Mao Zedong’s Struggle Philosophy and Practice of “Not Believing in Evil, Not Fearing Ghosts”

The “Resolution on the Major Achievements and Historical Experience of the Party over the Past Century” adopted at the Sixth Plenary Session of the 19th Central Committee of the Communist Party of China [1]1 The Sixth Plenary Session of the 19th Central Committee of the CPC was held in Beijing in November 2021. It adopted the third historical resolution of the Party, summarizing the Party’s major achievements and historical experience over the past century. points out: “In the face of various external encirclement, suppression, disruption, and subversion activities, it is necessary to carry forward the spirit of not believing in evil and not fearing ghosts, and to fight to the end against all forces that attempt to subvert the leadership of the Communist Party of China and China’s socialist system, and that attempt to delay or even block the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation. Unilateral concessions will only invite even more aggressive bullying; seeking peace at the expense of principles will only lead to a more humiliating situation.” [2]2 This quotation is from the resolution adopted at the Sixth Plenary Session of the 19th Central Committee. A review of Party documents shows that this is the first time “not believing in evil, not fearing ghosts” has been written into a Party historical resolution, fully demonstrating that the “spirit of not believing in evil and not fearing ghosts” possesses profound philosophical connotations and a practical foundation in the Party’s more than one hundred years of struggle. Mao Zedong was the main proponent and practitioner of the “spirit of not believing in evil and not fearing ghosts.” Guided by historical materialism, he gradually formed a systematic struggle philosophy of “not believing in evil, not fearing ghosts” in the concrete practice of China’s revolutionary wars, which became a fine tradition and valuable experience of the Communist Party of China.

党的十九届六中全会通过的《中共中央关于党的百年奋斗重大成就和历史经验的决议》指出：“面对来自外部的各种围堵、打压、捣乱、颠覆活动，必须发扬不信邪、不怕鬼的精神，同企图颠覆中国共产党领导和我国社会主义制度、企图迟滞甚至阻断中华民族伟大复兴进程的一切势力斗争到底，一味退让只能换来得寸进尺的霸凌，委曲求全只能招致更为屈辱的境况。”翻阅党的文献，这是第一次将“不信邪、不怕鬼”写入党的历史决议，充分说明“不信邪、不怕鬼的精神”在党的百余年奋斗历史中有着深厚的哲学内涵和实践基础。毛泽东是“不信邪、不怕鬼的精神”的主要提出者和践行者，他以唯物史观为指导，在中国革命战争的具体实践中逐渐形成了系统的“不信邪、不怕鬼”的斗争哲学，成为中国共产党的优良传统和宝贵经验。

I. The Philosophical Foundation of Mao Zedong’s Struggle Philosophy of “Not Believing in Evil, Not Fearing Ghosts” Is Historical Materialism

一、毛泽东“不信邪、不怕鬼”的斗争哲学基础是唯物史观

In traditional China, “ghosts” and “evil” (hereinafter collectively referred to as “ghosts and evil”) generally refer to intangible, mysterious things or forces that people, lacking scientific guidance and detached from concrete practice, imagine as invincible when understanding the world. To achieve the goal of transforming the world, it is necessary to correctly understand the world under the guidance of scientific thought and overcome the psychology of daring not to struggle and fearing struggle—that is, “not believing in evil, not fearing ghosts.” As a scientific worldview and methodology, historical materialism is the prerequisite for guiding people in scientific practice, “the philosophical foundation of our Party,” [3]3 This phrase is from Mao Zedong’s 1921 letter to Cai Hesen, in which he argued that historical materialism should be the philosophical foundation of the Communist Party of China. and also the basis of Mao Zedong’s struggle philosophy of “not believing in evil, not fearing ghosts.”

在传统中国，“鬼”和“邪”（下文统称“鬼邪”）一般指人们在认识世界时，由于没有科学思想指导和脱离具体实践，在幻想中形成的某种不可战胜的无形神秘事物或力量。要达到改造世界的目的，必须在科学思想的指导下正确认识世界，克服不敢斗争、惧怕斗争的心理即“不信邪，不怕鬼”。作为科学的世界观和方法论，唯物史观是指导人们进行科学实践的前提，“是吾党哲学的根据”，也是毛泽东“不信邪、不怕鬼”斗争哲学的基础。

(I) Generative Premise: Pursuing Truth and Overcoming Superstition and Fantasy in Traditional Culture

（一）生成前提：追求真理与克服传统文化中的迷信和幻想

Truth is the correct reflection of objective things and their laws, a philosophical category marking the correspondence between subjective understanding and objective reality. Marxism points out that “all religion, however, is nothing but the fantastic reflection in men’s minds of those external forces which control their daily life.” [4]4 This is a quotation from Friedrich Engels’s *Anti-Dühring*. Throughout history, both in China and abroad, “ghosts and evil,” as superstitious perceptions and fantastic reflections of a powerful evil world in people’s minds, are the result of the non-correspondence between subjective understanding and objective reality, exerting a broad and profound influence on human society. The starting point and foundation of dialectical materialism and historical materialism is atheism. Marx believed: “Communism begins from the outset with atheism.” [5]5 This is a quotation from Karl Marx’s *Economic and Philosophic Manuscripts of 1844*. To realize socialism and communism in China, it is necessary, on the basis of mastering truth, to critique the “ghosts and evil” in people’s minds and overcome the fear of them. The Marxist view of truth reveals that the essence of “ghosts and evil” in traditional culture is superstition and fantasy, which constitutes the generative premise of Mao Zedong’s struggle philosophy of “not believing in evil, not fearing ghosts.”

真理是对客观事物及其规律的正确反映，标志主观认识与客观实际相符合的哲学范畴。马克思主义指出，“一切宗教都不过是支配着人们日常生活的外部力量在人们头脑中的幻想的反映”。古今中外，“鬼邪”作为人们头脑中强大的邪恶世界的迷信认知和幻想反映，是主观认识和客观实际不相符合的结果，对人类社会产生了广泛而深入的影响。辩证唯物主义和历史唯物主义的起点和基础是无神论，马克思认为：“共产主义是径直从无神论开始的”。要在中国实现社会主义和共产主义，必须在掌握真理的基础上，批判人们头脑中的“鬼邪”，克服对“鬼邪”的恐惧。马克思主义真理观揭露出传统文化中“鬼邪”的本质是迷信和幻想，这构成了毛泽东“不信邪、不怕鬼”斗争哲学的生成前提。

Guided by the Marxist view of truth, in the process of integrating the basic principles of Marxism with China’s specific realities and the fine traditional Chinese culture, Mao Zedong used “ghosts and evil” to refer to all objects in revolutionary and construction practice that required revolution and struggle, endowing the necessity and inevitability of opposing “ghosts and evil” with new ideological and scientific connotations. “Not believing in evil” means pursuing truth, firmly believing in science and practice, and not being swayed by fallacies; “not fearing ghosts” means not fearing threats, challenges, or difficulties. The necessity of “not believing in evil, not fearing ghosts” lies in serving the country and the people: starting from the Marxist view of truth, adhering to ideals and beliefs, and daring to struggle in the face of all risks and challenges. The inevitability lies in acting according to historical laws and trends, proceeding from China’s specific realities, and, under the leadership of the Communist Party of China, which represents the interests of the vast majority of the people, carrying out struggles that are justified, advantageous, and restrained until victory is achieved.

