。坚持这样的立场和归宿，既能保证宗教学研究的正确方向，又能促进无神论学科的健康发展；偏离了这样的立场和归宿，宗教学研究就很可能蜕变为宗教神学研究，无神论学科的发展也必然陷入绝境。

China’s religious studies began in the 1950s. After Ren Jiyu wrote “rare as phoenix feathers and unicorn horns” “articles on Buddhist studies” “using the viewpoint of historical materialism” (*Collected Works of Mao Zedong*, Vol. 8, People’s Publishing House, 1999, p. 353), he was commissioned by Mao Zedong to establish China’s first religious research institution—the Institute of World Religions under the Department of Philosophy and Social Sciences of the Chinese Academy of Sciences. At that time, “the preparatory group set the basic tasks for the institute as: under the guidance of Marxism-Leninism and Mao Zedong Thought, to conduct systematic research on the current situation, history, and theory of the three major religions (Christianity, Buddhism, and Islam) that influence the vast majority of the world’s population (including their origins, development, scriptures, sects, doctrines, etc.), to criticize religious theology, and to propagate atheist thought.” (Zhuo Xinping, Jin Yijiu, et al., “A Dialogue on the 50 Years of Contemporary Chinese Religious Studies and a Review of the 50-Year Journey Since the Founding of the Institute of World Religions, Chinese Academy of Social Sciences,” *World Religious Culture*, No. 6, 2014.) Entering the new period of reform and opening up, Ren Jiyu further proposed: “The content of Marxist religious studies includes not only the study of various specific religions, but also the study of atheism, which is opposed to religious theology. Marxist religious studies is essentially a kind of scientific atheism.” (Ren Jiyu, “Strive to Develop Marxist Religious Studies,” *Philosophical Research*, No. 4, 1979.) This in fact both pointed the direction for the development of religious studies and found a foundation for the development of atheism. Subsequently, amid the fervent development of religious studies, although a number of achievements in atheism were produced and a number of talents in atheism were cultivated, “in recent years, with the warming of the religious fever, under the background of various religions funding religious research with huge sums, promoting the positive role of religion has become the mainstream discourse, while the voice analyzing the negative role of religion has been marginalized. Scientific atheism has a faint voice, almost becoming a ‘lost study’… Theologians at home and abroad have joined forces to promote the ‘Chinese Christian theological movement’ into the ideological, cultural, and educational fields of mainland China, forming a trend that influences the mainstream discourse circles of contemporary China.”

我国的宗教学研究开始于上世纪50年代。任继愈先生“用历史唯物主义的观点”写出“凤毛麟角”的“谈佛学的文章”（《毛泽东文集》第8卷，人民出版社1999年版，第353页。）后，受命于毛泽东，组建了中国第一个宗教研究机构——中国科学院哲学社会科学部世界宗教研究所。当时，“筹备小组为研究所确定的基本任务是：以马克思列宁主义、毛泽东思想为指导，对影响着世界广大人口的三大宗教（基督教、佛教、伊斯兰教）的现状、理论和历史进行系统的研究（包括起源、发展、经典、教派、教义等），批判宗教神学，宣传无神论思想。”（卓新平、金宜久等：《对话当代中国宗教学50年暨中国社会科学院世界宗教研究所建所50周年历程回顾》，《世界宗教文化》2014年第6期。）进入改革开放的新时期，任继愈先生进一步提出：“马克思主义宗教学的内容不仅包括各种具体宗教的研究，而且还包括与宗教神学相对立的无神论的研究。马克思主义宗教学本质上是一种科学无神论。”（任继愈：《为发展马克思主义宗教学而奋斗》，《哲学研究》1979年第4期。）这实际上既为宗教学的发展指明了方向，也为无神论的发展找到了依托。此后在宗教学的火热发展中，虽然也推出了一批无神论的成果，培养了一批无神论的人才，但“近些年来，随着宗教热的升温，在各种宗教出巨资资助宗教研究的背景下，在宗教研究领域，宣扬宗教的积极作用成为主流话语，而分析宗教消极作用的声音被边缘化。科学无神论的声音微弱，几乎成为‘绝学’……海内外神学家联手推动‘汉语基督教神学运动’进入中国大陆思想文化教育领域，已经形成影响当代中国主流话语圈的态势。”（习五一：《毛泽东关于〈加强宗教问题的研究〉的当代价值》，《科学与无神论》2014年第6期。）

Against this practical background, atheism, as a subfield of religious studies, has found it difficult not only to develop but even to survive. “Some scholars who claim to uphold the Marxist view of religion not only depart from an atheist stance and the critique of theology when discussing religious issues, but also oppose atheist research and propaganda, denouncing it as undermining religious harmony and social harmony. While professing to uphold the Marxist view of religion, they simultaneously reject and oppose atheist research and propaganda—this is a fairly widespread phenomenon.” (Tian Xinming, “Marxist Religious Research Must Uphold the Atheist Stance,” *Marxist Studies*, No. 3, 2014.) This is reflected in scientific research, taking only the project guidelines and funded results of the National Social Science Fund from 2000 to 2014 as an example. Over these fifteen consecutive years of project guidelines, the term “atheism” appeared most frequently in philosophy and religious studies (13 times each), which should be determined by the disciplinary affiliation of atheism under the *Standards* and *Catalog* [1]1 The *Standards* and *Catalog* refer to the official disciplinary classification documents governing academic degree conferral and talent cultivation in China.; however, in the corresponding funded results, the term “atheism” appeared most frequently in philosophy, followed by Marxism·Scientific Socialism, and then religious studies—this precisely reflects the actual status of atheism within religious studies and related disciplines. In terms of talent cultivation, according to the *Standards* and *Catalog*, atheist talent should be trained under religious studies at the “third-level discipline” or research direction level. But when “cherishing religion” has already become the mainstream voice in academia, how easy is it to cultivate atheist talent? Not to mention that some religious studies scholars themselves hold religious beliefs, nor that some overseas missionaries and theologians have been hired as part-time professors by various universities; just look at the graduate students trained by these scholars and professors—their “dissertations have an extremely鲜明的 Christian theological stance, indistinguishable from theologians trained in seminaries,” which “cannot but arouse suspicion and confusion about the current state of religious studies teaching and research in higher education.” (Xi Wuyi, “Should Religious Theology Enter University Campuses?” *Science and Atheism*, No. 4, 2013.) If this continues, “atheist research being excluded from religious research, with religious studies becoming a prominent discipline and atheism an endangered discipline” (Tian Xinming, “Marxist Religious Research Must Uphold the Atheist Stance,” *Marxist Studies*, No. 3, 2014) is no longer alarmist talk. Advancing the disciplinary construction of atheism within religious studies has become quite difficult, or rather, the conditions and foundation for it no longer exist.

