Ai Siqi’s Atheist Thought and Its Enlightenment

From 1932 to 1937, Ai Siqi waged a years-long cultural propaganda struggle in Shanghai against the reactionary Kuomintang. Based on the needs of this struggle, Ai Siqi decided to attempt to concretize and popularize Marxist philosophy. In 1934, while serving as a teacher at the “Liangcai Part-Time School,” through careful lesson preparation and humbly listening to students’ opinions, he wrote 24 lecture manuscripts (later compiled into *Philosophical Talks*) and serialized them in the magazine *Reading Life*. In June 1936, to avoid the risk of being banned by the Kuomintang’s press censorship authorities, *Philosophical Talks* was formally renamed *Philosophy for the Masses*. *Philosophy for the Masses* not only propagated Marxist philosophical thought but also deeply pondered, analyzed, summarized, and synthesized the issues of theism and atheism within philosophy, and proposed paths and methods for struggling against theism.

1932年至1937年，艾思奇在上海与国民党反动派开展了多年的文化宣传斗争。基于斗争的需要，艾思奇决定尝试将马克思主义哲学进行具体化和通俗化宣传。1934年，艾思奇在担任“量才业余学校”教员时，通过精心备课并虚心听取学员意见，写出24篇讲稿(后编辑成《哲学讲话》)，并将其分期连载于《读书生活》杂志上。1936年6月，为了规避被国民党书报审查机关查禁的风险，《哲学讲话》正式更名为《大众哲学》。《大众哲学》不仅宣传了马克思主义哲学思想，而且还对哲学中的有神论与无神论的问题进行了深度的思考、分析、归纳和总结，并提出了与有神论斗争的路径和方法。

I. Tracing the Origins of the Atheist Thought in *Philosophy for the Masses*

一、《大众哲学》中无神论思想的成因溯源

The era gives birth to thought, and thought guides practice. The atheist thought in *Philosophy for the Masses* was formed on the basis of Ai Siqi’s extensive reading of Marxist philosophical works and his observation and understanding of the daily lives of the common people. Since modern times, the dissemination of scientific and cultural knowledge, the influence of Marxist atheist thought, and the influence of the family environment during personal growth provided ideological inspiration, theoretical foundations, and external conditions for Ai Siqi’s writing of *Philosophy for the Masses*.

时代孕育思想，思想指导实践。《大众哲学》中的无神论思想，是艾思奇在广泛阅读马克思主义哲学书籍和观察、体察民众日常生活的基础上形成的。近代以来，科学文化知识的传播、马克思主义无神论思想的影响、个人成长过程中家庭环境的感染等，为艾思奇撰写《大众哲学》提供了思想启迪、理论依据、外部条件。

(I) The Influence of the Dissemination of Scientific and Cultural Knowledge Since Modern Times

(一)近代以来科学文化知识传播的影响

Since modern times, the invasion of Western powers, on the one hand, brought profound suffering to the Chinese nation and the Chinese people. On the other hand, it also made the Chinese people deeply realize that Western science and culture also had aspects worthy of reference. Yunnan, located on the southwestern border of China, was extremely backward in many aspects such as economy, science and technology, society, and culture. To save the country and the people, some students from here, like patriotic students from other parts of the country, chose to study abroad to learn advanced ideas and technologies for saving the nation. These overseas students sent progressive books and periodicals back to their hometowns, hoping to awaken their elders and fellow countrymen. Some of them called out: “Wake! Wake! Wake! My elders, uncles, and brothers. Rise! Rise! Rise! My elders, uncles, and brothers. Strive! Strive! Strive! My elders, uncles, and brothers.” [1]1 This is a vernacular Chinese call to action, typical of early 20th-century patriotic appeals, urging the masses to awaken and strive. Besides being influenced by the ideas of Yunnan students studying abroad, progressive people in Yunnan were also positively influenced by domestic progressive publications such as *New Youth*, which published articles on scientific and cultural propaganda, for example, Chen Duxiu’s “The French and Modern Civilization” and “The Thoughts of Two Great Contemporary Scientists,” Wang Xinggong’s “The Origin and Effects of Science” and “What is the Scientific Method,” Zhou Jianren’s “Darwinism” and “The Origin of Life,” and Ma Yinchu’s “Methods of Population Calculation.”

近代以来，西方列强的入侵，一方面使中华民族和中国人民蒙受深重苦难。另一方面，也使国人深刻认识到西方科学文化也有可借鉴之处。地处中国西南边陲的云南，经济、科技、社会、文化等诸多方面都十分落后。这里的部分学子为了救国救民，与全国其他地方的爱国学子一样，选择出国深造，学习救国救民的先进思想和技术。这些留学生将一些进步书刊寄往家乡，期望能够唤醒家乡父老。他们当中有的人呼吁:“醒!醒!醒!我父老叔伯兄弟。起!起!起!我父老叔伯兄弟。奋!奋!奋!我父老叔伯兄弟。”云南的进步人士除了受到海外滇籍留学生们的思想影响外，还受到《新青年》等国内进步刊物发表的关于科学文化宣传方面的积极影响，例如陈独秀所撰的《法兰西人与近代文明》与《当代二大科学家之思想》，王星拱所撰的《科学的起源和效果》与《什么是科学方法》，周建人所撰的《达尔文主义》与《生物之起源》，马寅初所撰的《人口计算的方法》等文章。

Ai Siqi, originally named Li Shengxuan, was born in 1910 in Shuidui Village, Heshun Township (now Heshun Town), Tengchong County (now Tengchong City), Yunnan Province. In the autumn of 1925, Ai Siqi entered Yunnan Provincial First Middle School. During his time there, he became acquainted with the Communist Party member Li Guozhu. Using his position as a librarian, Li Guozhu distributed revolutionary books to progressive students on campus. Students like Ai Siqi and Zhang Keqin often borrowed Marxist-Leninist works from Li Guozhu, such as Chen Wangdao’s translation of *The Communist Manifesto* and *The ABC of Communism*, as well as the then-published periodicals *New Youth* and *The Guide*. [2]2 *The Guide* (*Xiangdao*) was a weekly newspaper founded by the Communist Party of China in 1922, serving as its first official central organ. The dissemination of scientific and cultural knowledge broadened Ai Siqi’s horizons, enlightened his thinking and wisdom, and also provided an important basis for the later writing of atheist cases in *Philosophy for the Masses*.

艾思奇，原名李生萱，1910年出生于云南省腾冲县(现腾冲市)和顺乡(现和顺镇)水碓村。1925年秋，艾思奇进入云南省立第一中学读书，在校期间，他结识了共产党员李国柱。李国柱利用担任图书管理员的工作之便，向校内的进步学生发放革命书籍。艾思奇、张克勤等同学，从李国柱那里常常借到一些马列主义著作，如陈望道翻译的《共产党宣言》和《共产主义ABC》等，当时出版的刊物《新青年》、《响导》等。科学文化知识的传播，开拓了艾思奇的视野，启迪了艾思奇的思维和智慧，也为之后《大众哲学》中的无神论案例的撰写提供了重要依据。

(II) The Influence of the Dissemination of Marxist Atheist Thought

(二)马克思主义无神论思想传播的影响

After the Meiji Restoration in 1868, Japan embarked on the path of capitalist development and began large-scale domestic study and dissemination of Western learning. By the end of the 19th century, Marxism was introduced to Japan by some intellectuals, and the socialist movement quietly emerged. China and Japan are close neighbors separated by a strip of water. In the early 20th century, many progressive Chinese youths studied in Japan, and Japan gradually became an important channel for spreading Marxism to China. Ai Siqi went to study in Japan twice, in 1927 and 1930. During his studies in Japan, he worked very hard to learn Japanese and German and read a large number of Marxist works. To better experience the “original flavor” of Marxism, Ai Siqi not only purchased Japanese translations of Marx and Engels’ works but also bought the original German editions of Marx and Engels to read. He often read these works by comparing the Japanese and German versions, as he did when studying Engels’ *Anti-Dühring*, thereby both learning the languages and studying the original works or philosophy of Marx and Engels. In *Anti-Dühring*, Engels argued that Dühring stood on the “bridge” from pantheism to deism; subsequently, Engels refuted Dühring’s view, elucidating Marxist atheist thought. By reading the original works of Marx and Engels, after learning and mastering the theoretical thought of dialectical materialism and historical materialism, Ai Siqi gradually grew into a staunch Marxist atheist. He used materialist dialectics to think about China’s specific conditions and wrote many articles with practical guiding significance, such as “Phenomenon · Essence” and “Form and Content — Answering Comrade Liao Ming.” His serious study of the original works of Marx and Engels also laid a solid theoretical foundation for Ai Siqi’s subsequent writing of *Philosophy for the Masses*.