在马克思主义真理观指引下，毛泽东在把马克思主义基本原理同中国具体实际和中华优秀传统文化相结合的过程中，用“鬼邪”来指代革命和建设实践中的一切需要革命、斗争的对象，将反对“鬼邪”的必要性和必胜性赋予新的思想和科学内涵。“不信邪”就是追求真理，坚信科学与实践，不为谬论所动摇，“不怕鬼”就是不怕威胁、挑战和困难。“不信邪、不怕鬼”的必要性就是为国为民，从马克思主义真理观出发，坚持理想信仰，面对一切风险和挑战敢于斗争；必胜性就是依据历史规律和历史走向，从中国具体实际出发，在代表广大人民利益的中国共产党的领导下，进行有理有利有节的斗争，直至取得胜利。

(II) Fundamental Method: The Method of Contradiction Analysis and Understanding of the Principal Social Contradiction

（二）根本方法：矛盾分析法和对社会主要矛盾的认识

The method of contradiction analysis is the fundamental method of materialist dialectics and also the fundamental law of Mao Zedong’s struggle philosophy of “not believing in evil, not fearing ghosts.” “The law of the unity of opposites is the fundamental law of the universe. This law is universally operative in nature, human society, and human thought.” [6]6 This is a quotation from Mao Zedong’s 1957 speech “On the Correct Handling of Contradictions Among the People.” The universality of contradiction determines the universality of struggle, which is the theoretical and practical premise for all struggles carried out by Chinese Communists. Thus, contradiction and struggle involve not only the political, economic, cultural, military, and ethnic fields in social revolution but also the self-purification, self-reform, self-improvement, and self-perfection in the self-revolution of the proletarian party. In Mao Zedong’s view, contradictions exist in all societies, and socialist society contains two types of contradictions of different natures: contradictions between ourselves and the enemy and contradictions among the people. [7]7 This distinction between two types of contradictions was a key theoretical contribution of Mao Zedong, elaborated in his 1957 speech “On the Correct Handling of Contradictions Among the People.” Faced with ubiquitous and ever-present contradictions, one must “not believe in evil, not fear ghosts,” and not be afraid of struggle. When handling contradictions between ourselves and the enemy, one must first “distinguish friends from enemies,” find the true friends of the revolution, establish a revolutionary united front, and jointly confront the common enemy. When handling contradictions among the people, one must distinguish right from wrong and adopt democratic and conciliatory methods, rather than violent or suppressive ones, to resolve them.

矛盾分析法是唯物辩证法的根本方法，也是毛泽东“不信邪、不怕鬼”斗争哲学的根本法则。“对立统一规律是宇宙的根本规律，这个规律，不论在自然界、人类社会和人们的思想中，都是普遍存在的。”矛盾的普遍性决定了斗争的普遍性，这是中国共产党人开展一切斗争的理论和实践前提。由此，矛盾斗争不仅涉及社会革命中政治、经济、文化、军事、民族等领域，也关涉无产阶级政党自我革命中自我净化、自我革新、自我提高、自我完善等。在毛泽东看来，一切社会都存在矛盾，社会主义社会存在着两种不同性质的矛盾即敌我矛盾和人民内部矛盾。面对无处不在和无时不有的矛盾，必须“不信邪、不怕鬼”，不惧怕斗争。在处理敌我矛盾时，首先要“分清敌友”，找到革命真正的朋友，建立革命统一战线，一同对付共同敌人；在处理人民内部矛盾时，必须分清是非对错，采取民主、协调，而非暴力、镇压的办法解决。

The particularity of contradiction determines that the principal social contradiction and the main task of revolution differ in different historical periods. During the War of Resistance Against Japan, the main task of the revolution was to defeat the Japanese aggressors, strive for national independence, and safeguard national territory and sovereignty. During the War of Liberation, “the task was to transition from democracy to socialism,” [8]8 This is a paraphrase of Mao Zedong’s view on the transition from the New Democratic Revolution to socialist revolution. and the main task of the revolution was to overthrow the dictatorial rule of the Kuomintang reactionaries, establish a new socialist China, and achieve the people’s freedom and liberation. By the period of socialist revolution and construction, the main task of the revolution was to solve the problem that economic and culture could not meet the people’s practical needs. The differences in the principal social contradiction and the main task of the revolution across different periods determine that the nature of the struggle must be understood and the struggle strategy appropriately adjusted according to concrete realities. Only by accurately identifying “ghosts and evil,” thoroughly understanding the situation, pinpointing problems, proposing effective countermeasures, and resolving contradictions in a targeted manner can one truly achieve “not believing in evil, not fearing ghosts” and promote the continuous development of the socialist modernization cause.

矛盾的特殊性决定了不同历史时期社会主要矛盾和革命主要任务的不同。抗日战争时期，革命主要任务是要打败日本侵略者，争取民族独立，维护国家领土和主权完整。解放战争时期，“是要从民权主义转变到社会主义”，革命主要任务是推翻国民党反动派的独裁统治，建立社会主义新中国，实现人民自由解放。到社会主义革命和建设时期，革命主要任务是解决经济文化不能满足人民的现实需要的问题。不同时期社会主要矛盾和革命主要任务的不同，决定了必须根据具体实际认识斗争的性质和适当调整斗争策略。只有准确识别“鬼邪”，摸清情况，找准问题，提实对策，有的放矢地解决矛盾，才能真正做到“不信邪、不怕鬼”，推动社会主义现代化事业不断向前发展。

(III) Key Issue: Adhering to the Mass Line and Clearly Recognizing the Subject and Object of Struggle

（三）关键议题：坚持群众路线和认清斗争的主体与客体

The Communist Party of China is the vanguard of the Chinese proletariat, representing the fundamental interests of the vast majority of the Chinese people. Starting from the fundamental interests of the masses, Mao Zedong formed the struggle philosophy of “not believing in evil, not fearing ghosts” in revolutionary practice.

中国共产党是中国无产阶级的先锋队，代表着最广大中国人民的根本利益。从人民群众的根本利益出发，毛泽东在革命实践中形成了“不信邪、不怕鬼”的斗争哲学。

During the Great Revolution, Mao Zedong raised the primary question of the revolution: “Who are our enemies? Who are our friends?” [9]9 This is the opening question of Mao Zedong’s 1926 article “Analysis of the Classes in Chinese Society.” This determined whom the Chinese revolution must rely on, unite with, and strike against, and also determined the reliable subject and the object of struggle in the practical struggle of “not believing in evil, not fearing ghosts”: “All those in league with imperialism—the warlords, the bureaucrats, the comprador class, the big landlord class and the reactionary section of the intelligentsia attached to them—are our enemies. The industrial proletariat is the leading force in our revolution. All the semi-proletariat and the petty bourgeoisie are our closest friends. As for the vacillating middle bourgeoisie, their right wing may become our enemy and their left wing may become our friend.” [10]10 This is a direct quotation from Mao Zedong’s “Analysis of the Classes in Chinese Society.” During the War of Resistance Against Japan, Mao Zedong referred to Japanese imperialism as a “reckless ghost” and traitors as “cowardly ghosts.” During the War of Liberation, Mao Zedong called Chiang Kai-shek, who acted against the tide of history, a “fierce ghost” and an “evil ghost.” [11]11 These terms (“reckless ghost,” “cowardly ghost,” “fierce ghost,” “evil ghost”) are Mao Zedong’s metaphorical characterizations of political enemies in his writings and speeches during the War of Resistance and the Civil War. It is not difficult to see that during these periods, the subject of the practical struggle of “not believing in evil, not fearing ghosts” was the Chinese nation and the Chinese people (with the Communist Party of China uniting and leading them as the vanguard in carrying out this practical struggle), while the “ghosts and evil” as the object of struggle referred to imperialism, feudalism, and bureaucrat-capitalism, which hindered China’s development and progress.