在这样的现实背景下，委身于宗教学的无神论别说发展，就连生存也成为了问题。“有些声称坚持马克思主义宗教观的学者，不仅自己离开无神论立场和对神学的批判去讲宗教问题，而且反对无神论的研究和宣传，将其斥为破坏宗教和谐、社会和谐。一面以奉行马克思主义宗教观相标榜，一面却拒绝和反对无神论的研究与宣传教育，这是一种相当普遍的现象。”（田心铭：《马克思主义的宗教研究必须坚持无神论立场》，《马克思主义研究》2014年第3期。）表现在科学研究中，仅以2000年至2014年国家社会科学基金的项目指南和立项结果为例。在连续15年的项目指南中，“无神论”一词出现次数最多的是哲学和宗教学（各13次），这应该是由《标准》和《目录》中无神论的学科归属决定的；但在与之对应的立项结果中，“无神论”一词出现次数最多的是哲学，其次是马克思主义·科学社会主义，再次是宗教学，这反映的恰恰是无神论在宗教学和相关学科中的现实地位。表现在人才培养中，根据《标准》和《目录》，应在宗教学下以“三级学科”或研究方向的名义培养无神论人才，但在“呵护宗教”已然成为学术界主流声音的情况下，无神论人才的培养谈何容易？且不说一些宗教学者本身就有宗教信仰，也不说一些海外的传教士、神学家纷纷被一些高校聘为兼职教授，单看这些学者、教授培养出来的研究生，其“学位论文的基督教神学立场极为鲜明，与神学院培养的神学家毫无二致”，这“不能不让人对当前高校宗教学教学与研究工作产生疑虑和困惑”。（习五一：《宗教神学应当进入大学校园吗？》，《科学与无神论》2013年第4期。）照此发展下去，“无神论研究被排斥在宗教研究之外，宗教学成为显学，而无神论成为濒危学科”（田心铭：《马克思主义的宗教研究必须坚持无神论立场》，《马克思主义研究》2014年第3期。）已经不是危言耸听，要想在宗教学中推进无神论学科建设已经相当困难，甚或说已经不具备条件和基础了。

For atheism as a discipline to develop, it must achieve a fully independent disciplinary status, the marker of which is its inclusion in the *Catalog*, enabling it to legitimately confer master’s and doctoral degrees, recruit students, and conduct training. Only in this way can it gather high-level experts and scholars, form a strong academic atmosphere, stand at the forefront of science, continuously innovate, gain recognition within academia, and exert influence in society. To achieve this effect, atheism needs to be upgraded from a “third-level discipline” or research direction under religious studies to an independent second-level discipline. Then, within the current disciplinary classification system, under which first-level discipline could atheism be placed? There are two possibilities: first, philosophy; second, Marxist theory.

无神论学科要发展，就必须拥有完全独立的学科地位，其标志就是能够进入《目录》，名正言顺地进行硕士、博士的学位授予、招生和培养。唯有如此，才能凝聚高水平的专家学者，形成浓厚的学术氛围，立足科学前沿，不断推陈出新，在学术界产生认同感，在社会上产生感染力。要达到这样的效果，就需要把无神论由宗教学下的一个“三级学科”或研究方向升格为一个独立的二级学科。那么，在目前的学科划分体系中，无神论可以进入哪个一级学科？这有两种可能：一是哲学，二是马克思主义理论。

If it enters philosophy, that would mean atheism becomes a second-level discipline parallel to religious studies under the first-level discipline of philosophy. However, according to the basic conditions for establishing a second-level discipline—namely, “possessing a relatively independent system of specialized knowledge” (the State Council Academic Degrees Committee and Ministry of Education’s “Notice on the Issuance of the Measures for the Management of the Establishment of the Discipline Catalog for Degree Conferral and Talent Training”)—can atheism and religious studies be clearly distinguished? First, consider atheism: its object of study “is the concept of ‘God’; the conclusion it reaches through research on this object is ‘atheism,’ i.e., that the concept of ‘God’ is an illusory concept” (Tian Xinming, “Upholding Marxism and Upholding Scientific Atheism,” *Science and Atheism*, No. 4, 2010). Next, consider religious studies: its research on the basic elements of religion naturally includes the study of religious concepts, i.e., the concept of “God,” and in such research it must “avoid all blind superstitious fideism” (Lü Daji, *A New Compendium of General Religious Studies*, China Social Sciences Press, 1998, p. 27), adhering to the principle of objective rationality. This has in fact already prescribed the atheist foundation of religious studies research. In this situation, if atheism were added as a second-level discipline parallel to religious studies under the same first-level discipline, it would inevitably bring about blurred disciplinary boundaries, and it would likely be difficult to gain broad recognition within academia.

如果进入哲学，那就意味着无神论将成为哲学一级学科下与宗教学相并列的一个二级学科。但是，根据二级学科设置应符合的基本条件——“具有相对独立的专业知识体系”，《国务院学位委员会、教育部关于印发〈学位授予和人才培养学科目录设置与管理办法〉的通知》无神论与宗教学能否明确地区别开来？先说无神论，它的研究对象“就是关于‘神’的观念；它以此为对象开展研究得出的结论，就是‘无神’，即‘神’的观念是虚幻的观念”；（田心铭：《坚持马克思主义与坚持科学无神论》，《科学与无神论》2010年第4期）。再看宗教学，它对宗教构成的基本要素的研究，自然包括对宗教观念，即“神”的观念的研究，而在研究中“又要避免一切盲目迷信的信仰主义”，（吕大吉：《宗教学通论新编》，中国社会科学出版社1998年版，第27页）。恪守客观理性的原则，这实际上已经规定了宗教学研究的无神论底色。在这种情况下，如果把无神论增设为同一一级学科下与宗教学相并列的二级学科，必然带来学科边界上的模糊不清，恐怕很难得到学术界的广泛认同。