1868年日本经过明治维新后，走上了资本主义的发展道路，国内开始大规模学习和传播西学。19世纪末，马克思主义被一部分知识分子引入日本，社会主义运动也悄然兴起。中国与日本一衣带水，在20世纪早期，不少进步的中国青年都曾留学日本，日本逐渐成为向中国传播马克思主义的重要渠道之一。艾思奇曾于1927年和1930年两次东渡日本留学。在日本留学期间，他十分刻苦地学习日语、德语，研读了大量马克思主义著作。为了更好地感受马克思主义的“原汁原味”，艾思奇不仅购买了日译马恩著作，还购买了德文版马恩原著进行阅读。他读这些著作，常常是用日文、德文进行对照，如学习恩格斯的《反杜林论》就是这样，既学习了语言，又学习了马恩原著或哲学。在《反杜林论》中，恩格斯认为杜林站在了从泛神论到自然神论的“桥”上，随后，恩格斯对杜林的这种观点进行了批驳，阐明了马克思主义无神论思想。艾思奇通过阅读马恩原著，在学习并掌握了辩证唯物主义和历史唯物主义思想理论之后，逐渐成长为一名坚定的马克思主义无神论者。他运用唯物辩证法来思考中国的具体情况，撰写了许多具有现实指导意义的文章，如《现象·本质》《形式与内容———答廖明君》等。对于马恩原著的认真学习，也为艾思奇之后进行《大众哲学》的写作奠定了扎实的理论基础。

(III) The Influence of the Family Environment During Ai Siqi’s Growth

(三)艾思奇成长过程中家庭环境的影响

Ai Siqi’s growth into a true Marxist atheist was influenced by many factors and was a process of continuous development, change, and gradual progress. Among these, the influence of the family environment was one of the very important factors. Ai Siqi was born into a revolutionary family. His father, Li Yuegai, was a member of the Tongmenghui [3]3 The Tongmenghui (Chinese Revolutionary Alliance) was a secret revolutionary society founded by Sun Yat-sen in 1905, which played a key role in overthrowing the Qing dynasty. and a bourgeois democratic revolutionary. Li Yuegai placed great importance on Ai Siqi’s education, exposing him to and having him study some philosophical ideas from a young age. At the same time, Li Yuegai hoped his children would study natural sciences to transform and build the country. Li Yuegai often said to his children: “I hope you brothers can each learn one practical science; only then will there be a place for you in the country and for yourselves. But philosophy is the generalization of all learning, studying the ultimate principles of things; it is appropriate to read some philosophy books.” Besides his father’s education, some childhood experiences also helped foster Ai Siqi’s atheist thought. Ai Siqi’s mother was a devout Buddhist who often invited Buddhist nuns to visit the home. One nun once told Ai Siqi’s mother that dogs and women could not go onto the roof, otherwise it would cause a fire. To test the truth of this claim, Ai Siqi carried a puppy onto the roof and called his sister to come up as well. After the experiment, the house did not catch fire. Through this experiment, he proved that superstitions about ghosts and gods were all deceptive. From then on, the young Ai Siqi began to have the idea of not believing in ghosts and gods. In 1929, after reading a large number of Marxist-Leninist works, Ai Siqi’s thought underwent a fundamental transformation, thereby establishing a communist worldview and outlook on life. After returning to China from Japan, Ai Siqi deeply pondered the path of popularizing, vulgarizing, and sinicizing Marxist philosophy, propagated new philosophical thought, dispelled the superstitious concepts of ghosts and gods in the people’s minds, and further promoted the propaganda of Marxist atheism.

艾思奇成长为一名真正的马克思主义无神论者是受诸多因素影响的，并且是一个不断发展变化、循序渐进的过程。其中，家庭环境的影响是十分重要的因素之一。艾思奇出生于一个革命家庭，他的父亲李曰垓是同盟会会员、资产阶级民主革命家。李曰垓对艾思奇的教育十分重视，从小就让其接触和学习了一些哲学思想。同时，李曰垓希望他的子女学习自然科学，以改造和建设国家。李曰垓常对子女说:“我盼你们兄弟，能各习实用科学一种，于国于己，方有着落处，但哲学是一切学术的概括，研究事物之至理，宜读一些哲学书为宜。”除了父亲的教育之外，孩提时的一些经历对艾思奇无神论思想的产生也起到一定帮助。艾思奇的母亲是一位虔诚的佛教徒，经常会邀请尼姑来家中做客，有尼姑曾对艾思奇的母亲宣扬狗和女性不能上房顶，否则会引发火灾的说法。艾思奇为了检验说法的真实性，将小狗抱上房顶，并叫他的妹妹一同上来。经过实验，房子并没有着火。通过这次实验，证明了鬼神迷信都是骗人的。从此，小小年纪的艾思奇，开始有了不信鬼神的思想。1929年，在阅读了大量马列著作后，艾思奇的思想发生了根本性的转变，从而确立了共产主义的世界观和人生观。从日本回到中国后，艾思奇深入思考马克思主义哲学的大众化、通俗化、中国化路径，传播新哲学思想，破除民众心中的神鬼观念，进一步推动了马克思主义无神论的宣传。

II. An Overview of the Content of Atheist Thought in *Philosophy for the Masses*

二、《大众哲学》中无神论思想的内容概述

The relevant content concerning atheist thought in *Philosophy for the Masses* is mainly reflected in how to view the obscuring nature of various theist thoughts in philosophy and the path to remove this obscuration. Ai Siqi respectively discussed and explored theist thought in philosophy, atheist viewpoints in philosophy, and the use of materialist dialectics as a “weapon of struggle.”

《大众哲学》中关于无神论思想的相关内容，主要体现在如何看待哲学中各种有神论思想的遮蔽性及其祛蔽路径上。艾思奇分别就哲学中的有神论思想、哲学中的无神论观点、运用唯物辩证法作为“斗争武器”等内容进行了论述与探讨。

(I) Ai Siqi’s Analysis and Critique of Theist Thought in Philosophy

(一)艾思奇对哲学中有神论思想的分析批判

First, on the issue of mysticism in the process of studying philosophy. Some people believe that philosophy is a very profound and mysterious discipline, seemingly far removed from our daily lives. Ai Siqi, however, held that philosophical thought and everyday life reflections are closely connected and share common ground. The reason people consider philosophy profound and mysterious is that they only notice the opposition between philosophy and everyday life reflections, without seeing the unity between them. People’s understanding of the mysteriousness of philosophy can also be glimpsed from everyday life reflections. Ai Siqi cited the example of floods and droughts commonly encountered by peasants in farming. Once peasants suffer floods or droughts, they attribute the disasters to “fate,” “heaven’s will,” and the like. Ai Siqi believed that in the real world where people live, there are some natural and man-made disasters; to explore the causes of their occurrence, one should seek them in the real world. Yet the peasants did not seek answers in reality, attributing all outcomes to a “ruler” of the world. In Ai Siqi’s view, this is mysticism and emptiness. People’s everyday life reflections contain mystical ideas, and the idealist philosophy (idealism) in philosophy also contains mystical ideas. Different philosophical thoughts lead people to different cognitions and paths; some use the mystical viewpoints of idealism to control others’ thoughts, thereby maintaining their own status. Ai Siqi cited the example of Voltaire to illustrate: “Voltaire was a great philosopher of 18th-century France. Once at a banquet, when his friends began discussing the issue of atheism, he immediately sent his servant outside, then privately said to his friends: ‘Never advocate atheism in front of servants, or they will rebel!’ This is a very famous story.” Ai Siqi deconstructed the theist thought in philosophy; some philosophical thoughts contain mystical colors, highlighting the nature of theism. This theist nature in philosophical thought is closely related to people’s mystical feelings about unknown things in daily life, because philosophical thought and everyday life reflections have unity. This theist viewpoint is often exploited by some to safeguard the interests of a portion of people, so as to better achieve control over the masses.