大革命时期，毛泽东提出了“分清敌友”这个革命的首要问题，确定了中国革命必须依靠谁，团结谁，打击谁，也确定了“不信邪、不怕鬼”斗争实践中可依靠的主体和斗争的对象，“一切勾结帝国主义的军阀、官僚、买办阶级、大地主阶级以及附属于他们的一部分反动知识界，是我们的敌人。工业无产阶级是我们革命的领导力量。一切半无产阶级、小资产阶级，是我们最接近的朋友。那动摇不定的中产阶级，其右翼可能是我们的敌人，其左翼可能是我们的朋友”。抗日战争时期，毛泽东将日本帝国主义称为“冒失鬼”，将汉奸称为“怕死鬼”。解放战争时期，毛泽东称逆历史潮流而动的蒋介石是“狞鬼”“恶鬼”。不难看出，这些时期开展“不信邪、不怕鬼”斗争实践的主体是中华民族和中国人民（中国共产党团结带领是中华民族和中国人民开展斗争实践的先锋队），作为斗争对象的“鬼邪”则指阻碍中国发展进步的帝国主义、封建主义和官僚资本主义。

After the founding of the People’s Republic of China, Mao Zedong’s struggle philosophy of “not believing in evil, not fearing ghosts” further developed.

中华人民共和国成立后，毛泽东的“不信邪、不怕鬼”的斗争哲学进一步发展了。

On the one hand, the subject of the struggle of “not believing in evil, not fearing ghosts” expanded from the Chinese nation and the Chinese people to the people of the whole world, while the object of “evil and ghosts” expanded from the “three mountains” [1]1 The Sixth Plenary Session of the 19th Central Committee of the CPC was held in Beijing in November 2021. It adopted the third historical resolution of the Party, summarizing the Party’s major achievements and historical experience over the past century. that oppressed and exploited the Chinese people to all reactionary forces that oppress and exploit the people of the world and the Chinese people. Mao Zedong pointed out that the Chinese Communist Party’s suppression of the rebellion in Tibet in 1959 was subjected to fierce attacks by Western public opinion, and that such attacks were themselves “evil and ghosts.” On May 6, 1959, during a conversation with delegations and diplomatic envoys from eleven countries including the Soviet Union and Hungary, Mao Zedong mentioned the story of “a madman sitting alone at night” from *Strange Tales from a Chinese Studio* [2]2 This quotation is from the resolution adopted at the Sixth Plenary Session of the 19th Central Committee., arguing that ghosts must not be feared. At the same time, regarding the Tibet rebellion, Mao Zedong stated: “Today there are not a few ghosts in the world. The Western world has a large group of ghosts, namely imperialism. In Asia, Africa, and Latin America there is also a large group of ghosts, namely the running dogs of imperialism and the reactionaries.” On May 10, Mao Zedong again pointed out on the Tibet issue: “The ghost of capitalism does exist… Hitler was a big ghost, and Chiang Kai-shek’s ghost was not small either; before him there were ghosts like Yuan Shikai and the Qing dynasty emperors.” From the “evil and ghosts” in feudal superstitious stories to the enemies in real society, Mao Zedong’s speeches deeply elucidated that the subjects of the struggle of “not believing in evil, not fearing ghosts” are socialist countries and countries striving for liberation in colonies and semi-colonies, as well as the oppressed people of these countries, while the objects of the struggle are imperialism, capitalism, Nazism, feudalism, and other forces hostile to socialist countries and oppressing the people of colonial and semi-colonial countries and the Chinese people. Hitler, Chiang Kai-shek, Yuan Shikai, and the Qing dynasty emperors are concrete embodiments of these “evil and ghosts.”

一方面，“不信邪、不怕鬼”斗争的主体从中华民族和中国人民扩大到全世界人民，作为对象的“鬼邪”则从压迫、剥削中国人民的“三座大山”扩大到压迫、剥削世界人民和中国人民的一切反动势力。毛泽东指出，中国共产党1959年在西藏平叛遭到西方舆论的大肆攻击，这种攻击本身就是“鬼邪”。1959年5月6日，毛泽东在同苏联、匈牙利等11个国家的代表团和驻华使节谈话时，提到《聊斋志异》里“狂生夜坐”的故事，认为鬼是怕不得的。同时，毛泽东就西藏叛乱问题指出：“今天世界上鬼不少。西方世界有一大群鬼，就是帝国主义。在亚洲、非洲、拉丁美洲也有一大群鬼，就是帝国主义的走狗、反动派。”5月10日，毛泽东就西藏问题再次指出：“资本主义这个鬼确有其事……希特勒是大鬼，蒋介石这个鬼也不小，在他以前还有袁世凯、满清皇帝等鬼。”从封建迷信故事中的“鬼邪”到现实社会中的敌人，毛泽东的讲话深入阐明了开展“不信邪、不怕鬼”斗争的主体是社会主义国家和殖民地半殖民地争取解放的国家及这些国家受压迫的人民，斗争的对象则是仇视社会主义国家和压迫殖民地半殖民地国家和人民的帝国主义、资本主义、纳粹主义、封建主义等，希特勒、蒋介石、袁世凯、清朝皇帝就是这些“鬼邪”的具体体现。

On the other hand, the Chinese Communist Party also had new missions and tasks during the stage of socialist revolution and construction, and the subject and object of the struggle of “not believing in evil, not fearing ghosts” accordingly shifted to the level of socialist revolution and construction. In Mao Zedong’s view, all obstacles lying on the path forward for the Party and the people were “evil and ghosts”: “Severe natural disasters, the seizure of leadership in certain grassroots organizations by some unremolded landlord-class elements and bourgeois elements to carry out restoration, and even down to difficulties and setbacks in ordinary work—all these can be said to be things similar to ghosts.” In addition, stage plays containing feudal superstitious cultural ideas were “ox-demons and snake-spirits” [3]3 This phrase is from Mao Zedong’s 1921 letter to Cai Hesen, in which he argued that historical materialism should be the philosophical foundation of the Communist Party of China., the “plague lord” threatening the people’s life and health was an “evil ghost,” and even the Chinese Communist Party members themselves, as the subject of the struggle, harbored hidden “evil and ghosts,” such as some Party cadres “fearing the masses,” “losing confidence,” and harboring fear and misgivings. At this time, the subject of the struggle was the Chinese Communist Party and the Chinese people carrying out socialist revolution and construction, and the objects included not only domestic and foreign enemies but also natural disasters, difficulties and setbacks in the process of revolution and construction, and unhealthy psychological states among some Party members and the masses. With the development of the times, the connotation and extension of the struggle philosophy of “not believing in evil, not fearing ghosts” changed, but adhering to the mass line was not only the driving force for Mao Zedong to dare to “not believe in evil, not fear ghosts,” but also the key to his formation of the struggle philosophy of “not believing in evil, not fearing ghosts.”