On the contrary, the entry of atheism into the first-level discipline of Marxist theory is already feasible, with both internal and external conditions in place. Theoretically, atheism is inherently the cornerstone of the edifice of Marxist theory and the prerequisite for all other Marxist theories. Marx and Engels themselves were staunch atheists; they began to establish their new world view under the condition that “the critique of religion was essentially completed” (Collected Works of Marx and Engels, Vol. 1, People’s Publishing House, 2009, p. 3), and then “applied this world view thoroughly (at least in its main aspects) to all the fields of knowledge they studied” (Collected Works of Marx and Engels, Vol. 4, People’s Publishing House, 2009, p. 297). Although atheism is not the most important idea in Marxism—since other Marxist ideas have greatly surpassed it and moved forward—it is the most foundational idea of Marxism. It is precisely on this foundation that the entire ideological system of Marxism and the practice of scientific socialism have been erected. As a discipline that studies the basic principles and scientific system of Marxism as a whole, Marxist theory must not neglect the study of atheism, for this is its foundational project, its soul-forging project. From a practical perspective, the first-level discipline of Marxist theory was established in December 2005 precisely to “advance the Party’s ideological and theoretical construction and consolidate the guiding position of Marxism in higher education teaching and instruction” (Notice of the Academic Degrees Committee of the State Council and the Ministry of Education on Adjusting and Adding the First-Level Discipline of Marxist Theory and Its Subordinate Second-Level Disciplines, Degree [2005] No. 64). Its five subordinate second-level disciplines respectively provide the main support for the four courses of ideological and political theory in higher education, and these four courses in turn have found their backing mainly in these five second-level disciplines. Today, in the face of new situations and new problems in the Party’s ideological and theoretical construction—especially the fact that some Party cadres do not believe in Marxism-Leninism but believe in gods and ghosts, seeking spiritual sustenance from feudal superstition, enthusiastically engaging in fortune-telling and physiognomy, burning incense and worshipping Buddha, and “seeking advice from the gods” when encountering difficulties—and in the face of new situations and new problems in the ideological and political education of college students—especially the intensified use of religion by foreign forces to infiltrate higher education, with a considerable number of college students holding vague understandings of religion and individual students being drawn into religious belief—whether it is to strengthen ideals and convictions, uphold the spiritual pursuits of Communists, and prevent some Party cadres from losing themselves under the influence of feudal superstition and religion, or to educate and guide college students to correctly understand and deal with religious issues, resist religious infiltration and prevent campus proselytization, it is necessary to make Marxist atheist education a foundational task, integrating it into the training of main programs at Party schools, schools of administration, and cadre academies, and into the teaching of ideological and political theory courses and related specialized courses in higher education. This is entirely consistent with the situation that led to the adjustment and addition of the first-level discipline of Marxist theory and its subordinate second-level disciplines. On this basis, “Marxist atheism” can be added as a second-level discipline under the first-level discipline of Marxist theory. Moreover, there is already a precedent for such an addition of a second-level discipline. In April 2008, to further strengthen the disciplinary support for the course “Outline of Modern Chinese History,” the second-level discipline “Research on Basic Problems of Modern Chinese History” was added on the basis of the existing five second-level disciplines. Today, to further strengthen the disciplinary support for Marxist atheist education, why not add a second-level discipline of Marxist atheism?

相反，无神论进入马克思主义理论一级学科，倒是内外条件俱备，具有很大的可行性。从理论上讲，无神论本来就是马克思主义理论大厦的基石，是马克思主义其他一切理论的前提。马克思和恩格斯本人都是坚定的无神论者，他们是在“对宗教的批判基本上已经结束”（《马克思恩格斯文集》第1卷，人民出版社2009年版，第3页）。的条件下开始创立自己的新世界观的，进而“把这个世界观彻底地（至少在主要方面）运用到了所研究的一切知识领域里去了”。（《马克思恩格斯文集》第4卷，人民出版社2009年版，第297页。）虽然无神论不是马克思主义最重要的思想，因为马克思主义的其他思想都已大大地超越它而向前进了，但无神论是马克思主义最基础的思想，正是在这个基础上，才树立起了马克思主义的整个思想体系和科学社会主义的实践。作为从整体上研究马克思主义基本原理和科学体系的学科，马克思主义理论决不能忽视对无神论的研究，因为这是它的奠基工程、铸魂工程。从现实中看，2005年12月马克思主义理论一级学科得以设立，就是为了“推进党的思想理论建设和巩固马克思主义在高等学校教育教学中的指导地位”《国务院学位委员会、教育部关于调整增设马克思主义理论一级学科及所属二级学科的通知》（学位［2005］ 64号）其所属的五个二级学科分别主要支撑着高校思想政治理论课的四门课程，而这四门课程也分别主要从这五个二级学科中找到了依托。而今，面对党的思想理论建设的新情况新问题，尤其是一些党员干部不信马列信鬼神，从封建迷信中寻找精神寄托，热衷于算命看相、烧香拜佛，遇事“问计于神”，面对大学生思想政治教育的新情况新问题，尤其是境外加紧利用宗教对高校进行渗透，有相当数量的大学生对宗教存在模糊认识，个别大学生被拉拢信教，无论是为了坚定理想信念，坚守共产党人精神追求，防止一些党员干部在封建迷信和宗教影响下失去自我，还是为了教育引导大学生正确认识和对待宗教问题，抵御宗教渗透和防范校园传教，都需要把马克思主义无神论教育作为基础性工作，融入到党校、行政学院、干部学院主体班次的培训中去，融入到高校思想政治理论课和有关专业课程的教学中去。这与当年调整增设马克思主义理论一级学科及所属二级学科的形势完全一致，据此完全可以把“马克思主义无神论”增设为马克思主义理论一级学科下的一个二级学科。况且，如此增设二级学科已有先例。2008年4月，为进一步强化“中国近现代史纲要”课的学科支撑，就曾在已有五个二级学科的基础上，增设了“中国近现代史基本问题研究”二级学科。今天，为进一步强化马克思主义无神论教育的学科支撑，再增设一个马克思主义无神论二级学科何尝不可？

If a second-level discipline of Marxist atheism were established, would it lead to the complete withdrawal of atheist research from religious studies, further increasing the real danger of religious studies sliding into religious theology? Such concern is necessary but should not be overly sensitive. Just as the first-level discipline of Marxist theory studies Marxism as a whole, this does not exclude the three first-level disciplines of philosophy, theoretical economics, and political science from studying Marxism concretely through their respective second-level disciplines of Marxist philosophy, political economy, and scientific socialism and the international communist movement, which correspond to the three component parts of Marxism. Similarly, regarding the history of China since modern times, the second-level discipline of modern Chinese history under the first-level discipline of history can study it, the second-level discipline of the history of the Chinese Communist Party under the first-level discipline of political science can study it, and the second-level discipline of research on basic problems of modern Chinese history under the first-level discipline of Marxist theory can also study it. Thus, in disciplinary divisions, overlap in research objects is not uncommon. For the same issue, different disciplines can conduct research from different directions and perspectives. Specifically regarding atheism, in religious studies, it is a basic stance that ensures research on the origins, development, scriptures, sects, doctrines, and social functions of various religions is always guided by rationalism, rather than by fideism that “speaks of religion from within religion”; in Marxist theory, it is a logical premise and historical destination. Whether in holistic research or in research by sub-discipline, it ultimately tells people that they should not entrust their fate to gods that do not exist, and that humanity is fully capable of relying on its own strength to achieve truly real happiness for itself.