第一，关于哲学学习过程中的神秘性问题。有人认为哲学是一门十分深奥且神秘的学科，似乎离我们的生活十分遥远。艾思奇则认为，哲学思想与日常生活的感想，二者之间是紧密相连的，具有共通之处。人们之所以认为哲学深奥神秘，实际上只注意到了哲学和日常生活感想之间的对立性，而没有看到哲学与日常生活感想之间的统一性。人们对于哲学神秘性的理解，也可以从日常生活感想中窥见端倪。艾思奇举了农民耕作中常见的水涝旱灾的例子进行说明。农民一旦遭受了水涝旱灾，就会将发生的灾难归因于“命运”“天意”等方面。艾思奇认为，在人们所生活的现实世界里会存在一些天灾人祸，要探究其发生的原因，应该从现实世界中追寻，但是农民却没有在现实中寻找答案，将一切的结果都归结于世间的“主宰”身上。在艾思奇看来，这就是神秘和空洞。人的日常生活感想中包含了神秘思想，而哲学中的观念论(唯心主义)也包含着神秘思想。不同的哲学思想会将人们引向不同的认知和道路，有的人利用唯心主义神秘性的观点对他人的思想进行控制，以此来维持自己的地位。艾思奇举了伏尔泰的例子进行说明:“服尔泰(即伏尔泰)是法国18世纪的大哲学家，有一次在宴会里，当他们的朋友谈起了无神论的问题时，他马上把仆人叫到外面去，然后私下对朋友说:‘在仆人前面切不可主张无神论，否则他就要反叛了!’这是一个很有名的故事。”艾思奇对哲学中的有神论思想进行了解构，一部分哲学思想中包含着神秘主义色彩，凸显有神论的性质。这种哲学思想中的有神论性质与日常生活中人们对于未知事物的神秘感觉息息相关，因为哲学思想和日常生活感想具有统一性，而这种有神论观点，往往会被人所利用，以此来维护部分人的利益，以便更好地实现对大众的控制。

Second, on the issue of idealism in the process of studying worldviews. Ai Siqi inherited the Marxist classical writers’ method of dividing worldviews into camps, categorizing philosophy into materialism and idealism. He believed that idealism contains theist thought. Idealists regard subjective things as the most important, exaggerating the role of the subjective, thereby negating objectively existing things. Fatalists, as part of the idealist camp, always use theism as their weapon of propaganda. Fatalists believe that the entire world is controlled by deities, governed and dominated by the deities’ will, and humans cannot change this. Ai Siqi pointed out: “This worldview, although it does not completely deny objective things, treats all objective things as produced by the deities’ will, as if everything is created by a deified subjective will and obeys this subjective will.” This fatalism, in essence, is an idealist viewpoint.

第二，关于世界观学习过程中的观念论问题。艾思奇继承了马克思主义经典作家关于世界观阵营的划分方法，将哲学划分为唯物论(唯物主义)和观念论(唯心主义)。他认为，观念论中包含着有神论思想。观念论者将主观上的东西看作是最主要的，夸大了主观的作用，从而对客观存在的事物进行了否定。宿命论者作为观念论阵营中的一份子，始终将有神论作为自己宣传的武器。宿命论者认为，整个世界被神明所掌控，受神明心意的控制与支配，人是没有办法改变的。艾思奇指出:“这种世界观，虽然并不完全否认了客观事物，但它把一切客观事物都当作神灵的心意所产生的，仿佛一切都是由一种神化了的主观心意创造出来，并且服从着这种主观心意。”这种宿命论，从本质上来看，是一种唯心主义的观点。

Third, on the relationship between idealism and religion. Ai Siqi believed that idealism would become a bridge for people to ultimately embrace religion. Solipsists of idealism hold that the world is merely human sensation; if humans have sensation, the world exists; if humans have no sensation, the world disappears. Apart from oneself, all existing things are not real; the entire world is the “self.” But these people often cannot justify themselves, so they begin to seek another support from the outside world, ultimately choosing to cry out loudly to the gods. Ai Siqi pointed out that these idealist solipsists, due to inner doubts, will appeal to the gods. They mistakenly believe that human sensation is controlled by the gods; when the gods have sensation, then humans have sensation; human sensation is part of the gods’ sensation. Ultimately, this idealist solipsism, like fatalism, will fall into the abyss of religion. Religion and idealism have a very close relationship; idealists habitually exaggerate the role of the subjective, elevating things related to spirit, such as sensation, thought, and mind, to an extremely high status. Ai Siqi believed that religion and idealism share certain commonalities but also differ. The commonality is that both emphasize that consciousness determines matter; the difference is that idealism is divided into objective idealism and subjective idealism, while most religions belong to objective idealism, merely one component of idealism. Ai Siqi pointed out: “Idealism itself is not religion, but it is a hard bridge leading to religion. Superstition and rituals can only make ignorant people burn incense and worship Buddha, but with the help of idealism, even scholars and thinkers will chant scriptures and strike wooden fish.” When idealist philosophical thought combines with religion, it will further unleash powerful force.

第三，关于观念论与宗教的关系问题。艾思奇认为，观念论将成为人们最终走向宗教怀抱的桥梁。唯心主义的独在论者认为，世界不过是人的感觉，人有感觉，则世界存在，人无感觉，则世界消失，除了自身之外，一切存在的事物都不是真实的事物，整个世界就是“我”自身。但是这些人往往不能自圆其说，于是，他们开始向外界寻找另一种支撑，最终选择向神灵大声呼救。艾思奇指出，这些唯心主义的独在论者会因为内心的疑惑而向神灵求救，他们误以为人的感觉被神灵所控制，当神灵有感觉时，人才会有感觉，人的感觉是神灵感觉的一部分。最终这种唯心主义的独在论，也将会和宿命论一样，坠入宗教的深渊。宗教和唯心主义具有十分密切的关系，唯心主义者习惯于夸大主观的作用，将感觉、思想、心灵等与精神方面相关的东西提高到了一种极高的地位。艾思奇认为，宗教和唯心主义存在一定的共性，但也有所不同。共同之处是二者都强调意识决定物质，区别在于，唯心主义有客观唯心主义和主观唯心主义之分，多数宗教系客观唯心主义，只是唯心主义的构成之一。艾思奇指出:“观念论本身虽然不是宗教，但它却是走向宗教去的一条坚硬的桥梁，迷信和仪式只能使无知的人去烧香拜佛，但有了观念论的帮助，就是学者思想家也会去念经敲木鱼。”当唯心主义的哲学思想与宗教相结合，将会进一步爆发出强大的力量。

Fourth, on the issue of theism in false materialism. False materialists superficially acknowledge that the world consists of real, externally existing things. However, upon deeper reflection, they often fall into the error of idealism. For example, the objective material world undergoes changes; these changes are definitely not changes in matter itself but must involve external interference. In the view of false materialists, this external interference is the human mind and spirit. Thus, false materialists again fall into the camp of idealism and are exploited by religionists. Religionists believe that deities are spiritual things; everything in the material world is arranged and dominated by the deities, and humans can only be in a state of being dominated, unable to change or break through this state. Others advocate animism, attributing human death to the soul’s departure from the body. Ai Siqi believed that, from a philosophical perspective, the view that all things have souls can be categorized as hylozoism or animatism, and this view has a very close relationship with religion itself. For instance, monks and nuns are holders of this view; their practice of conducting rituals to release the souls of the deceased is evidence. Whether animism or the theory of divine control, both become one of the many destinations of false materialists.

第四，关于假唯物论中的有神论问题。假唯物论者表面上承认世界是真实的外界存在着的事物，但是，在深入思考后，他们往往会走向唯心主义的误区。比如客观的物质世界会发生变化，这种变化绝非物质自身的变化，一定有外力的干涉，这种外力在假的唯物论者看来，就是人的心灵和精神。于是假唯物论者又陷入唯心主义的阵营中，并被宗教家们所利用。宗教家们认为，神明是一种精神上的事物，物质世界的一切都处于神明的安排与支配之中，人只能处于一种被支配的状态，无法对这种状态实现改变和突破。还有的主张万物有灵，将人的死亡归结于灵魂从躯壳中脱离。艾思奇认为，从哲学上看，主张一切事物都有灵魂的观点可以归为万物有生论或者物活论的范畴，这种观点和宗教本身具有十分密切的关联性。比如，和尚和尼姑就是这种观点的持有者，他们常为故去的人超度灵魂就是例证。无论是万物有灵论还是神灵控制论，都成为假唯物论者的众多归宿之一。

Fifth, on the issue of theism in pragmatism. Pragmatists acknowledge the relativity of truth, holding that whatever principle can produce a practical effect in achieving the goal in their minds is truth. Regarding the fallacy of pragmatists, Ai Siqi pointed out: “Science naturally has practical value; pragmatists do not oppose science as truth. But at the same time, religion, which is utterly incompatible with science, can also be considered truth in the view of pragmatists, because religious superstition has a powerful power to deceive people—this is also a practical effect.” Pragmatists blur the objectivity of truth, treating the opinions and insights of different people in different positions as truth, reflecting the absurdity of their argument.