另一方面，中国共产党在社会主义革命和建设阶段也有新的使命任务，“不信邪、不怕鬼”斗争的主体和对象随之转移到社会主义革命和建设层面。在毛泽东看来，那些横亘在党和人民前进道路上的一切障碍都是“鬼邪”：“严重的天灾，一部分没有改造好的地主阶级分子资产阶级分子篡夺某些基层组织的领导权，实行复辟，小而至于一般工作中的困难、挫折等等，都可以说是类似鬼的东西”。此外，包含封建迷信文化思想的舞台剧目是“牛鬼蛇神”，威胁人民生命健康的“瘟君”是“鬼邪”，甚至作为斗争主体的中国共产党人身上也暗藏着“鬼邪”，如一些党员干部“怕群众”“丧失信心”和抱有畏惧和顾虑。此时的斗争主体是开展社会主义革命和建设的中国共产党和中国人民，对象除了国内外敌人，也涵盖自然界中的灾害、革命和建设过程中的困难挫折以及一些党员和群众的不良心理状态等。随着时代的发展，“不信邪、不怕鬼”斗争哲学的内涵和外延有所不同，但坚持群众路线不仅是毛泽东敢于“不信邪、不怕鬼”的动力，也是他形成“不信邪、不怕鬼”斗争哲学的关键。

II. The Practical Development of Mao Zedong’s Struggle Philosophy of “Not Believing in Evil, Not Fearing Ghosts”

二、毛泽东“不信邪、不怕鬼” 的斗争哲学的实践发展

Starting from the proposition “do not fear ghosts,” Mao Zedong’s struggle philosophy of “not believing in evil, not fearing ghosts” underwent three evolutions and leaps in practice.

从提出“鬼不要怕”开始，毛泽东的“不信邪、不怕鬼”斗争哲学在实践中经历了三次演进和飞跃。

(I) Germination under the Slogan of Pursuing Democracy and Science

（一）在追求民主科学的口号下萌生

Facing severe national and social crises in modern times, the Chinese people rose up in resistance. Various proposals and plans for national salvation emerged one after another, but all ended in failure. Because there was initially no leadership from a scientific plan for national salvation, people’s thinking sharply polarized, and some even placed their hopes for national survival on feudal superstition, causing theology and spiritualism to resurface. For example, the Shanghai Spiritualism Society, established in 1917, openly proclaimed that the existence of “spirits” was “beyond doubt” and publicly published the journal *Spiritualism Series* to propagate superstition, attracting a large number of socially prominent figures to participate (including Yan Fu, the translator of *Evolution and Ethics* [4]4 This is a quotation from Friedrich Engels’s *Anti-Dühring*.). The trend of “ghost theory” not only ran counter to the New Culture Movement, which pursued democracy and science to enlighten the people, but also hindered Chinese advanced elements from seeking a scientific path to national salvation. “To fundamentally save the nation from subjugation,” it was necessary first to liberate the people from superstitious ideas such as “ghost theory.” To this end, from May 1918 to April 1919, Chen Duxiu, Chen Daqi, Liu Bannong, and others wrote articles refuting “ghost theory,” making *New Youth* [5]5 This is a quotation from Karl Marx’s *Economic and Philosophic Manuscripts of 1844*. the main battleground for criticizing the spiritualist trend. On May 15, 1918, *New Youth* Volume 4, Issue 5 published Chen Daqi’s “Refuting ‘Spiritualism,’” Chen Duxiu’s “Questioning Ghost Theory,” Qian Xuantong’s “Denouncing the Spiritualism Series,” and Liu Bannong’s “Denouncing the Spiritualism Series.” These articles all pointed out that “evil and ghosts” do not exist, arguing that the Spiritualism Society and the *Spiritualism Series* were absurd and bizarre and must be exposed and eliminated. The spiritualists were extremely dissatisfied with these criticisms. On August 15, 1918, Yi Yixuan wrote “Answering Mr. Chen Duxiu’s ‘Questioning Ghost Theory,’” insisting that the existence of “ghosts” was “beyond the slightest doubt.” On December 15, a person named “Mo” who believed in spiritualism published a letter in *New Youth* claiming that the existence of ghosts could be proven through science and technology. In response to the spiritualists’ views, Chen Duxiu appended a note titled “Duxiu’s Note” after Yi Yixuan’s article to refute it. Liu Shuya wrote “Refuting Yi Yixuan” in support of Chen Duxiu. Wang Xinggong and Chen Daqi used chemistry and scientific methodology, respectively, to counter the views of “Mo” and others.

面对近代以来严重的民族危机和社会危机，中国人民奋起反抗。各种救国主张和方案轮番出台，但都以失败告终。由于一开始没有科学救国方案的领导，人们的思想激烈分化，一些人甚至将救亡图存的希望寄托在封建迷信上，致使神学和灵学沉渣泛起。例如，1917年成立的上海灵学会公然鼓吹“灵怪”的存在“毫无可疑”，并公开出版《灵学丛志》刊物宣传迷信，一时间吸引了一大批社会知名人士参与（甚至包括翻译《天演论》的严复）。“有鬼论”思潮不仅与追求民主科学以启发民智的新文化运动背道而驰，而且阻碍了中国先进分子寻求科学的救国道路。“欲图根本之救亡”就必须先将国民从“有鬼论”等迷信思想中解放出来。为此，1918年5月至1919年4月，陈独秀、陈大齐、刘半农等人纷纷撰文批驳“有鬼论”，使《新青年》成为批判灵学思潮的主阵地。1918年5月15日，《新青年》第4卷第5号发表了陈大齐的《辟“灵学”》、陈独秀的《有鬼论质疑》、钱玄同的《斥灵学丛志》、刘半农的《斥灵学丛志》等，这些文章都指出“鬼邪”不存在，认为灵学会及《灵学丛志》更是荒谬离奇，必须揭露并消灭。灵学派对这些批判极为不满。1918年8月15日，易乙玄写了《答陈独秀先生〈有鬼论质疑〉》，坚持认为“鬼”的存在“无丝毫疑义”。12月15日，相信灵学的“莫”等人在《新青年》刊登来信，认为可以通过科学技术证明鬼的存在。对于灵学派的观点，陈独秀在易乙玄文章后作了“独秀识”予以反驳。刘叔雅著《难易乙玄君》支持陈独秀。王星拱、陈大齐分别利用化学和科学方法论对“莫”等人的观点进行了回击。

On the surface, Chen Duxiu and others were debating whether “evil and ghosts” exist, but in reality, they were directly targeting the feudal autocracy and obscurantist consciousness behind “evil and ghosts.” Through the propaganda of *New Youth*, this debate on pursuing science and opposing superstition gained deep resonance among the people, preparing the ground for the emergence of Marxism in China. On July 14, 1919, Mao Zedong, deeply influenced by *New Youth*, founded the *Xiangjiang Review* [6]6 This is a quotation from Mao Zedong’s 1957 speech “On the Correct Handling of Contradictions Among the People.” in Changsha and stated: “What should not be feared? Do not fear heaven, do not fear ghosts, do not fear the dead, do not fear bureaucrats, do not fear warlords, do not fear capitalists.” The mandate of heaven is not to be feared; gods and ghosts are not to be feared. From feudal superstition to the bureaucratic government, the Beiyang warlords, and even the capitalists—all these things that were then held high above were straightforwardly negated by Mao Zedong. Mao Zedong’s high ambition and broad scope had already surpassed the vast majority of his contemporaries. There is no doubt that this debate on “whether ghosts exist” profoundly influenced Mao Zedong, sharpening his thinking. Regarding religious superstition, Mao Zedong directly pointed out: “The tyranny of religion… has not the slightest room for existence. It must be overthrown by the loud cry of democracy.” This firm stance against superstitious blind faith and the view of “do not fear ghosts” played an important role in the formation of Mao Zedong’s struggle philosophy of “not believing in evil, not fearing ghosts,” and even in his later choice of Marxism and his firm adherence to China’s own revolutionary path.