如果设立了马克思主义无神论二级学科，是否会导致无神论研究彻底退出宗教学，进一步增大宗教学滑向宗教神学的现实危险？这种担心有必要但也不应过于敏感。正如马克思主义理论一级学科是从整体上研究马克思主义的，但这并没有排斥哲学、理论经济学、政治学三个一级学科分别在其所属的马克思主义哲学、政治经济学、科学社会主义与国际共产主义运动三个二级学科中，从马克思主义的三个组成部分来具体研究马克思主义。又如，对近现代以来的中国历史，历史学一级学科下的中国近代史可以研究，政治学一级学科下的中共党史可以研究，马克思主义理论一级学科下的中国近现代史基本问题研究同样可以研究。可见，在学科划分中，研究对象上的交叉重叠并不罕见。对于同样的问题，不同的学科可以从不同的方向和角度进行研究。具体到无神论，在宗教学中，它是一种基本立场，确保对各种宗教起源、发展、经典、教派、教义、社会作用等的研究始终以理性主义为主导，而不是信仰主义的“在教言教”；在马克思主义理论中，它是一种逻辑前提和历史归宿，无论整体性研究还是分学科研究，最终都要告诉人们，不应把命运交给本不存在的神来支配，人类完全能够依靠自己的力量为自己谋得真正现实的幸福。

II. The Foundation of Disciplinary Construction: The Construction of a Complete Disciplinary System

二、学科建设的基础：完整学科体系的构建

Establishing the second-level discipline of Marxist atheism under the first-level discipline of Marxist theory is the work objective for advancing the disciplinary construction of atheism under the current circumstances. Achieving this objective requires not only strong support from the relevant functional departments of the Ministry of Education but also broad recognition from academia and society. To obtain such support and recognition, the most fundamental step is to build up atheism as it currently exists as a “third-level discipline” or research direction, comprehensively enhancing its theoretical depth and scholarly substance, and creating conditions for the upgrading of the discipline through solid internal work. At this point, we take note of the “five viscera and six bowels” theory proposed by Fei Xiaotong during the restoration and reconstruction of sociology in the early 1980s. Using it as a reference can provide a direction of effort and a standard of measurement for the construction and development of the discipline of atheism. Fei Xiaotong believed that to establish a discipline, it must have “five viscera and six bowels.” The “five viscera” refer to the five parts that the disciplinary structure should include: an academic society, a research institute, a university department, a library and data center, and a book and journal publishing unit; the “six bowels” refer to the six basic courses that should be prepared at a minimum when running a sociology department in a university: Introduction to Sociology, Social Survey Methods, Social Psychology, Urban and Rural Sociology, Comparative Sociology, and Introduction to Western Sociological Theory. With these “five viscera and six bowels,” the stage for sociology is set, and the formal performance can begin (Collected Works of Fei Xiaotong, Vol. 8, Qunyan Publishing House, 1999, p. 287).

在马克思主义理论一级学科下设立马克思主义无神论二级学科，是当前形势下推进无神论学科建设的工作目标。实现这一目标，既需要教育部有关职能部门的大力支持，更需要学术界和社会的广泛认同。而要取得这样的支持和认同，最根本的还是把今天作为“三级学科”或研究方向的无神论建设好，全面提高其理论深度和学术蕴涵，以扎实的内功为学科的升级创造条件。这时，我们注意到了上世纪80年代初社会学恢复重建时费孝通先生提出的“五脏六腑”说，参鉴它可以为无神论学科的建设和发展提供一个努力方向、衡量标准。费孝通认为，要建立一门学科必须要有“五脏六腑”。“五脏”是指学科结构中应该包括五个部分：学会、研究所、学系、图书资料中心、书刊出版部；“六腑”是指在大学办社会学系至少要先准备好的六门基本课程：社会学概论、社会调查方法、社会心理学、城乡社会学、比较社会学、西方社会学理论介绍。有了这“五脏六腑”，社会学的戏台就搭起来了，就可以正式演戏了。（《费孝通文集》第8卷，群言出版社1999年版，第287页。）

Similar to the six basic courses in sociology, in the disciplinary construction of atheism, we should first, based on the discipline’s inherent theoretical and practical logic, construct a tree-like branching structure, systematizing and categorizing the specialized knowledge within the disciplinary field to form a complete disciplinary system. This is necessary both for deepening theoretical research in the discipline at present and for cultivating specialized talents in the discipline in the future.

类似于社会学的六门基本课程，在无神论学科建设中，首先也应该根据学科内在的理论逻辑和实践逻辑，构建一个树状分支结构，把学科领域内的专门知识系统化、类型化起来，形成一个完整的学科体系，这既是目前深化学科理论研究的需要，也是将来培养学科专业人才的需要。

Since atheism is the negation and critique of the concept of “god,” as the concept of “god” has developed and transformed throughout human history, atheism has also continuously developed and perfected itself. From spontaneous atheism to conscious atheism, from ancient naive atheism to modern scientific atheism, and then, through the accumulation of human civilization and thought, its advanced form—Marxist atheism—was born. Marxist atheism transcends mere “godless” argumentation to reveal the essence of religion and the objective laws of its emergence, development, and extinction; it transcends religious critique to enter into social critique; it transcends the realm of thought to enter the realm of social practice. It not only thoroughly negates the actual existence of ghosts and gods, heaven and hell, and any other supernatural forces, but also actively guides people to break with superstition, cast off ignorance, and use their own wisdom and hands to create a happy and fulfilling life. In this way, propaganda and education become an important link in realizing the value of Marxist atheism. Thus, Marxist atheism moves from theory to practice, from deconstruction to construction. According to this internal logic, Marxist atheism as a discipline should at least possess the following four main branches:

由于无神论是对“神”的观念的否定和批判，随着“神”的观念在人类历史中的发展和变幻，无神论也在不断地发展和完善着自己。从自发的无神论到自觉的无神论，从古代的朴素无神论到近代以来的科学无神论，进而在人类文明和思考的积淀中，孕育出了其高级形态——马克思主义无神论。马克思主义无神论超越了单纯的“无神”论证而揭示了宗教的本质及其产生、发展、消亡的客观规律，超越了宗教批判而进入了社会批判，超越了思想领域而进入了社会实践领域。它不仅彻底地否定了鬼神、天堂、地狱以及其他任何超自然力量的实际存在，而且还积极地引导人们破除迷信、摆脱愚昧，用自己的智慧和双手去创造幸福美满的生活。这样，宣传教育就成为了马克思主义无神论价值实现的重要环节。由此，马克思主义无神论从理论走向了实践，从消解转为了构建。根据这样的内在逻辑，作为学科的马克思主义无神论至少应具备以下四条主要枝干：

1. Principles of Marxist Atheism

1、马克思主义无神论原理

This is the most fundamental branch of the disciplinary system. It aims to employ the worldview and methodology of dialectical materialism and historical materialism to answer, from an ontological perspective, “why there is no god”; from an epistemological perspective, “why some people believe in god”; and from a methodological perspective, “how to treat gods that do not exist and the people who believe in them.” In fact, these are classic propositions in Marxist theoretical research. Classical writers such as Marx, Engels, and Lenin all made scientific expositions on them in the process of founding, developing, and practicing scientific socialism. Chinese Communists have also put forward their own basic views and policies in different periods of leading China’s revolution, construction, and reform. Over the more than 50 years since the establishment of religious studies in contemporary China, a large body of research results based on an atheist and Marxist standpoint has also been accumulated. All of this can provide basic ideological orientation and rich academic resources for the elucidation of the principles of Marxist atheism. In this regard, several “readers” have been published, but they are mainly suitable for propaganda and education in specific periods. Truly theoretically profound and academically substantial monographs and textbooks are still lacking. This urgently requires the collaborative innovation of both senior and emerging scholars in the field of atheism to produce new academic works with clear positions, scientific viewpoints, detailed materials, and explanations that are profound yet accessible, in order to guide the direction of the discipline’s development and enhance its social reputation.