第五，实用主义中的有神论问题。实用主义者承认真理的相对性，认为只要对他们心中所想目标的完成能够起到使用效果的道理，就是真理。针对实用主义者的谬误，艾思奇指出:“科学自然是有实用价值的，实用主义者不反对科学是真理，但同时，与科学绝不相容的宗教，在实用主义者看来，也可以算是真理，因为宗教的迷信，很有迷惑人的力量，这也是一种实用的效果。”实用主义者模糊了真理的客观性，将所处不同地位的不同人的思想见解都看作是真理，体现了其论调的荒谬性。

Sixth, on the problem of theism in mechanism and mechanical materialism. Although mechanists acknowledge the mutability of things, they believe that the change of things is not a change in the things themselves but is driven by a “magician.” Ai Siqi held that these mechanists, in order to find a reasonable explanation, had to attribute the driver of change to a “magician”; since mechanists could find no suitable person to serve as the “magician” in their minds, they ultimately had to conclude that the object possessing this powerful force was God. Mechanical materialists, on the other hand, are an extreme form of objectivist. This extreme objectivism exaggerates the power of the environment, highlights the role of objective circumstances in shaping people, negates human subjective initiative, and ultimately plunges people into the quagmire of fatalism. Regarding mechanical materialism, Ai Siqi believed that if one analyzes the idea of “resigning oneself to fate,” which many Chinese believe in, one finds it consistent with fatalism. The idea of resigning oneself to fate makes people believe that everything that happens in the world has already been properly arranged in the unseen, and therefore these people deny the necessity and possibility of resistance and struggle. This extreme objectivist thought, as manifested in mechanical materialism, exaggerates the influence of the environment, holding that humans are absolutely controlled by objective circumstances, have no power to struggle or resist, cannot exert subjective initiative, and cannot react back upon the environment, thereby pushing themselves toward theism and ultimately turning into adherents of idealism.

第六，关于机械论和机械唯物论中的有神论问题。机械论者虽然承认事物的变化性，但是他们却认为，事物的变化不是事物本身的变动，而是由“魔术师”所推动的。艾思奇认为，这些机械论者为了求得合理的解释，只好将事物变化的推动者归在“魔术师”身上，机械论者找不到合适的人来担任他们心目中的“魔术师”，于是只好将拥有这强大力量的对象归结为神。机械唯物论者则是一种极端的客观主义者，这种极端的客观主义夸大了环境的力量，突出了客观环境对人的作用，否定了人的主观能动性，最终使人坠落到宿命论的泥潭之中去。针对机械唯物论，艾思奇认为，如果将许多中国人所相信的“听天由命”思想进行剖析，就会发现其与宿命论具有一致性，听天由命的思想让人们相信世间所发生的一切早在冥冥之中就有了妥当的安排，因此这些人否定反抗与奋斗的必要性与可能性。这种机械的唯物论所表现出的极端客观主义思想，夸大了环境的影响作用，认为人类都是被客观环境所绝对控制的，没有挣扎和反抗的力量，不能发挥主观能动性，不能反作用于环境，从而促使自身向有神论靠拢，最终转变为唯心主义的拥趸。

(II) Ai Siqi’s Elucidation of Atheist Views in Philosophy

(二)艾思奇对哲学中无神论观点的阐释

First, on the problem of dispelling the mystique in the process of studying philosophy. In Ai Siqi’s view, philosophy is mysterious mainly because some idealists, based on the need to protect their own interests, deliberately cast a fog over it. Ai Siqi provided three methods for dispelling the mystique of philosophy. First, one should ponder the causes of changes in things from everyday life. Everyday life contains the seeds of philosophy; changes in things originate from causes internal to the things themselves, and to investigate these causes, one must return to the things themselves. Second, one must eliminate mysterious elements in life practice and study correct philosophy. Progressive philosophy can help people solve problems more quickly and nimbly. Third, one must combine philosophy with life practice. Philosophy should not remain only at the theoretical level but should also be applied to the practice of concrete life; at the same time, one must observe life, experience life, and perceive new philosophical insights in life, so as to promote the development and progress of philosophy. Ai Siqi pointed out: “Only in this way can we, in philosophy, ever more deeply recognize the most practical, the least mysterious truth of things themselves.”

第一，关于破除哲学学习过程中的神秘性问题。哲学之所以神秘，在艾思奇看来，主要是因为一些唯心主义者基于维护自身利益的需要，刻意将一层迷雾笼罩在哲学之上。艾思奇提供了三种破除哲学神秘性的方法。一是要从日常生活中思考事物变化的原因。日常生活中包含着哲学的萌芽，事物的变化来源于事物自身内部的原因，要探究其原因，就必须回归事物本身;二是要在生活实践中清除神秘要素并研究正确的哲学。进步的哲学能够帮助人们更加迅速敏捷地解决问题;三是要将哲学与生活实践相结合。哲学不应该仅仅停留在理论的层面，也应该应用于具体生活的实践之中，同时，还要观察生活、体验生活，在生活中感悟新的哲思，以促进哲学的发展进步。艾思奇指出:“要这样，我们才可以在哲学中，愈更深刻地认识到最切实的，最不神秘的事物本身的真理。”

Second, on the problem of materialism in the process of learning about worldviews. Ai Siqi believed that materialism and idealism are irreconcilably opposed. Materialism advocates eliminating all spirits, ghosts, and superstitious ideas; when social and political changes occur, materialism will become the thought advocated by progressives. Ai Siqi then refuted the superstitious ideas of theists. Spirit is manifested as attached to a certain material object. Superstitious people believe that the ghosts and spirits appearing in dreams are independently existing spirits, but in fact these things are imagined by their own brains and cannot exist apart from the brain. For formless spirit to move tangible matter, it must rely on matter. For example, if a person wants to push a stone, mere imagination certainly will not work; so they must apply the idea in their mind to their hand, and use the hand to push the stone.

第二，关于世界观学习过程中的唯物论问题。艾思奇认为，唯物论和唯心论两者是势不两立的，唯物论主张祛除一切神灵、鬼怪、迷信思想，当社会政治发生变动时，唯物论将成为前进者所主张的思想。艾思奇随即对有神论者的迷信思想进行了驳斥。精神是附属于一定的物体上表现出来的。迷信的人认为梦中所出现的鬼怪神灵是独立存在的精神，其实这些东西都是由自己大脑所想象出来，并不能离开头脑而生。无形的精神要推动有形体的物质，就必须要靠物质。比如，人要推动石头，单靠想象肯定不行，所以就会将头脑中的想法作用于手上，通过手去推动石头。

Third, on the problem of using practice to understand the world. In practice, people may experience painful failures and setbacks, but it is precisely because of practice that people can gain rich experience and lessons, acquire abundant knowledge, and be prompted to seek scientific methods of practice. Ai Siqi believed that the material world has two major characteristics. First, matter has objective independence, existing independently of the human mind. Second, matter can move and change by itself. Ai Siqi emphasized that the movement of matter has its own laws, which people must prove in practice. Ai Siqi pointed out: “Because life is often unsatisfactory, people often have to struggle and fight, so they must, in practice, come to know the laws of material movement, and by using these laws, they can engage in effective struggle and struggle, and can turn unsatisfactory things into satisfactory ones; prayer and supplication to gods are all useless.” Humans have subjective initiative and often exert it to produce imaginings. Therefore, subjective truth sometimes contradicts objective facts. Ai Siqi also believed that if one wants to convert a person who believes in ghosts and gods into an atheist, one can only prove to them that ghosts and gods do not exist in this world; otherwise, there is no way to eradicate the illness in their heart. To solve this problem, only through people’s practice, through contact with things in the world in the activity of changing the world, can they truly understand this world and thereby correct the cognitive deviations in their minds.

第三，关于运用实践去认识世界的问题。在实践中，人们可能会经历到痛苦的失败和挫折，但是，也正是因为实践，才能够使人们获得丰富的经验教训，给予人们以丰富的知识，促使人们寻找科学实践的方法。艾思奇认为，物质世界存在两大特点，一是物质具有客观独立性，独立于人的心意之外所存在。二是物质能够自己进行运动变化。艾思奇强调，物质运动具有自身的规律性，人们要在实践中证明。艾思奇指出:“人类因为生活常常不如意，常常要挣扎、斗争，所以就必须在实践中去认识物质运动的法则，利用这些法则，才能够作有效的斗争和挣扎，才能够使不如意的事转变为如意的事，祈祷、求神，一切都是无益。”人具有主观的能动性，常常会发挥自身的能动性，制造出想象。因此，主观真理有时会和客观事实相违背。艾思奇还认为，如果要将一个相信鬼神的人转变为无神论者，只能向他证明这个世界不存在鬼神，否则没有办法根除他内心中的病症。要解决这个问题，只有通过人们的实践，在改变世界的活动中与世界上的事物相接触，才能真实地认识这个世界，从而矫正自己脑海中的认识偏差。

Fourth, on the problem of understanding the laws of the movement and change of things. Whether in nature or in human society, there exist certain states and orders, which can be regarded as laws. Some people believe that the states and orders of things themselves are imposed on things from the outside by someone who has predetermined them; since they cannot find a specific person in life to explain this, they have to attribute their ideas to gods and the master of all things. Ai Siqi always emphasized that these changes arise from the changes of the things themselves. Ai Siqi believed that gods and spirits are nothing but deceptive fantasies; practice can prove that gods and spirits do not exist. For example, when floods and droughts occur frequently, the devout prayers of farmers fail to yield the results they desire; through this practical experience, farmers can intuitively see the deceptiveness of gods and religion. Therefore, the people should not believe in gods, nor should they believe that the order of the world is established by gods. The states and orders of the movement of things in their essence manifest themselves through different circumstances; these circumstances and manifestations can also be seen as the states and orders of movement at the phenomenal level. Phenomena cannot be separated from essence. If the people wish to gain insight into the laws and rules constituted by these states and orders of movement, they need to set aside phenomena and dig into essence.