陈独秀等人表面上在争论“鬼邪”并不存在，实际上直指“鬼邪”背后的封建专制和愚昧意识。通过《新青年》的宣传，这场关于追求科学、反对迷信的论战深入人心，为马克思主义在中国的出场提供了准备。1919年7月14日，深受《新青年》影响的毛泽东在长沙创办《湘江评论》并指出：“什么不要怕？天不要怕，鬼不要怕，死人不要怕，官僚不要怕，军阀不要怕，资本家不要怕。”天命不足畏，神鬼不要怕。从封建迷信到官僚政府、北洋军阀乃至资本家，这些当时高高在上东西统统被毛泽东直截了当地否定了。毛泽东的立意之高，范围之广，已经超越了同时期绝大多数人。毫无疑问，这场关于“鬼邪是否存在”的争论深刻影响了毛泽东，使他的思想更加尖锐。对于宗教迷信，毛泽东更是直接指出：“宗教的强权……丝毫没有存在的余地。都要借平民主义的高呼，将他打倒。”这一反对迷信盲从的坚定立场和“鬼不要怕”观点，对毛泽东“不信邪、不怕鬼”的斗争哲学的形成，乃至对他后来选择马克思主义、坚定走中国自己的革命道路发挥了重要作用。

(II) Development in the Revolutionary Struggle to Destroy the Old World

（二）在破坏旧世界的革命斗争中发展

Mao Zedong’s struggle philosophy of “not believing in evil, not fearing ghosts” began with the overthrow of old superstitious ideas. Mao Zedong pointed out that the people must consciously destroy the system of ghosts and gods that dominated them, rather than relying on others to give orders. In Hunan, he inspired the peasants to rise up and struggle against superstition. On this, he said: “Can Guan Gong, the God of War, and Guanyin, the Goddess of Mercy, overthrow the local tyrants and evil gentry?” “Bodhisattvas were set up by the peasants; when the time comes, the peasants will use their own hands to throw away these bodhisattvas.” In the Shaanxi-Gansu-Ningxia Border Region, Mao Zedong also pointed out that the masses must rise up themselves to struggle against superstition; at the same time, the Party must also establish a broad cultural united front, raise the people’s cultural level through various means, enrich their spiritual life, and connect with, educate, and transform the masses based on their actual needs and voluntary willingness, breaking the shackles of feudal superstition on the people.

毛泽东“不信邪、不怕鬼”的斗争哲学是从推翻旧的迷信观念开始的。毛泽东指出，人民必须自己自觉地去摧毁支配他们的鬼神系统，而不是靠别人发号施令。他在湖南启发农民起来同迷信作斗争。对此，他说：“只要关圣帝君、观音大士，能够打倒土豪劣绅吗？”“菩萨是农民立起来的，到了一定时期农民会用他们自己的双手丢开这些菩萨。”在陕甘宁边区，毛泽东也指出，群众必须自己起来同迷信作斗争；与此同时，党也要建立广泛的文化统一战线，通过多种方式提高人民的文化水平，丰富人民的精神生活，从群众的实际需要和自觉自愿来联系、教育和改造群众，打破封建迷信对人们的束缚。

Mao Zedong waged a heroic revolutionary struggle against the old world with the spirit of “not believing in evil, not fearing ghosts.” Faced with the counterrevolutionary coup launched by the new right wing of the Kuomintang headed by Chiang Kai-shek, Mao was not intimidated but bravely resisted. He urged Communist Party members and key activists in Hunan to courageously take up arms to fight and to defend the revolution with armed force. At a meeting of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the Central Committee held on July 4, 1927, Mao, based on the situation in Hunan, proposed: the Hunan Provincial Peasant Association should go up into the mountains and join the army, because “going up into the mountains can create a foundation for military power,” and “if we do not preserve armed force, then when an incident occurs we will have no recourse.” [18]18 The “July 4, 1927 meeting” refers to an enlarged meeting of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee. Mao’s proposal to “go up into the mountains” was a strategic retreat to preserve revolutionary armed force after the Kuomintang’s counterrevolutionary purge. Later, Mao further pointed out that our Party must pay great attention to military affairs, “for it must be understood that political power comes out of the barrel of a gun.” [19]19 This is a famous statement by Mao from an August 7, 1927 emergency meeting of the CPC Central Committee, emphasizing the central role of military force in seizing political power. Faced with the White Terror, Mao fully recognized the extreme importance of armed struggle, believing that the correct path for the Chinese revolution was to go to the countryside, where enemy power was weak, to organize the broad masses of peasants, and to use revolutionary armed force to counter counterrevolutionary armed force. Moving from “sitting and talking” to “rising and acting,” Mao led the troops of the Autumn Harvest Uprising up to the Jinggang Mountains, establishing the first revolutionary base area on Chinese soil, ignishing a single spark that lit the way forward for the Chinese revolution.

毛泽东以“不信邪、不怕鬼”的精神对旧世界开展了英勇的革命斗争。面对以蒋介石为首的国民党新右派发动的反革命政变，毛泽东没有被吓倒，而是勇敢地进行反抗。他对湖南的共产党员和骨干积极分子提出，要勇敢拿起枪杆子进行斗争，武装保卫革命。在1927年7月4日召开的中央政治局常委会上，毛泽东根据湖南局势提出：湖南省农协要上山，要投入军队，因为“上山可造成军事势力的基础”，“不保存武力则将来一到事变我们即无办法”。之后，毛泽东又指出，我们党要非常注意军事，“须知政权是由枪杆子中取得的”。面对白色恐怖，毛泽东充分认识到武装斗争的极端重要性，认为中国革命的正确出路是到敌人力量薄弱的农村去，组织起广大农民，用革命的武装对抗反革命的武装。从“坐而言”到“起而行”，毛泽东把秋收起义的部队带上了井冈山，在中国大地上创建了第一块革命根据地，燃起了星星之火，为中国革命指明了前进方向。

As soon as the Jinggang Mountains revolutionary base area was established, it was subjected to encirclement and blockade by the Chiang Kai-shek clique, placing the still-weak Red Army under enormous pressure for survival. At this time, there was no correct understanding within the Party about which path the revolution should take. Under the erroneous leadership of “Left” putschism, the revolutionary base areas suffered successive heavy losses, and some Party members and Red Army soldiers began to question “how much longer the red flag can fly.” Mao knew that this pessimistic mood would seriously hinder the development of the revolution, so it was necessary to wage a resolute struggle against it. To this end, he published in succession “Why Can China’s Red Political Power Exist?”, “The Struggle in the Jinggang Mountains,” and “A Single Spark Can Start a Prairie Fire,” [20]20 These three works by Mao, written in 1928 and 1930, provided the theoretical foundation for the strategy of using rural base areas to surround and eventually capture cities. discussing the inevitability of the existence of red political power in China and the great significance of the armed independent regime of workers and peasants, revealing the inevitable trend of development of small red political power as “a single spark” that “can start a prairie fire,” and pointing out the new revolutionary path of “encircling the cities from the countryside and seizing state power by armed force.” These works powerfully strengthened the faith and confidence of the officers and men in the base areas and greatly promoted the development of the revolutionary army and the revolutionary base areas. Subsequently, Chiang Kai-shek repeatedly launched larger and broader “encirclement and suppression” campaigns, but Mao was never intimidated; instead, he adopted flexible and mobile tactics and achieved victory in the first four counter-encirclement and suppression campaigns. Because the “Left” line dominated, the fifth counter-encirclement and suppression campaign failed. Faced with this situation, the Chinese Workers’ and Peasants’ Red Army had to embark on the Long March. However, the provisional Central Committee, which implemented the erroneous “Left” line, also practiced flightism in retreat, plunging the Party and the Red Army into the danger of total annihilation. At this time, Mao, who had been excluded from the central leadership, still maintained a high-spirited fighting spirit, “not believing in evil” and “not fearing ghosts,” and resolutely struggled against the erroneous “Left” line, prompting the provisional Central Committee to agree to the Red Army’s advance into Guizhou, where enemy power was weak. After the Zunyi Conference, [21]21 The Zunyi Conference (January 1935) was a pivotal meeting during the Long March where Mao Zedong’s leadership was established, correcting the “Left” military line that had caused severe losses. under Mao’s actual leadership, the Party and the Red Army overcame countless dangers and hardships, successfully established a foothold in northern Shaanxi, and greatly promoted the development of the Chinese revolution.