这是学科体系中最基本的枝干，旨在运用辩证唯物主义和历史唯物主义的世界观和方法论，从本体论上回答“为什么无神”、从认识论上回答“为什么有人信神”、从方法论上回答“怎么对待本无的神和信神的人”。其实，这些都是马克思主义理论研究的经典命题，马克思、恩格斯、列宁等经典作家在创立、发展、实践科学社会主义的过程中都曾作出过科学的论述，中国共产党人在领导中国革命、建设、改革的不同时期也曾提出过自己的基本观点和政策，当代中国宗教学设立50多年来基于无神论和马克思主义的立场也留下了大量的研究成果。所有这些，都可以为马克思主义无神论原理的阐发提供基本的思想导向、丰富的学术资源。在这方面，曾经出版过几个“读本”，但主要适用于特定时期的宣传教育，真正具有理论深度和学术蕴涵的专著、教材尚属空白，这就迫切地需要无神论学界的大老新锐协同创新，以立场鲜明、观点科学、资料翔实、深入浅出的学术新作来引领学科的发展方向，提高学科的社会声誉。

2. History of Atheism

2、无神论史

Marxist atheism is an advanced form of the development of scientific atheism. “It developed on the basis of critically summarizing and inheriting the excellent achievements of atheism in history. If we do not study the theory and history of atheism, both Chinese and foreign, we cannot deeply grasp the content of Marxist religious studies and scientific atheism.” (Ren Jiyu, “Strive to Develop Marxist Religious Studies,” *Philosophical Research*, No. 4, 1979.) Therefore, the history of atheism, composed of the history of Chinese atheism, the history of Western atheism, and the history of Marxist atheism, should become one of the important branches of the disciplinary system. In the early 1990s, academic circles published *A History of Chinese Atheism* and *A History of Western Atheism*. However, “from the current perspective, these two histories of atheism appear somewhat outdated, both in terms of philosophical concepts and in the selection and analysis of materials. It is necessary to absorb new philosophical and historical viewpoints to revise or rewrite them.” (Yang Junfeng, “Strengthen the Disciplinary Construction of Scientific Atheism and Resist Campus Cultural Proselytism,” *Science and Atheism*, No. 3, 2013.) At the same time, research on the history of Marxist atheism should also be placed on the agenda of disciplinary construction as a foundational task for perfecting the disciplinary system.

马克思主义无神论是科学无神论发展的高级形态，“它是在批判地总结和继承历史上的无神论的优秀成果的基础上发展起来的。如果我们不研究中外无神论的理论和历史，就不能深入地把握马克思主义宗教学和科学无神论的内容”。（任继愈：《为发展马克思主义宗教学而奋斗》，《哲学研究》1979年第4期。）所以，由中国无神论史、西方无神论史、马克思主义无神论史聚合而成的无神论史，应该成为学科体系的重要枝干之一。上世纪90年代初，学术界即有《中国无神论史》、《西方无神论史》正式出版，但“就现在看来，这两部无神论史无论在哲学理念还是在资料选取与分析上都已略显陈旧，有必要吸收新的哲学与史学观点加以修订或重新编写”。（杨俊峰：《加强科学无神论学科建设，抵御校园文化传教》，《科学与无神论》2013年第3期。）与此同时，对马克思主义无神论史的研究也应作为完善学科体系的基础性工作，提到学科建设的日程上来。

3. Critique of Theism

3、有神论批判

The object of study for atheism is theism, and the conclusion of its research is “no god.” Therefore, studying atheism necessarily requires critiquing theism; an atheism that does not critique theism does not exist. Throughout history, both in China and abroad, the concepts of theism have been varied, ranging from traditional to modern ghost and god superstitions to systematized and theorized religious theology. This means that the critique of theism within atheist research should include at least two levels: first, the critique of ghost and god superstition, and second, the critique of religious theology. The critique of ghost and god superstition achieved a stage victory in the theoretical struggle against pseudoscience, “special functions,” [3]3 “Special functions” (特异功能) refers to purported paranormal abilities such as telepathy, clairvoyance, or telekinesis, which were the subject of widespread popular belief and pseudoscientific promotion in China during the 1980s and 1990s. and cults at the end of the last century. Now, further research and refinement can be conducted in light of various new mystical and “neo-theist” phenomena emerging under the new circumstances. The critique of religious theology was originally an integral part of Marxist religious studies and scientific atheist research. However, in recent years, within the diverse field of religious studies, the critique of theology has remained a sensitive area. Now, to construct the disciplinary system of Marxist atheism, this shortcoming must be addressed. However, we must also fully recognize that critiquing religious theology is no easy task, given its complex systems, convoluted arguments, irrational beliefs, and the complex religious feelings of believers. Accomplishing this work requires both profound theoretical accumulation and great political courage. This will become the most difficult task in the construction of the disciplinary system.

无神论的研究对象是有神论，研究结论是“无神”。所以，研究无神论必然要求批判有神论，不批判有神论的无神论是不存在的。古今中外，有神论的观念形形色色，既有从传统到现代的鬼神迷信，也有系统化理论化的宗教神学，这就使得无神论研究中的有神论批判至少应包括两个层面：一是鬼神迷信批判，二是宗教神学批判。鬼神迷信批判在上世纪末针对伪科学、“特异功能”、邪教的理论斗争中已经取得了阶段性的胜利，现在可以结合新形势下新出现的各种神秘主义和“新有神论”现象作进一步的研究和提炼。宗教神学批判本来就是马克思主义宗教学和科学无神论研究的应有之义，但近些年来，在异彩纷呈的宗教学研究中，批判神学一直处于敏感地带。而今要构建马克思主义无神论学科体系，这块短板必须补上。但是，我们也应充分地认识到，宗教神学因其庞杂的体系、繁琐的论证、非理性的信仰，再加上信教群众复杂的宗教感情，要批判它绝非一件易事。完成这项工作，既需要深厚的理论积淀，也需要极大的政治勇气，这将成为学科体系构建中最为艰难的工作。

4. Propaganda and Education of Marxist Atheism

4、马克思主义无神论宣传教育

The study of Marxist atheism is not only for theoretically explaining that there is “no god” in the world; more importantly, it is for enabling people to recognize this fact in practice, “to liberate faith from the sorcery of religion” (Marx and Engels, *Collected Works*, Vol. 3, People’s Publishing House, 2009, p. 448), and to take control of their own destiny. Thus, the disciplinary system under construction cannot exclude the propaganda and education of Marxist atheism. In this regard, classical writers have made many expositions, and ruling communist parties have put forward many demands, but specialized research is still rare. To remedy this deficiency, the categories of ideological and political education can be borrowed, treating Marxist atheism as a basic content of ideological and political education, and specifically studying the principles and methods of its propaganda and education. To this end, it is first necessary to clarify the dialectical and unified relationship between atheist propaganda and education and freedom of religious belief. Then, detailed and in-depth research should be conducted on the subjects and objects, goals and content, environment and conditions, mechanisms and methods, processes and laws of atheist propaganda and education. Finally, these results should be put into practice and tested, promoting the implementation of Marxist atheist propaganda and education work to achieve tangible results.