第四，关于事物运动变化的规律性认识问题。无论是自然界还是人类社会，都存在着一定的状态和秩序，这种状态和秩序可以看作是一种规律。有的人认为各种事物本身的状态和秩序是有人从外部定好之后强加于事物身上的，他们没有办法从生活中找到一个具体的人来说明，于是只好将自己的想法归结于神仙和万物的主宰。艾思奇始终强调，这些变化是由事物本身变化所产生。艾思奇认为，神灵不过是骗人的空想，实践可以证明神灵并不存在，例如，水灾旱灾频发，农民们虔诚地祈祷并没能收获他们想要的结果，通过这种实践的经验，农民能直观地看到神灵与宗教的欺骗性。因此，民众不应该相信神，也不应该再相信世界的秩序由神灵所制定。事物本质上的运动状态和秩序，会通过不同的情形表现出来，这些情形和表现又可以看作是现象上的运动状态和秩序。现象无法脱离本质，民众如果希望洞悉这些由运动状态和秩序所构成的规律和法则，就需要撇开现象，挖掘本质。

(III) Ai Siqi’s Reflections on Using Materialist Dialectics as a “Weapon of Struggle” [6]6 “Weapon of struggle” (斗争武器) is a term from Maoist revolutionary discourse, emphasizing the use of theory as an instrument for class and ideological combat.

(三)艾思奇对于运用唯物辩证法作为“斗争武器”的思索

Because people are powerless under the oppression of “natural forces” and “social forces,” they place their hope of escaping these sufferings in gods, in deities, in “otherworldly” happiness, and thus various religions arise. The concepts of gods and ghosts fetter people’s thoughts. In the methodology of *Philosophy for the Masses*,[7]7 *Philosophy for the Masses* (《大众哲学》) is a popular philosophical work by Ai Siqi, first published in the 1930s, which aimed to make Marxist philosophy accessible to ordinary Chinese people. Ai Siqi put forward several views to oppose idealist theism. On the one hand, people must acknowledge the necessity in the process of the development of things; on the other hand, they must use scientific methods to oppose the fallacy of fatalists who explain necessity as “fateful necessity.” Among these, the application of materialist dialectics can provide atheists with a powerful “weapon of struggle.”

由于人们在“自然力量”和“社会力量”的压迫下无能为力，就把解脱这些痛苦的希望，寄托于神，寄托于上帝，寄托于“来世”幸福，于是就产生了各种各样的宗教。神灵鬼怪的观念将桎梏民众的思想。艾思奇在《大众哲学》的方法论中提出了多种观点以反对唯心主义有神论。一方面，人们要承认事物发展过程中的必然性，另一方面，又要用科学的方法反对宿命论者将必然性解释成“命运必然”的谬论。其中，唯物辩证法的运用，能够为无神论者提供强有力的“斗争武器”。

First, the law of the unity of opposites. All things in the world are in contradiction; it can be said that there are contradictions everywhere and at all times, that contradictions are ubiquitous and ever-present. The movement and change of all things exist at every moment, and change itself is the process of the movement of things. Some people believe that the changes in things are caused by a “magician” controlling them from behind. Ai Siqi, however, held that the change and development of things are not controlled by a “magician” but arise from the contradictory movement of the things themselves. Ai Siqi used the example of eating in people’s daily lives to illustrate this. On the one hand, humans consume food daily to maintain bodily nutrition, while on the other hand, they expend energy daily, becoming fatigued after releasing a certain amount of energy. Thus it can be seen that things contain within themselves elements opposite to themselves, i.e., contradictions. Contradiction is the driving force behind the movement and development of things. Ai Siqi pointed out: “In short, the cause of all these changes in things, this contradiction, exists internally; it is not a god or a magician playing tricks.” By grasping the law of the unity of opposites, people can use more scientific methods to struggle against theism, seeking the laws of development of things from the internal contradictory movement of things themselves, rather than viewing and analyzing things from the perspective of external control by gods and ghosts.

第一，矛盾的对立统一规律。世界上的万事万物都处于矛盾之中，可谓是处处有矛盾，时时有矛盾，矛盾无处不在，无时不有。万事万物的运动变化是时时刻刻都存在的，变化的本身就是事物运动的过程。有的人认为，事物的变动是由“魔术师”在背后控制所造成的。艾思奇则认为，事物的变化发展并不由“魔术师”控制，而是来自于事物自身的矛盾运动。艾思奇举了人们生活中吃饭的例子进行说明。人类一方面每日进行饮食，以维持身体上的营养，而另一方面，每日都会进行消耗，将精力释放到一定程度后就会疲劳。由此可见，事物内部包含着与其自身相反的要素，即矛盾。矛盾是事物运动发展的原动力。艾思奇指出:“总之，这一切事物变动的原因，这矛盾，是在内部存在着的，并不是神或魔术师在玩戏法。”掌握了矛盾的对立统一规律，人们就可以用更加科学的方法来与有神论作斗争，从事物发展的内部矛盾运动中寻找事物发展的规律，而不是从外在的神鬼控制角度去看待事物、分析事物。

Second, the law of the mutual transformation of quality and quantity. When discussing the law of qualitative and quantitative change, Ai Siqi used the example of the collapse of Leifeng Pagoda to illustrate it. The cause of the collapse of Leifeng Pagoda also contains the thought of dialectical materialism. Because the people believed that there were some spirits in Leifeng Pagoda, they stole its bricks to take home, hoping that this would ward off disasters and bring blessings. But as the bricks of Leifeng Pagoda decreased day by day, one day Leifeng Pagoda completely collapsed. Ai Siqi believed that the collapse of Leifeng Pagoda was not caused by some supernatural force suddenly bringing it down, but was a process of quantitative and qualitative change. When the bricks of Leifeng Pagoda were stolen every day, that was the process of quantitative change; when Leifeng Pagoda crashed down, that was the manifestation of qualitative change. At the same time, Ai Siqi pointed out that because contradictions can transform into each other, the collapsed Leifeng Pagoda was then transported by people for new uses such as building walls and partitions, thus beginning a new process of quantitative and qualitative change.

第二，质量互变规律。艾思奇在论述质变和量变规律时举了雷峰塔倒塌的案例来进行说明。雷峰塔倒塌的原因中也蕴含着唯物辩证法的思想。民众由于信奉雷峰塔中有着什么神灵，于是就将其中的砖块偷回家里，希望能够起到消灾降福的作用。但是随着雷峰塔的砖块逐日减少，终于有一天，雷峰塔彻底倒塌。艾思奇认为，雷峰塔的倒塌，并不是什么神怪力量突然叫它倒下来，而是量变与质变的过程。当雷峰塔的砖头每天都被偷走，就是量变的过程，当雷峰塔轰然倒塌，就是质变的表现。同时，艾思奇指出，由于矛盾可以相互转化，倒塌之后的雷峰塔又被人们运去做砌墙筑壁的新用途，因此又开始了新的量变与质变的过程。

Third, the law of the negation of the negation. The affirmative factors within a thing maintain its stability; when the negative factors within a thing come to dominate, they cause the thing to change. At this point, a further negation is needed, i.e., the negation of the negation, to achieve the unity of opposites, causing the thing to exhibit the characteristics of wave-like advance and spiral-like ascent. In the negation of the negation, there are situations of overcoming and preserving. Ai Siqi pointed out: “So the so-called preservation here is by no means about kowtowing to the old forces.” Ai Siqi believed that this overcoming and preservation is not a return to old ideas. In the old China of the past, theistic thought had a very long-lasting influence in the minds of the masses, and there were many books propagating these ideas, but under the conditions of the new era, they need to be sublated.

第三，否定之否定规律。事物内部的肯定因素维持着事物的稳定，当事物内部的否定因素占主要支配地位时，就会使事物发生变化，这个时候，需要再次否定，即否定之否定，实现对立面的统一，使得事物呈现波浪式前进和螺旋式上升的特点。否定之否定中会存在克服与保存的情况。艾思奇指出:“所以这里的所谓保存，决不是要向旧势力去叩头。”艾思奇认为这种克服与保存，不是回到旧的思想中。在过去的旧中国，有神论的思想在大众心中产生了十分久远的影响，宣传这些思想的书籍有很多，但在新的时代背景下需要将其扬弃。

III. Contemporary Enlightenment from the Atheist Thought in *Philosophy for the Masses*

三、《大众哲学》中无神论思想的当代启示

By analyzing the atheist thought in *Philosophy for the Masses*, combined with the characteristics and mission of the New Era, we can derive three aspects of enlightenment: insisting on integrating Marxist atheist thought with the purpose and attributes of the Party; insisting on occupying the ideological high ground with Marxist atheist thought; and insisting on advancing the popularization of Marxist atheist thought.