井冈山革命根据地甫一建立就遭到蒋介石集团的围剿和封锁，这导致力量还很弱小的红军不得不面对巨大的生存压力。这时，关于革命道路该怎么走，党内还没有形成正确认识。在“左”倾盲动主义的错误领导下，革命根据地接连遭受重大损失，一些党员和红军战士产生了“红旗到底打得多久”的疑问。毛泽东知道，这一悲观情绪会严重阻碍革命发展，因此必须对之展开坚决斗争。为此，他接连发表了《中国的红色政权为什么能够存在？》《井冈山的斗争》《星星之火，可以燎原》，论述了红色政权在中国存在的必然性和工农武装割据的伟大意义，揭示了作为“星星之火”小块红色政权“可以燎原”的必然发展趋势，指明了“农村包围城市、武装夺取政权”的革命新道路。这些论著有力增强了根据地军民的信念和信心，极大促进了革命军队和革命根据地的发展。之后，蒋介石一再发动规模更大、范围更广的“围剿”，但毛泽东始终没有被吓倒，而是采取了机动灵活的战术，取得了前四次反“围剿”斗争的胜利。由于“左”倾路线占主导地位，五次反“围剿”失败。面对这一局势，中国工农红军不得不展开长征，但是，执行“左”倾错误路线的临时中共中央又实行退却中的逃跑主义，使党和红军陷入全军覆没的险境。此时，被排斥出中央领导层的毛泽东依然保有高昂的斗争精神，既“不信邪”也“不怕鬼”，与“左”倾错误路线坚决斗争，促使临时中央同意红军向敌人力量薄弱的贵州进军。遵义会议后，在毛泽东实际领导下，党和红军克服了无数艰险，成功在陕北站稳脚跟，极大地促进了中国革命的发展。

During the War of Resistance Against Japan, Mao’s combat philosophy of “not believing in evil, not fearing ghosts” was further developed. Faced with the aggression of Japanese imperialism, this “reckless ghost” that sought to destroy the Chinese nation, Mao instructed the entire Party to prepare immediately for the War of Resistance, resolved the crisis of civil war brought about by the Xi’an Incident, [22]22 The Xi’an Incident (December 1936) was a kidnapping of Chiang Kai-shek by two of his generals to force him to form a united front with the CPC against Japan, which was resolved peacefully. successfully promoted the second cooperation between the Kuomintang and the Communist Party, and thus established the broadest possible Anti-Japanese National United Front. Mao pointed out that, in the face of the “magic whip” of the “united front,” “there is nothing to fear.” [23]23 The “magic whip” is a reference to a weapon from the classic Chinese novel *Investiture of the Gods*, used here as a metaphor for the powerful force of the united front. When Japanese imperialism occupied large swaths of Chinese territory in a short time and inflicted atrocities on the Chinese people, the views of the “theory of quick victory,” born of impatience, and the pessimistic “theory of national subjugation” emerged. Mao waged a resolute struggle against these erroneous views. In May 1938, Mao published “On Protracted War,” systematically elaborating the view of achieving victory in the War of Resistance through protracted warfare, pointing out that the War of Resistance was a long-term process, but that the Japanese imperialist “ghost” would inevitably be defeated, and the Chinese people would inevitably triumph.

抗日战争时期，毛泽东“不信邪、不怕鬼”的斗争哲学得到进一步发展。面对日本帝国主义这个“冒失鬼”亡国灭种的侵略，毛泽东指示全党要立即准备抗战，并化解了西安事变带来的内战危机，成功推动国共第二次合作，从而建立了最广泛的抗日民族统一战线。毛泽东指出，在“统一战线”这个打神鞭面前，“什么都不怕”。[8]在日本帝国主义短时间内占领大批国土并残害中国人民之际，出现了急性病的“速胜论”与悲观主义的“亡国论”观点。毛泽东与这些错误观点展开了坚决斗争。1938年5月，毛泽东发表《论持久战》，系统阐释了以持久战求取抗战胜利的观点，指明了抗日战争是一个长期过程，但日本帝国主义这个“鬼”必将失败，中国人民必将胜利。

After the victory of the War of Resistance Against Japan, the Communist Party of China and the Chinese people ardently hoped for peace and democracy, but the Kuomintang ruling clique attempted to maintain its one-party dictatorship, “establishing a semi-colonial and semi-feudal state under the dictatorship of the big landlords and the big bourgeoisie.” [24]24 This is a standard characterization of the Kuomintang’s goal during the Civil War period, as described in official CPC historiography. To this end, the Kuomintang ostensibly engaged in peace negotiations with the Communist Party of China, but in reality, it was fully preparing for war under the cover of negotiations. The Chinese Communists, with Comrade Mao Zedong as their chief representative, acting in good faith and out of responsibility to the people, believed that peace negotiations were necessary and that they must struggle for peace. On August 28, 1945, Mao, with “immense courage,” personally went to Chongqing for negotiations, winning the support of the people nationwide. However, Chiang Kai-shek soon tore up the “Double Tenth Agreement.” [25]25 The “Double Tenth Agreement” was a preliminary peace accord signed on October 10, 1945, between the CPC and the Kuomintang, which was soon violated by the latter. Faced with Chiang Kai-shek’s dictatorial rhetoric that “there cannot be two suns in the sky, nor two kings over the people,” Mao was undaunted and pointed out: I do not believe in evil; I insist on showing him two suns. [26]26 This refers to Chiang Kai-shek’s claim that there could be only one supreme leader (himself) in China; Mao’s retort asserted the CPC’s equal claim to national leadership. Because Chiang Kai-shek, who stood on the opposite side of the people, and his supporter, the U.S. reactionaries, were “all paper tigers.” [27]27 “Paper tiger” is a famous Maoist metaphor for outwardly strong but inwardly weak enemies, first applied to U.S. imperialism. On February 25, 1947, the *Liberation Daily* published an editorial, “Peeling Off Another Layer of Skin – On the Great Terror in Beiping,” which concentratedly embodied the attitude of the Chinese Communists, with Comrade Mao Zedong as their chief representative, toward the Kuomintang and Chiang Kai-shek, this “ghost,” and their character of “not believing in evil, not fearing ghosts”: “Anyone who understands the situation knows that if a person is afraid of ghosts, the ghost will be fierce and vicious; if one is fundamentally not afraid of ghosts, then the ghost ceases to exist. Moreover, the Chinese people today already have their own Zhong Kui, [28]28 Zhong Kui is a traditional Chinese mythological figure who captures and exorcises ghosts, symbolizing the power to vanquish evil. who wholeheartedly works for the people. No matter how many heads and arms this ferocious ghost Chiang Kai-shek has, and no matter what backing he has, let us see where he can still flee!”