马克思主义无神论研究不只是为了从理论上说明世界上“无神”，更重要的是要人们在实践中认识到这个事实，“把信仰从宗教的妖术中解放出来”。（《马克思恩格斯文集》第3卷，人民出版社2009年版，第448页。）自己掌握自己的命运。这样，构建中的学科体系就不能不包括马克思主义无神论宣传教育。在这方面，经典作家有过很多论述，执政的共产党也提出过很多要求，但专业性的研究尚不多见。为了弥补这个缺陷，可以借用思想政治教育学的范畴，把马克思主义无神论作为思想政治教育的基本内容，专门研究其宣传教育的原理和方法。为此，首先需要澄清无神论宣传教育与宗教信仰自由的辩证统一关系，继而就无神论宣传教育的主体和对象、目标和内容、环境和条件、机制和方法、过程和规律等进行深入细致的研究，最后将这些成果付诸实践、接受检验，推动马克思主义无神论宣传教育工作落到实处、取得实效。

3. Requirements for Disciplinary Construction: Cultivation of a Series of Disciplinary Departments

三、学科建设的要件：系列学科部门的培育

Constructing a complete disciplinary system and producing a batch of in-depth, valuable research results in volume is the foundation and key to a discipline gaining broad recognition from academia and society, and thereby establishing its independent disciplinary status. To achieve this goal, a work team capable of striving for it is essential. In China, due to the influence of various complex factors since reform and opening up, there was a period when “theism had people talking about it, while atheism had no one talking about it.” [4]4 This is a common Chinese saying criticizing the perceived imbalance in public discourse during the reform era, where religious and superstitious ideas proliferated while atheist advocacy declined. Currently, the number of people still holding the line or newly engaging in atheist research and propaganda and education is not very large. The first difficulty encountered in disciplinary construction is a shortage of human resources. How to more effectively organize the limited personnel and how to attract more people to participate in atheist research and propaganda and education are the primary issues that must be resolved to advance disciplinary construction. To this end, it is necessary to accelerate the cultivation of a series of disciplinary departments, providing organizational support and building platforms for growth for those who are already or may engage in atheist research and propaganda and education. Here, we can refer to Mr. Fei Xiaotong’s “five viscera” theory [5]5 Fei Xiaotong (1910–2005) was a pioneering Chinese sociologist and anthropologist. His “five viscera” (五脏) theory refers to the five essential components he argued a discipline needs to be fully established: an academic society, a research institute, a university department, a specialized journal, and a library or information center. and examine the current state of the discipline’s development and plan its future direction from the following five aspects:

构建完整的学科体系并批量形成有深度、有价值的研究成果，是学科赢得学术界和社会广泛认同，进而确立独立学科地位的基础和关键。要实现这样的目标，必须有一个能为之努力的工作队伍。我国由于改革开放后多种复杂因素的影响，一度出现“有神论有人讲，无神论无人讲”的状况，目前仍然坚守在或新近投入到无神论研究和宣传教育的人还不是很多，开展学科建设首先遇到的困难便是人力不足。如何把有限的人力更有效地组织起来，如何吸引更多的人参与到无神论研究和宣传教育中来，这是推进学科建设必须解决的第一位的问题。为此，需要加快系列学科部门的培育，为已经或可能从事无神论研究和宣传教育的人提供组织的依托、搭建成长的平台。这里，可以参鉴费孝通先生的“五脏”说，从以下五个方面来审视学科发展的现状、规划学科发展的方向：

1. Academic Societies

1、学会

Learned societies are mass organizations that promote disciplinary construction. For the discipline of atheism, there is currently only one national-level society — the Chinese Atheism Society. “Over the past 35 years, the Chinese Atheism Society has traversed a difficult and tortuous path of development. Up to now, although atheism has found someone to speak about it, its voice remains very weak.” (Li Shen, “Thirty-Five Years of the Chinese Atheism Society,” *Science and Atheism*, No. 3, 2014.) In 2013, the Chinese Atheism Society elected a new council, with a total of 115 council members, an increase of only 9 compared with the previous council eight years earlier, while in 2014 the Chinese Association for Religious Studies already had 408 council members. This not only reflects, to a certain extent, the actual situation in which atheist research, propaganda and education are currently in a weak position in China, but also indicates that the Chinese Atheism Society still has broad room for development. The establishment in 2014 of the “Southern Research Center of the Chinese Atheism Society” has already taken a substantive step, showing that there is still a group of people in the localities who are committed to engaging in atheist research, propaganda and education, but who have not yet been organized. The Chinese Atheism Society can further make good use of its “national-level” golden signboard to bring in more people with such aspirations, conferring on them academic honorary titles such as council member or regular member, stimulating their sense of responsibility, mobilizing their initiative, and guiding them to make greater contributions in the research, propaganda and education of Marxist atheism. On this basis, consideration can also be given to establishing local atheism societies and secondary branches of the Chinese Atheism Society at appropriate times, such as a Society for the History of Atheism and a Society for Atheist Propaganda and Education. In short, the one goal is to build an “academic home” and “ideological home” of mutual support, shared exchange, and common growth for those who are engaged in or may engage in atheist research, propaganda and education.

学会是推动学科建设的群众性组织。就无神论学科而言，目前只有一家全国性的学会——中国无神论学会。“35年来，中国无神论学会经历了艰难而曲折的发展道路。到目前为止，虽然无神论有人讲了，但声音还非常微弱。”（李申：《中国无神论学会三十五年》，《科学与无神论》2014年第3期。）2013年，中国无神论学会产生了新一届理事会，共有理事115人，与八年前上一届理事会相比，仅增加9人，而2014年中国宗教学会的理事已达到408人。这既在一定程度上反映了当前中国无神论研究和宣传教育还处于弱势的实际情况，也昭示着中国无神论学会还有着广阔的发展空间。2014年“中国无神论学会南方研究中心”的成立，已经迈出了实质性的一步，表明在地方上还存在着一批有志于从事无神论研究和宣传教育的人，只是现在还没有被组织起来。中国无神论学会可以进一步用好“国字号”这个金字招牌，把更多的怀有这方面志向的人吸纳进来，赋予他们理事、会员等学术荣誉称号，激发他们的责任感，调动他们的积极性，引领他们在马克思主义无神论研究和宣传教育中作出更大的贡献。在此基础上，还可以考虑适时成立各地方的无神论学会和中国无神论学会的二级分会，如无神论史学会、无神论宣传教育学会。总之一个目的，为正在从事和可能从事无神论研究和宣传教育的人建立一个互相支持、分享交流、共同成长的“学术之家”、“思想之家”。