通过分析《大众哲学》中的无神论思想，结合新时代的特点和使命，可以给予我们三个方面的启示，即坚持将马克思主义无神论思想与党的宗旨属性相融通;坚持以马克思主义无神论思想占领意识形态高地;坚持推进马克思主义无神论思想大众化。

(i) Insisting on Integrating Marxist Atheist Thought with the Purpose and Attributes of the Party

(一)坚持将马克思主义无神论思想与党的宗旨属性相融通

First, it is necessary to understand the correlation between Marxist atheist thought and the fundamental purpose of the Communist Party of China, achieving their integration through deconstruction and reconstruction. Theistic views have historically been tools and means used by the ruling class to control the people. Ai Siqi, in *Philosophy for the Masses*, cited the example of Voltaire not propagating atheism to his servants to illustrate this. Voltaire believed that if servants came into contact with atheism, they would rebel. Ai Siqi criticized Voltaire’s approach. Ai Siqi pointed out: “This is a deliberate act. Although it is not a universal phenomenon among idealist philosophers, there is no doubt that all idealist philosophers, constrained by their status and traditional thought, unconsciously head down a mystical path.” Before the birth of Marxism, religious theistic thought spread throughout the world. The upper ruling classes often used religious theistic thought to control the thinking of the lower classes and used the power formed by divine authority to consolidate their ruling position. With the development of society, religion was gradually utilized by the rising bourgeoisie, becoming a tool and means for the bourgeoisie to justify its exploitation and suppression of the proletariat. At the same time, the bourgeoisie used religion to consolidate the superstructure in order to better achieve control over the exploited. The Communist Party of China is a party armed with Marxism and is an atheist party. The starting point of Marxist atheism differs from that of religious theism. Fundamentally, the Communist Party of China is a proletarian party, having broken with theistic thought and discarded the previous notions of the feudal landlord class and the bourgeoisie relying on theism to control the people. The purpose of the Communist Party of China is to serve the people wholeheartedly; “serving the people” embodies the characteristic of “people-centeredness.” Communists armed with atheist thought serve the broad masses of the people, which is fundamentally different from the ideas of the former feudal landlord class and bourgeoisie who wished to use theism to manipulate, exploit, and enslave the people. Through the exemplary role of Communists among the masses and their leadership in propagating atheist thought, the broad masses can come into contact with and understand Marxist atheism. When the masses can grasp correct atheist thought in a scientific spirit, they can break the ideological shackles of theism, enabling people to come into contact with science, learn science, discard ignorant and outdated old ideas, and thus better serve the interests of the vast majority.

第一，要理解马克思主义无神论思想与中国共产党根本宗旨之间的关联性，在解构重塑中实现二者的融会贯通。有神论的观点在历史上长期是统治阶级用来控制人民的工具和手段。艾思奇在《大众哲学》中举了伏尔泰不向仆人传播无神论的例子来说明。伏尔泰认为，如果仆人接触了无神论，就会进行反叛。艾思奇对伏尔泰的做法进行了批驳。艾思奇指出:“这是一种有意的举动，在观念论哲学家中间虽然不是普遍的现象，但一切观念论哲学家都为了地位及传统思想的限制，而在无意中走向神秘的道路上去，则是无可疑义的事。”在马克思主义诞生之前，宗教的有神论思想在世界各地蔓延，上层统治阶级常用宗教的有神论思想对下层民众进行思想控制，并用神权所形成的力量巩固其统治地位。随着社会的发展，宗教又逐渐被新兴的资产阶级所利用，成为资产阶级为自己剥削和镇压无产阶级进行辩护的工具和手段。同时，资产阶级利用宗教以巩固上层建筑，以便更好地实现对被剥削者的控制。中国共产党是用马克思主义武装起来的政党，是无神论政党。马克思主义无神论的出发点与宗教有神论不同。从根本上说，中国共产党是无产阶级政党，破除了有神论思想，摒除了以往封建地主阶级和资产阶级要依托有神论来实现控制人民的观念。中国共产党的宗旨是全心全意为人民服务，“为人民服务”即体现了“人民性”的特质。用无神论思想武装头脑的中国共产党人是为广大人民群众服务的，这与以前封建地主阶级和资产阶级希望用有神论来操控人民、剥削人民、奴役人民的思想存在着本质上的差别。通过中国共产党人在人民群众中发挥模范作用，带头宣传无神论思想，使得广大群众能够接触和了解马克思主义无神论。当群众能够以科学的精神掌握正确的无神论思想，就能够破除有神论对思想的禁锢，让人们接触科学、学习科学，将愚昧无知的旧思想摒弃，从而更好地为绝大多数人的利益服务。

Second, it is necessary to understand the connection between Marxist atheist thought and the essential attributes of the Communist Party of China, achieving their integration through analysis and synthesis. Advanced nature and purity are among the essential attributes of a Marxist political party. Compared with previous theists, the advanced nature of Communists lies in the fact that a Communist Party member should be a thoroughgoing atheist. Ai Siqi forged himself into a steadfast atheist warrior through the tempering of practice. Ai Siqi not only propagated atheist thought in *Philosophy for the Masses* but also criticized the fallacies of theism in his other articles. In an article discussing the relationship between natural science and social science, Ai Siqi pointed out: “There are all kinds of deceptions in society; the greatest deception is the superstition of religious deities.” The superstition of religious deities immerses the poor in illusions; the deceived not only fail to recognize the true face of society but are even unable to see the real appearance of nature, obscured by the deities. Judging from the content of Ai Siqi’s *Philosophy for the Masses*, the relationship between the “new philosophy” he propagated and atheism was never severed; there is a close connection between the two. Communists are the inheritors and developers of Marxism. Engels pointed out: “Marx and I were almost as much, from the very beginning, resolute atheists and materialists as Bakunin was.” [8]8 Friedrich Engels, “On the History of Early Christianity,” in Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels, *Collected Works*, vol. 27 (Moscow: Progress Publishers, 1990), p. 447. (This is a standard reference; the exact edition may vary.) Entering the New Era, the study and mastery of Marxist atheist thought have received further emphasis. General Secretary Xi Jinping stressed at the National Conference on Religious Work in April 2016: “Communist Party members must be steadfast Marxist atheists, strictly abide by the Party Constitution, firm up their ideals and convictions, keep in mind the Party’s purpose, and must never seek their own values and beliefs in religion.” [9]9 Xi Jinping, “Speech at the National Conference on Religious Work,” April 22–23, 2016. Therefore, Communists must fully understand the connection between Marxist atheism and one of the essential attributes of the Communist Party of China (advanced nature and purity), firmly uphold atheist thought, demonstrate the advanced nature of Party members, take Marxism as a guide, study the Party’s theory, arm their minds with the Party’s guiding ideology, and, in the great practice of socialism with Chinese characteristics for a New Era, forge themselves into steadfast Marxist atheists.

第二，要理解马克思主义无神论思想与中国共产党本质属性之间的联系性，在分析整合中实现二者的融会贯通。先进性和纯洁性是马克思主义政党的本质属性之一。与之前的有神论者相比，中国共产党人的先进性就在于:共产党员应该是一名彻底的无神论者。艾思奇在实践的磨砺中将自己锻造成一名坚定的无神论战士。艾思奇不仅在《大众哲学》中传播无神论思想，而且还在其它的文章中批判有神论的谬误。艾思奇在论述自然科学与社会科学关系的文章中指出:“社会上有种种的骗局，最大的骗局就是宗教神灵的迷信。”宗教神灵的迷信让穷苦人沉浸于幻想之中，被迷惑的人们不但无法认清社会的真正面目，甚至连大自然的真实样貌都将因神灵的蒙蔽而无法看到。从艾思奇《大众哲学》的撰文内容来看，他所宣传的“新哲学”与无神论之间的关系从来都不是割裂的，此二者之间具有紧密的联系性。中国共产党人是马克思主义的继承者和发扬者。恩格斯指出:“马克思和我本来差不多就像巴枯宁一样早就是坚定的无神论者和唯物主义者。”进入新时代，马克思主义无神论思想的学习和掌握进一步被重视。习近平总书记在2016年4月的全国宗教工作会议上强调:“共产党员要做坚定的马克思主义无神论者，严守党章规定，坚定理想信念，牢记党的宗旨，绝不能在宗教中寻找自己的价值和信念。”因此，中国共产党人要充分理解马克思主义无神论与中国共产党的本质属性之一(先进性和纯洁性)之间的联系性，坚定无神论思想，展现党员先进性，以马克思主义为指导，学习党的理论，用党的指导思想武装头脑，在新时代中国特色社会主义的伟大实践中，将自己锻造成坚定的马克思主义无神论者。