抗日战争胜利后，中国共产党和中国人民热切希望实现和平民主，但国民党统治集团却企图继续维持一党专政局面，“建立一个大地主大资产阶级专政的半殖民地半封建的国家”。为达到目的，国民党表面上与中国共产党开展和平谈判，实际上在谈判掩护下全力准备打仗。以毛泽东同志为主要代表的中国共产党人本着对人民负责的真诚，认为和平谈判是必要的，必须要为和平而斗争。1945年8月28日，毛泽东以“弥天大勇”亲赴重庆进行谈判，得到全国人民的支持。但是，蒋介石不久就撕毁了“双十协定”。面对国民党蒋介石“天无二日，民无二王”的独裁言论，毛泽东毫不畏惧地指出：我不信邪，偏要出两个太阳给他看看。因为站在人民对立面的蒋介石和他的支持者美国反动派“都是纸老虎”。1947年2月25日，《解放日报》发表社论《再剥开一层皮——论北平大恐怖》，集中体现了以毛泽东同志为主要代表的中国共产党人对国民党蒋介石这个“鬼”的态度和“不信邪、不怕鬼”的品格：“凡是懂事的人都知道，人若存心怕鬼，那鬼就凶就狠；若是根本不怕鬼，那鬼就没有了。何况中国人民今天已经有了他们自己的钟馗，他一心一意为人民立功，蒋介石这个狞鬼任凭他有三头六臂和什么靠山，看他还能逃向何处！”

It can be said that the combat philosophy of “not believing in evil, not fearing ghosts” constituted the basic strategic thinking of the Chinese Communists, with Comrade Mao Zedong as their chief representative, in their struggle against the enemy – it was precisely under the guidance of this powerful spirit of never flinching in the face of all “ghosts and evils” that the Communist Party of China united and led the Chinese people to achieve the great victory of the New Democratic Revolution.

可以说，“不信邪、不怕鬼”的斗争哲学构成以毛泽东同志为主要代表的中国共产党人对敌斗争的基本策略思想——正是在这一面对一切“鬼邪”毫不畏缩的强大精神的指引下，中国共产党团结带领中国人民取得了新民主主义革命的伟大胜利。

(3) Perfection Amid the Many Challenges of Building a New World

（三）在建设新世界的诸多挑战中完善

The combat philosophy of “not believing in evil, not fearing ghosts” was gradually perfected in the great practice of the socialist construction period. After the founding of New China, the frequency with which Mao spoke of “ghosts and evils” increased significantly, which was inseparable from the difficult and complex situation at the time. In 1956, due to insufficient understanding of what socialism is and how to build it, our Party made some deviations in its construction practice. From 1959 to 1962, severe natural disasters occurred in most parts of the country, causing a sharp decline in grain production and posing a great threat to the national economy and people’s livelihoods. At the same time, the superstitious belief in ghosts and gods, which had long fettered people’s minds, still existed. Internationally, Western imperialism, led by the United States, harbored hostility toward New China, implementing a blockade, encirclement, and suppression on the one hand, while attempting to subvert our socialist regime on the other; differences emerged between China and the Soviet Union, and bilateral relations gradually deteriorated; Tibetan separatist forces launched an armed rebellion; and border disputes between China and India gradually increased.

“不信邪、不怕鬼”的斗争哲学在社会主义建设时期的伟大实践中逐渐得到完善。新中国成立后，毛泽东谈到“鬼邪”的次数大幅增加，这与当时困难重重的局面分不开。1956年，由于对什么是社会主义和怎样建设社会主义认识不足，我们党在建设实践中出现了一些偏差。1959年至1962年，全国大部分地区出现严重的自然灾害，造成粮食大幅减产，对国民经济和人民生活构成极大威胁。同时，长期禁锢人们思想的鬼神迷信依然存在。国际上，以美国为首的西方帝国主义仇视新中国，一方面实施封锁、包围和打压，另一方面企图颠覆我社会主义政权；中苏发生分歧，双方关系逐渐趋于恶化；西藏分裂势力发动武装叛乱；中国和印度的边界纠纷逐渐增多。

Faced with the severe and complex domestic and international environment, Mao believed that it was first necessary to break down superstition, to “not believe in evil” and “not fear ghosts,” and to wage a resolute struggle against these “ghosts and evils.” To this end, he specifically proposed compiling a book, *Stories About Not Fearing Ghosts*, to inspire the Chinese people and the people of the world to break down superstitious belief in ghosts and gods and in Western imperialism, and to dare to struggle and be good at struggling in the face of challenges and difficulties. Under the guidance of Mao’s fighting spirit of “not believing in evil, not fearing ghosts,” He Qifang, director of the Institute of Literature of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, revised the manuscript several times and completed *Stories About Not Fearing Ghosts*, which was officially published in February 1961. During the process of editing and publishing *Stories About Not Fearing Ghosts*, Mao repeatedly offered guiding opinions and carefully reviewed and revised the preface. This preface and Mao’s own speeches profoundly reflected his combat thought of “not believing in evil, not fearing ghosts.”

面对严峻复杂的国内外环境，毛泽东认为，必须先破除迷信，既“不信邪”也“不怕鬼”，与这些“鬼邪”展开坚决斗争。为此，他特意提出编一本《不怕鬼的故事》，以鼓舞中国人民和世界人民破除鬼神迷信和对西方帝国主义的迷信，在挑战和困难面前敢于斗争和善于斗争。在毛泽东“不信邪、不怕鬼”斗争精神的指引下，中国科学院文学研究所所长何其芳几易其稿，写成《不怕鬼的故事》，于1961年2月公开出版。毛泽东在编辑出版《不怕鬼的故事》过程中多次提出指导性意见，并仔细审阅批改了序言。这篇序言和毛泽东本人的讲话，深刻反映出他“不信邪、不怕鬼”的斗争思想。

On the one hand, there are no “ghosts” in the world; there are only things that resemble “ghosts.” The preface to *Stories About Not Fearing Ghosts* [29]29 *Stories About Not Fearing Ghosts* (*Bu pa gui de gushi*) is a collection of classical Chinese tales compiled under Mao Zedong’s direction in 1959 and published in 1961, with a preface by Mao himself, intended to encourage courage in the face of difficulties and enemies. begins by clearly denying the existence of “ghosts.” So-called “ghosts” exist only in the cerebral cortex of some people; believing in ghosts is a backward ideology, but in the world “there indeed exist many things that resemble ghosts,” such as enemies at home and abroad, natural disasters, difficulties and setbacks in the process of socialist revolution and construction, and unhealthy psychology among some Party members and the masses. To eliminate these “things that resemble ghosts,” it is necessary to raise consciousness, emancipate the mind, and become thoroughgoing dialectical materialists and proletarian revolutionaries. “Then not only are ghosts and spirits not fearsome, but imperialism, reactionaries, revisionism, and all actual natural and man-made calamities are, for Marxists-Leninists, not fearsome; they can all be vanquished, they can all be overcome.” Blind fear cannot solve problems; “the more you fear ghosts, the more there are ghosts; if you do not fear ghosts, there are no ghosts.”