2. Research Institutions

2、研究机构

Research institutions are the basic units and organizational forms for engaging in disciplinary research. As early as the end of the 1970s, the Institute of World Religions of the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences established a “Scientific Atheism Research Group,” but it was later renamed the “Teaching and Research Office of Principles of Religious Studies.” It was not until September 2009, when the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences issued the *Implementation Plan for Strengthening the Construction and Research of Marxist Theoretical Disciplines (2009–2014)* and established a “Teaching and Research Office of Marxist Atheism” within the Academy of Marxism, while simultaneously establishing the “Chinese Academy of Social Sciences Center for the Study of Science and Atheism,” that substantive atheist research institutions reappeared in China. Although their strength is still very limited at present, they have already begun to undertake the arduous task of constructing the discipline of Marxist atheism, and “will inevitably influence the ideological trends and academic structures in relevant fields nationwide to shift in a benign direction, and can play a positive role in the construction of advanced culture and the improvement of national quality.” (Xi Wuyi, “Carrying Forward the Cause and Forging Ahead into the Future, Striving to Open Up a New Situation for the Cause of Atheism — Work Report of the Third Council of the Chinese Atheism Society,” *Science and Atheism*, No. 5, 2013.) Taking this as a model, if experts and scholars who have already established a foothold in this disciplinary field can establish, under their own units, either substantive or non-substantive atheist research institutions, and thereby promote the establishment of similar research institutions in relevant universities, research institutes, Party schools, and academies of administration nationwide, and actively undertake national and local research projects to directly serve the construction of the socialist core value system and core socialist values, this will surely open up a new situation for the great development of the discipline of Marxist atheism.

研究机构是从事学科研究的基本单位和组织形式。早在上世纪70年代末，中国社会科学院世界宗教研究所就创设了“科学无神论研究组”，但后来改名为“宗教学原理研究室”。直至2009年9月中国社会科学院发布《加强马克思主义理论学科建设与理论研究实施方案（2009—2014）》，在马克思主义研究院组建“马克思主义无神论研究室”并同时成立“中国社会科学院科学与无神论研究中心”，这才使得实体性的无神论研究机构在中国再次出现。尽管目前其力量还非常有限，但已经开始承担马克思主义无神论学科建设的艰巨任务，“必将影响全国有关领域的思想趋势和学术结构向良性转变，对先进文化的建设和民族素质的提高，都能产生积极的作用”。（习五一：《继往开来，努力开创无神论事业新局面——中国无神论学会第三届理事会工作报告》，《科学与无神论》2013年第5期。）以此为鉴，已经在本学科领域立足的专家学者如果能够在自己所属单位挂牌成立或实体性或非实体性的无神论研究机构，进而推动全国相关的高校、科研院所以及党校、行政学院都成立类似的研究机构，并主动地承担国家和地方的科研课题，直接服务于社会主义核心价值体系和核心价值观的建设，势必能够开创马克思主义无神论学科大发展的崭新局面。

3. Academic Departments

3、专业学系

Academic departments are the matrix for cultivating professional talent, and are crucial to the continuity and succession of disciplinary development. However, for the discipline of atheism, within the current system of disciplinary classification and talent cultivation, it is still impossible to independently recruit, train, and confer degrees for graduate students. Therefore, while actively promoting the State Council Academic Degrees Committee and the Ministry of Education to independently establish Marxist atheism as a secondary discipline, experts and scholars who are actually engaged in the research, propaganda and education of Marxist atheism within other disciplines (such as Marxist theory, philosophy, or religious studies) can first set up research directions related to atheism within their own disciplines and recruit graduate students, or guide graduate students under other research directions to conduct research that intersects with atheism. By thus “borrowing a boat to put to sea,” they can cultivate professional talent in atheism, making academic and personnel preparations for ultimately obtaining approval to establish master’s and doctoral programs in Marxist atheism and to set up related departments and research institutions. At present, the Department of Marxist Studies of the Graduate School of the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences recruits master’s students in the direction of scientific atheist education within the specialty of ideological and political education, and the Department of Marxist Education, in implementing the “Plan for Cultivating Backbone Talents in Marxist Theory,” recruits doctoral students in the direction of Marxist religious theory within the specialty of religious studies. These can both be said to be examples of pioneering trials. Other qualified universities and research institutes can fully follow suit at appropriate times, using the large-scale cultivation of atheist talent to gradually change the situation in which the discipline of atheism is on the verge of extinction.

专业学系是培养专业人才的母体，事关学科发展的前承与后继。但对无神论学科来说，在目前的学科划分和人才培养体系中，尚无法独立进行研究生的招生、培养和学位授予。为此，在积极推动国务院学位委员会、教育部独立设置马克思主义无神论二级学科的同时，可以先由目前在其他学科（比如马克思主义理论、哲学、宗教学）中实际从事马克思主义无神论研究和宣传教育的专家学者在自己所属的学科，设置与无神论相关的研究方向并招收研究生，或者在其他研究方向下指导研究生进行与无神论有交叉的课题研究，由此“借船下海”，培养无神论专业人才，为最终获准设置马克思主义无神论专业的硕士点、博士点和建立相关的学系、研究机构进行学术积累、人才储备。目前，中国社会科学院研究生院的马克思主义研究系在思想政治教育专业招收科学无神论教育方向的硕士研究生，马克思主义教育系为实施“马克思主义理论骨干人才计划”，在宗教学专业招收马克思主义宗教理论方向的博士研究生，都可以说是先行先试的范例，其他具备条件的高校、科研院所完全可以适时跟进，以无神论人才的大量培养，逐渐改变无神论学科濒临绝学的局面。

4. Books and Materials

4、图书资料

The large-scale publication of books and materials is both a manifestation of existing research achievements in the discipline and a foundation for the further development of disciplinary research. At present, “beneath the surface of the flourishing development of religious studies in China, there is a phenomenon particularly worthy of attention and reflection: works reflecting idealist and theist viewpoints in foreign books have been translated and published in large numbers, gaining wide circulation in society, while works reflecting materialist and atheist viewpoints in foreign books have attracted little interest, with very few being translated and published; not only are contemporary Western atheist works rarely translated and published, but even the translation and publication of atheist works from the era of Marx, Engels, Lenin and earlier is also very limited.” (Jia Runguo, “The Party’s Achievements, Problems and Countermeasures in Religious Work — Commemorating the 30th Anniversary of the Issuance of Central Document No. 19,” *Science and Atheism*, No. 4, 2013.) The main reason for this situation is the huge disparity in support in terms of human and financial resources. The translation and publication of foreign theist works and religious studies in China with a fideistic tendency can easily obtain funding and support from some overseas foundations and churches, while the propaganda of atheism and religious studies with atheism as their底色 [6]6 The Chinese term *dǐsè* (底色), literally “background color” or “underlying color,” here refers to the foundational theoretical stance or presupposition that informs a given approach to religious studies. and the publication of related books find it very difficult to obtain such support. If there is no support from the Party and the government, and the matter is entirely left to market forces, the inevitable result will be a severe shortage of talent and difficulty in producing research results due to funding constraints. Therefore, the Party and the government must, from the height of safeguarding national ideological security and promoting the implementation of the strategy of “rejuvenating the country through science and education,” give key support to the disciplinary construction of Marxist atheism. In guiding documents such as project guidelines and work opinions issued by relevant departments, atheist projects should be set up and funded, and a batch of academic works and popular reading materials with theoretical depth, academic value, and social influence should be produced, achieving landmark results in disciplinary construction.