(2) Adhering to Marxist atheist thought to occupy the ideological high ground

(二)坚持以马克思主义无神论思想占领意识形态高地

In the era when Ai Siqi wrote *Philosophy for the Masses*, Marxism had not yet truly become the mainstream ideology in China and was, to a certain extent, still besieged and blocked by the Kuomintang authorities. However, after the Communist Party of China led the people of the whole country to achieve national independence and people’s liberation, the situation underwent a major change. After the founding of New China, Ai Siqi edited philosophical textbooks such as *Dialectical Materialism and Historical Materialism*, promoting the popularization and dissemination of Marxism in China and making important contributions to enhancing the discursive power of Marxism in China’s ideological sphere. In contemporary China, Marxist theoretical workers should learn from Comrade Ai Siqi, continue to advance the popularization of Marxist philosophy and Marxist atheist thought, and consolidate the dominant position of Marxism in the ideological sphere.

在艾思奇撰写《大众哲学》的年代，马克思主义还未真正成为国内的主流思想，在一定程度上还遭到了国民党当局的围追封堵。但是，在中国共产党领导全国人民获得民族独立和人民解放之后，情况发生了重大变化。新中国成立后，艾思奇主编了《辩证唯物主义与历史唯物主义》等哲学教科书，推动了马克思主义在中国的普及与传播，为提升马克思主义在我国意识形态领域的话语权作出了重要贡献。在当代中国，马克思主义理论工作者应该向艾思奇同志学习，接续推动马克思主义哲学、马克思主义无神论思想的普及化工作的开展，巩固马克思主义在意识形态领域的主导地位。

First, upholding atheism must implement Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era. General Secretary Xi Jinping attaches great importance to ideological work, profoundly pointing out: “Ideological work is an extremely important task for the Party.” [10]10 Xi Jinping, “Speech at the National Conference on Propaganda and Ideological Work,” August 19, 2013. The propaganda and education work of Marxist atheism, as an important component of ideological work, should be given due attention. Because Marxist atheist education experienced a certain degree of absence in some periods after reform and opening up, some theist ideas began to spread again among the people. Some people, including some Party and government cadres, lack knowledge of Marxist atheism, and among a very small number of Party members and non-Party cadres, there have even been phenomena of not believing in Marxism-Leninism but believing in ghosts and gods. [11]11 This refers to the phenomenon of some Party members and cadres engaging in superstitious practices such as consulting fortune-tellers or worshipping at temples, which the CPC has criticized as a sign of lost ideals. In the final analysis, this is because ideals have been lost and convictions have wavered; they attempt to find spiritual sustenance through feudal superstition, seeking the secrets of career advancement from fortune-telling, physiognomy, burning incense, and worshipping Buddha. General Secretary Xi Jinping pointed out: “Wavering ideals and convictions are the most dangerous wavering, and the slippage of ideals and convictions is the most dangerous slippage.” [12]12 Xi Jinping, “Speech at the Celebration of the 95th Anniversary of the Founding of the Communist Party of China,” July 1, 2016. The adaptation of Marxism to the Chinese context has produced many new theoretical achievements. In contemporary China, the latest adapted Marxist theory must be used as the guiding ideology for Marxist atheist education. Implementing Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era means firming up the Marxist faith, adhering to Marxist atheism, and grasping the communist ideal and conviction as well as the political direction.

第一，坚持无神论必须贯彻习近平新时代中国特色社会主义思想。习近平总书记十分重视意识形态工作，他深刻地指出:“意识形态工作是党的一项极端重要的工作。”马克思主义无神论的宣传教育工作作为意识形态工作的重要组成部分，理应得到高度重视。由于马克思主义无神论教育在改革开放后某些时段出现了一定程度的缺位现象，一些有神论思想又开始在人民群众中蔓延。一些人包括部分党政干部缺乏马克思主义无神论知识，甚至在极少数、极个别党员和非党员干部中，出现了不信马列信鬼神的现象，归根结底是因为理想丧失，信念出现了动摇，他们妄图通过封建迷信来寻找精神上的寄托，从算命看相，烧香拜佛中找到仕途升迁的奥秘。习近平总书记指出:“理想信念动摇是最危险的动摇，理想信念滑坡是最危险的滑坡。”马克思主义中国化产生了很多新的理论成果，在当今中国，必须用最新的中国化的马克思主义理论作为马克思主义无神论教育的指导思想。贯彻习近平新时代中国特色社会主义思想，就是要坚定马克思主义信仰，坚持马克思主义无神论，把握共产主义理想信念和政治方向。

Second, conducting research on the theory of religion with Chinese characteristics must adhere to Marxist atheism. Chinese Communists are thoroughgoing materialists, always adhering to seeking truth from facts, formulating basic policies on religious work that suit China’s national conditions, insisting on viewing religion with a correct perspective, handling religion with scientific methods, accurately recognizing and grasping the inherent laws of religious development, actively guiding religion to adapt to the socialist society, and unifying this with serving the highest interests of the state and the overall interests of the Chinese nation. Research on the theory of religion with Chinese characteristics should be conducted under the guidance of the Party’s religious policies. In the New Era, conducting religious research must adhere to Marxist atheist thought. Religious research with Chinese characteristics must, on the one hand, reveal the philosophical ideas within religion, and on the other hand, discriminate against the superstitious and unscientific viewpoints existing in religion. The theist ideas of religion should not and cannot be widely popularized and propagated. Conducting research on the theory of religion with Chinese characteristics must be linked to the progress of science and technology. The progress of science and technology can enable people to further perceive the absurdity of theism; the scientific spirit embodied in scientific progress can enrich and develop atheism, making atheism more persuasive. In the process of developing socialism with Chinese characteristics, religion should also play its positive role, while its negative and backward aspects need to be criticized. China is a socialist state led by the Communist Party of China; it can neither use feudalist or capitalist ideologies and values as the spiritual pillar of the whole society, nor can it use religion as the spiritual pillar of the whole society.

第二，开展中国特色社会主义宗教理论研究必须坚持马克思主义无神论。中国共产党人是彻底的唯物主义者，始终坚持实事求是，制定符合中国国情的宗教工作基本方针，坚持用正确的观点看待宗教，用科学的方法对待宗教，准确认识和把握宗教自身的发展规律，积极引导宗教与社会主义社会相适应，将其统一于服务国家最高利益和中华民族整体利益中。中国特色社会主义宗教理论研究应该在党的宗教政策的指引下进行。在新时代下，开展宗教研究，必须坚持马克思主义无神论思想。中国特色的宗教研究，一方面要揭示宗教中的哲学思想，另一方面，又要对宗教中存在的迷信、非科学观点进行甄别。宗教的有神论思想不应该也不能够被大肆普及和宣传。开展中国特色社会主义宗教理论研究必须和科学技术的进步相联系，科学技术的进步能够使人们进一步感受到有神论的荒谬，科学进步所体现的科学精神能够使无神论得到丰富和发展，能够让无神论更具说服力。在中国特色社会主义的发展过程中，宗教也要发挥其积极作用，对于其消极落后的方面，则需要进行批判。我国是共产党领导的社会主义国家，既不能用封建主义、资本主义思想意识和价值观念来作为全社会的精神支柱，也不能用宗教来作为全社会的精神支柱。

Third, conducting ideological and political education must be oriented by Marxist atheism. The courses on worldview, outlook on life, and values in ideological and political education are key courses for achieving the educational goal of fostering virtue through education. [13]13 “Fostering virtue through education” (立德树人) is a key phrase in Chinese educational policy, emphasizing moral character as the foundation of talent cultivation. The adaptation of Marxism to the Chinese context has produced many new theoretical achievements. In contemporary China, the latest adapted Marxist theory must be used as the guiding ideology for Marxist atheist education. Promoting Marxist atheist education helps establish correct materialist thought in the minds of the educated, master the ideological methods of dialectical materialism and historical materialism, and recognize the material nature of the world’s composition and the people-centered nature of historical development. Through correct education on the three outlooks, [14]14 “Three outlooks” (三观) refers to worldview, outlook on life, and values. students can establish the intellectual tools of scientific atheism and grasping truth, better understand the world, and serve the masses of the people.