图书资料的大量出版，既是学科研究现有成果的体现，也是学科研究进一步发展的基础。目前，“在我国宗教学研究繁荣发展的表象下，有一种现象尤其值得注意和反思：外国图书中反映唯心论和有神论观点的著作被大量翻译出版，在社会上大行其道，而外国图书中反映唯物论和无神论观点的著作却少人问津，被翻译出版的少得可怜；不仅西方现当代的无神论著作很少翻译出版，就连马恩列时代及其以前的无神论著作的翻译出版也十分有限。”（加润国：《党对宗教工作的成绩、问题和对策——纪念中央19号文件印发30周年》，《科学与无神论》2013年第4期。）造成这种状况的原因主要是人力财力支持上的巨大差异。外国有神论著作的翻译出版和我国带有信仰主义倾向的宗教研究，很容易从海外一些基金会、教会获得资助和支持，而宣传无神论和以无神论为底色的宗教研究及其图书出版却很难获得这份支持，如果再没有党和政府的支持，完全由市场主导，其结果必然是因经费紧张而带来的人才奇缺、成果难产。所以，党和政府必须从维护国家意识形态安全、推动“科教兴国”战略实施的高度来重点支持马克思主义无神论学科建设，在相关部门发布的课题指南、工作意见等导向性文件中，设置无神论的项目并给予立项资助，推出一批有理论深度、有学术价值、有社会影响的学术著作和普及读物，成就学科建设的标志性成果。

5. Professional Journals

5、专业期刊

Specialised journals are an important support for disciplinary development; they can provide a basic platform for the publication of the latest achievements in the discipline and for the exchange of frontier issues. In the field of atheist research and propaganda-education, at present there is only one specialised journal, *Science and Atheism* (科学与无神论), sponsored by the Chinese Atheism Society. Since its founding in 1999, this journal has published a series of articles exposing “extraordinary powers” [7]7 “Extraordinary powers” (特异功能) refers to alleged paranormal abilities such as telepathy, clairvoyance, or telekinesis, which were widely promoted in China during the “qigong fever” of the 1980s and 1990s and which the Chinese atheist movement has consistently opposed as pseudoscience., clarifying superstitions about ghosts and gods, and criticising the advocacy of theism. It has become the flagship journal for specialised atheist research. However, for various reasons, it has never been included in the General Catalogue of National Core Chinese Journals or in the source journal list of the Chinese Social Sciences Citation Index (CSSCI). Although in recent years so-called core journals and source journals have been widely criticised, they remain an important indicator for a considerable number of teaching and research units in evaluating professional titles, applying for degrees, and assessing disciplinary programmes. In February 2014, *Science and Atheism* was admitted to the CSSCI (2014–2015) extended source journal catalogue. This was a great encouragement and impetus for both the journal and the discipline. If it could take a further step forward and enter the CSSCI source journal catalogue, it would inevitably attract more scholars to invest in atheist research, driving the rapid development of the discipline with high-quality research results. This requires further improving the journal’s operational standards, increasing the academic rigour and standardisation of published articles, and creating conditions for the journal’s upgrade. At the same time, the personal networks of the Chinese Atheism Society can be used to encourage other journals to publish articles on atheism, or even to open columns on atheism, so that atheist research can more often step outside *Science and Atheism* and display its achievements and expand its influence in a broader academic space.

专业期刊是学科发展的重要支撑，可以为学科最新成果的发布和前沿问题的交流搭建一个基础平台。在无神论研究和宣传教育领域，目前只有中国无神论学会主办的《科学与无神论》一份专业期刊。该刊自1999年创办以来，刊发了一系列揭露“特异功能”、澄清鬼神迷信、批判鼓吹有神论的文章，已经成为无神论专业研究的旗舰刊物，但由于种种原因，一直没有进入全国中文核心期刊要目总览和中文社会科学引文索引（CSSCI）来源期刊。尽管近年来所谓的核心期刊、来源期刊倍受诟病，但仍然是相当一批教学科研单位申报职称、申请学位、评估学科点的重要指标。2014年2月《科学与无神论》得以进入CSSCI（2014—2015）扩展版来源期刊目录，这对刊物和学科来说，都是一个极大的鼓励和促动。如果能百尺竿头更进一步，进入CSSCI来源期刊目录，必然能吸引更多的学者投入到无神论的研究中来，以高质量的研究成果带动学科的快速发展。这就需要进一步提高办刊水平，增加刊发文章的学术性、规范性，为刊物的升级创造条件。与此同时，还可以利用中国无神论学会的人脉资源，鼓励其他刊物刊发无神论的文章甚至开设无神论的专栏，使无神论的研究能够更多地走出《科学与无神论》，在更广阔的学术空间展示其成果、扩大其影响。

In short, the direction has been set, the path has been indicated, and now “the main thing is truly to set to work and do it, not just talk, not just make carping criticisms.” [8]8 This quotation is attributed to Fei Xiaotong (1910–2005), a prominent Chinese sociologist and anthropologist, from his writings on practical action in academic work. At present, the disciplinary construction of Marxist atheism is still in its initial stage. Whether in terms of the construction of the disciplinary system or the cultivation of disciplinary departments, the overall level is certainly low. So what of it? The gloom of “theists have someone to speak for them, atheists have no one to speak for them” has not yet fully dissipated. “Having slept a long sleep, how can one open one’s eyes and immediately produce high-level work? If we only talk and do not act, if we do not start from a low level, and after many years it is still the same, then we cannot escape our responsibility.” (Fei Xiaotong, *Collected Works of Fei Xiaotong*, Vol. 8, Qunyan Publishing House, 1999, p. 288.) [9]9 Fei Xiaotong (1910–2005) was a leading Chinese sociologist and anthropologist, known for his studies of rural China and his advocacy of empirical social research.

总之，方向已经确定，道路已经指明，现在“主要是真的动手去做，不是光说话，光评头论足”。目前，马克思主义无神论学科建设还处于草创阶段，无论学科体系的构建还是学科部门的培育，总体上的水平肯定是较低的。那又有什么呢？“有神论有人讲，无神论无人讲”的阴霾还没有完全散去，“睡了一大觉，怎么能一睁开眼就做出高水平的东西来呢？如果只说不做，不从低水平做起，过了多少年还是这个样子，那我们就不能辞其咎了。”（《费孝通文集》第8卷，群言出版社1999年版，第288页。）

(Author: Professor, School of Marxism, University of Science and Technology Beijing)

（作者：北京科技大学马克思主义学院教授）

Online editor: Rainbow

网络编辑：彩虹