第三，开展思想政治教育必须以马克思主义无神论为导向。思想政治教育中的世界观、人生观、价值观课程，是我们实现立德树人教育的关键课程。马克思主义中国化产生了很多新的理论成果，在当今中国，必须用最新的中国化的马克思主义理论作为马克思主义无神论教育的指导思想。推动马克思主义无神论教育，有助于在受教育者的内心中树立正确的唯物主义思想，掌握辩证唯物主义和历史唯物主义的思想方法，认识到世界构成的物质性和历史发展的人民性。通过正确的三观教育，在学生脑海中建立科学无神论、把握真理的思想工具，更好地认识世界，服务于人民大众。

(3) Persisting in advancing the popularization and vulgarization of Marxist atheist thought

(三)坚持推进马克思主义无神论思想大众化通俗化

Ai Siqi’s *Philosophy for the Masses* promoted the popularization and vulgarization of philosophical knowledge. Mr. Li Gongpu believed: “This book uses the most popular writing style and the genre of everyday conversation to dissolve specialized theory, so that the mass reader can accept it without much effort.” [15]15 Li Gongpu (1902–1946) was a Chinese democratic activist and publisher who praised Ai Siqi’s work for its accessible style. In the preface to the fourth edition of *Philosophy Talks*, Ai Siqi wrote: “Then I only hope that this book, on city streets, in shops, in the countryside, can relieve the intellectual hunger of those who have lost the chance to study, but I dare not expect it to necessarily reach the hands of esteemed university students, because it is not a beautifully decorated Western pastry, but only a dry-baked flatbread.” [16]16 Ai Siqi (1910–1966) was a Chinese Marxist philosopher known for popularizing Marxist philosophy. *Philosophy Talks* was the original title of what later became *Philosophy for the Masses*. Ai Siqi’s thought on the popularization of philosophy still has important reference significance and value for emulation today. In the New Era, to promote the popularization and vulgarization of Marxist atheism, we can proceed from three aspects.

艾思奇的《大众哲学》推动了哲学知识的大众化、通俗化。李公朴先生认为:“这本书是用最通俗的笔法，日常谈话的体裁，融化专门的理论，使大众的读者不必费很大气力就能够接受。”艾思奇在《哲学讲话》的第四版代序中这样写道:“那我只希望这本书在都市街头，在店铺内，在乡村里，给那失学者们解一解智识的饥荒，却不敢妄想一定要到尊贵的大学生们的手里，因为它不是装璜美丽的西点，只是一块干烧的大饼。”艾思奇的哲学大众化思想在今天仍然具有重要的参考意义和借鉴价值。在新时代，要推动马克思主义无神论的大众化通俗化，可以从三个方面着手。

First, promote the popularization of Marxist atheist study among Party members, non-Party cadres, and the masses. At present, the Communist Party of China has over 90 million members, and the ideas and concepts of Communist Party members will greatly influence the masses of the people. The vast majority of Party members and cadres should actively study Marxist atheist thought and spread it to the surrounding masses in daily life. Apart from Party members and cadres, members of democratic parties or non-Party personages are not exempt from studying Marxist atheism or from propagating theist thought. Progressive members of democratic parties and non-Party personages should all draw closer to the leading core of the socialist cause. Strengthening the study of the relevant political theories of the Communist Party of China, studying Marxist atheism, and establishing scientific thought are conducive to the construction of the cadre contingent. Both Party members and cadres and non-Party cadres should assume the responsibility of propaganda, enabling Marxist atheist thought to penetrate deeply into the broad masses of the people. At the same time, cadres should also accept supervision from the masses. If cadres are found to have beliefs in religion or loss of ideals and convictions, they should be promptly supervised and reminded, and their free development should not be allowed. A good social atmosphere of respecting science, loving science, and learning science should be created to promote the forward development of the socialist cause.

第一，在党员、非党员干部、群众中推进马克思主义无神论学习普及化。目前中国共产党拥有9000多万名党员，共产党员的思想观念会极大地影响人民群众。广大党员干部应该主动学习马克思主义无神论思想，并在日常生活中将马克思主义无神论思想向周围的群众传播。除了党员干部外，民主党派人士或无党派人士并不意味着就可以不用学习马克思主义无神论或者宣传有神论思想。进步的民主党派人士和无党派人士都应该向社会主义事业的领导核心靠拢。强化对于中国共产党相关政治理论的学习。学习马克思主义无神论，树立科学的思想，有利于干部队伍的建设。党员干部和非党员干部都应该承担起宣传的职责，使马克思主义无神论思想深入到广大人民群众中。同时，干部也应该接受人民群众的监督，发现干部有出现信仰宗教或者理想信念丢失的情况，应该及时监督提醒，不能任其自由发展。在社会中营造尊重科学、热爱科学、学习科学的良好氛围，促进社会主义事业向前发展。

Second, make good use of new technologies and new media platforms to propagate Marxist atheist thought. Propaganda, ideological, and cultural work has a strong political, ideological, guiding, and leading nature and is an extremely important ideological task. In the New Era, with the continuous progress of science and technology and the constant upgrading of new technologies, new media cultural propaganda platforms are increasingly becoming important channels for the masses to obtain information sources. The concepts propagated through information propaganda channels will greatly influence the thoughts of the masses. Marxist theoretical research and propaganda workers should be adept at using new media communication platforms such as WeChat public accounts, Weibo platforms, and Xiaohongshu [17]17 Xiaohongshu (literally “Little Red Book”) is a Chinese social media and e-commerce platform popular for lifestyle content. to promote the propaganda of Marxist atheism. The propaganda of Marxist atheism is closely linked to Marxist worldview education, and worldview education is part of philosophical education. Therefore, it is necessary to spread Marxist philosophy on a large scale and over a wide area across the whole society, promoting the popularized development of atheist thought.

第二，利用好新技术和新媒体平台宣传马克思主义无神论思想。宣传思想文化工作具有很强的政治性、思想性、指导性、引导性，是一项极端重要的意识形态工作。在新时代，随着科学技术的不断进步，新型技术的不断升级，新媒体文化宣传平台日益成为人民群众获得信息来源的重要渠道。信息宣传渠道所传播的观念，将在很大程度上影响人民群众的思想。马克思主义理论研究和宣传工作者应善于运用微信公众号、微博平台、小红书等新媒体传播平台，推动马克思主义无神论的宣传。马克思主义无神论宣传与马克思主义世界观教育紧密相连，世界观教育属于哲学教育的一部分。因此，要在全社会大面积、大范围地传播马克思主义哲学，推动无神论思想的大众化发展。

Third, in the construction of philosophy and social sciences in higher education, attention must be paid to research in the Marxist atheist discipline, and popularized textbooks on Marxist atheism must be compiled. In certain periods, due to neglect of the construction of the Marxist atheist discipline, research, propaganda, and education on atheism were absent for a long time, leading to an inadequate response to the infiltration and spread of religious theology and the resurgence of feudal superstition, which became one of the shortcomings in the work of the Party and the state. [18]18 The “Party and the state” (党和国家) is a standard Chinese political formulation referring to the Chinese Communist Party and the government of the People’s Republic of China, treated as a unified entity in policy and discourse. Therefore, in higher education, the disciplinary construction of religious studies must be improved, and specialized disciplines for atheist research must be established. At the same time, experts in Marxist philosophical research and religious studies should be brought in to jointly compile popularized atheist education textbooks that adapt to the development of the New Era, and specialized courses on Marxist atheism should be offered. In the ideological and political education of university students, a dedicated segment on Marxist atheist education should be introduced, with experts in atheist research invited to give lectures. Furthermore, atheist propaganda groups should be organized among students, using the school’s public platforms to produce relevant promotional videos, disseminating Marxist atheism in popularized language.

第三，在高校哲学社会科学建设中要重视马克思主义无神论学科的研究，编写通俗化马克思主义无神论教材。某些时段，由于忽视马克思主义无神论学科建设，导致无神论研究宣传教育长期缺位，对宗教神学渗透蔓延和封建迷信沉渣泛起应对乏力，成为党和国家工作中的短板之一。因此，在高校中要完善宗教学研究的学科建设，设置无神论研究的专门学科。同时，引进马克思主义哲学研究和宗教学研究的专家，合力编写适应新时代发展的通俗化无神论教育教材，并开设马克思主义无神论专业课。在高校学生的思政课教育中开设专门的马克思主义无神论教育环节，邀请无神论研究的专家授课讲解。并在学生中组织无神论宣讲团，利用学校公共平台拍摄相关宣传视频，用通俗化的语言传播马克思主义无神论。

(Author bios: Guo Zuquan, Professor at the School of Marxism, Southwest Forestry University; Huang Xiaodan, Master’s student in Marxist Theory, School of Marxism, Southwest Forestry University)

（作者简介：郭祖全，西南林业大学马克思主义学院教授;黄小丹，西南林业大学马克思主义学院马克思主义理论专业硕士研究生）

Online editor: Tongxin

网络编辑：同心