一方面，世界上并没有“鬼”，只有类似“鬼”的东西。《不怕鬼的故事》序言开篇就明确否定了“鬼”的存在。所谓的“鬼”只存在一些人的大脑皮层里，相信有鬼是一种落后的思想，但世界上“确实存在着许多类似鬼的东西”，如国内外的敌人、自然界中的灾害、社会主义革命和建设过程中的困难挫折以及一些党员和群众的不良心理等。要破除这些“类似鬼的东西”，就要提高觉悟、解放思想，成为彻底的辩证唯物主义者和无产阶级革命者，“那末不但鬼神不可怕，而且帝国主义，反动派，修正主义，一切实际存在的天灾人祸，对于马克思列宁主义者来说，都是不可怕的，都是可以战胜的，都是可以克服的。”一味地惧怕解决不了问题，“越怕鬼就越有鬼,不怕鬼就没有鬼了”。

On the other hand, striking “ghosts” requires attention to method: despise them strategically, but take them seriously tactically. After the founding of New China, Mao Zedong repeatedly spoke of “ghosts and evil,” in order to enable people to firm up their ideals and convictions when facing all risks and challenges, to dare to despise “ghosts and evil” strategically, to regard “ghosts and evil” as “paper tigers,” and not to be intimidated by “ghosts and evil.” From a developmental perspective, “things always, under certain conditions, exchange positions with their opposites through struggle, transforming toward the position of their opposites.” Therefore, all challenges and difficulties in the practice of revolution and construction are temporary; they can all be overcome and reversed through struggle. This is the objective law of the development of things; we can fully despise and vanquish them. At the same time, when engaging in concrete struggle against “ghosts and evil,” one must not blindly underestimate them but must treat them seriously. “Serious thought can beat demons and monsters.” “For each concrete ghost, for each concrete occasion of dealing with ghosts, people must adopt a cautious attitude, must have wisdom and strategy, and only then can they ultimately achieve victory.”

另一方面，打“鬼”要讲求方法：战略上要藐视，战术上要重视。新中国成立后，毛泽东多次谈到“鬼邪”，为的是让人们在面对一切风险挑战时能够坚定理想信念，敢于战略上藐视“鬼邪”，把“鬼邪”看成“纸老虎”，不被“鬼邪”吓倒。从发展的眼光来看，“事物总是在一定的条件之下通过斗争同它的对方交换位置，向着它的对方的地位转化的”。因此，革命和建设实践中的一切挑战和困难都是暂时的，都可以通过斗争来克服和扭转，这是事物发展的客观规律，我们完全可以藐视并战胜它们。与此同时，在同“鬼邪”做具体斗争时，不能盲目轻视，而要认真对待，“认真的思想可以把妖魔鬼怪打掉”，“对于每一个具体的鬼，对于每一个同鬼相周旋的具体的场合，人又必须采取谨慎态度，必须有智谋，然后才能最后取得胜利”。

In the practice of socialist construction, Mao Zedong’s struggle philosophy of “not believing in evil, not fearing ghosts” continuously matured, becoming a discursive expression that inspires the Chinese Communist Party and the Chinese people to dare to face all challenges and to have the courage to overcome difficulties.

在社会主义建设实践中，毛泽东“不信邪、不怕鬼”的斗争哲学不断趋于完善，成为激励中国共产党和中国人民敢于面对一切挑战和勇于战胜困难的话语表达。

III. Main Characteristics of Mao Zedong’s Struggle Philosophy of “Not Believing in Evil, Not Fearing Ghosts”

三、毛泽东“不信邪、不怕鬼”的斗争哲学主要特征

Mao Zedong’s struggle philosophy of “not believing in evil, not fearing ghosts” has distinct characteristics, mainly reflected in three aspects: all struggle takes the principal social contradiction and the tasks of the era as its fundamental starting point; it consistently adheres to daring to struggle and having the courage to struggle; and it safeguards national security and social stability through struggle.

毛泽东“不信邪、不怕鬼”的斗争哲学具有鲜明的特征，主要体现为三方面：一切斗争以社会主要矛盾和时代任务为根本出发点；始终坚持敢于斗争、勇于斗争；在斗争中维护国家安全和社会稳定。

(A) Taking the Principal Social Contradiction and the Principal Revolutionary Task as the Starting Point

（一）以社会主要矛盾和革命主要任务为出发点

Mao Zedong’s struggle philosophy of “not believing in evil, not fearing ghosts” consistently adhered to dialectical materialism, deeply grasped the characteristics of the interconnection and development of things in struggle, was adept at using the method of contradiction analysis, and firmly grasped the principal social contradiction and the principal revolutionary task. This is reflected in three points:

毛泽东“不信邪、不怕鬼”的斗争哲学始终坚持唯物辩证法，在斗争中深刻把握事物联系和发展的特征，善于运用矛盾分析方法，牢牢把握社会主要矛盾和革命主要任务，体现为三点：

First, struggle must adhere to the “developmental perspective,” i.e., preserving and strengthening oneself. Revolution is not a dinner party; it comes at a cost. Daring to struggle and preserving oneself are not contradictory; unnecessary sacrifices must be reduced in struggle. When facing the enemy, “if you can win, fight; if you cannot win, move away.” The purpose of all “moving away” is to “fight”; only “fighting” without “moving away,” completely consuming oneself, is foolish; only “moving away” without “fighting,” completely preserving oneself and avoiding any sacrifice, cannot be called struggle. The guerrilla warfare tactics proposed by Mao Zedong — “the enemy advances, we retreat; the enemy camps, we harass; the enemy tires, we attack; the enemy retreats, we pursue” — started from the reality of the Chinese revolution, where the enemy was strong and we were weak, in order to achieve the goal of preserving, developing, and strengthening oneself.

第一，斗争要坚持“发展观”即保存和壮大自己。革命不是请客吃饭，要付出代价。敢于斗争和保存自己并不矛盾，要在斗争中减少不必要的牺牲。面对敌人，“打得赢就打，打不赢就走”，一切“走”的目的是为着“打”；只“打”不“走”完全消耗自己是愚蠢的，只“走”不“打”完全保全自己、避免任何牺牲就谈不上斗争了。毛泽东提出的“敌进我退，敌驻我扰，敌疲我打，敌退我追”的游击战争战术，就是从中国革命敌强我弱的实际出发，以达到保存、发展和壮大自己的目的。

Second, struggle must grasp the “view of enemy and self,” clearly distinguishing friend from foe. Who are our enemies? Who are our friends? This is the primary question of revolution. Since the Second National Congress of the CPC [30]30 The Second National Congress of the Chinese Communist Party, held in July 1922, formally adopted the program of anti-imperialist and anti-feudal revolution and proposed the “democratic united front” with the Kuomintang. proposed the “democratic united front,” the Chinese Communist Party has successively established multiple united front alliances. By distinguishing friend from foe and making extensive friends, the Chinese Communist Party has always represented the fundamental interests of the broadest masses of the Chinese people. The enemies of the Chinese people are the enemies of the Chinese Communist Party; the friends of the Chinese people are the friends of the Chinese Communist Party. Different policies must be adopted toward enemies and friends: toward enemies, be ruthless, overwhelm them, annihilate them; toward the people and comrades, unite with them.

第二，斗争要把握好“敌我观”，分清敌我。谁是我们的敌人，谁是我们的朋友？这是革命的首要问题。自从党的二大提出“民主的联合战线”，中国共产党先后建立多个统一战线联盟。分清敌我，广交朋友，中国共产党始终代表中国最广大人民的根本利益，中国人民的敌人就是中国共产党的敌人，中国人民的朋友就是中国共产党的朋友。对敌人和朋友要采取不同的政策：对敌人要狠，要压倒它，要消灭它；对人民和同志要团结。

Third, struggle must highlight the “two-point theory” and the “key-point theory,” resolving the principal contradiction. “The struggle of us Communists has always been aimed at contradictions, problems, risks, and challenges.” Mao Zedong deeply grasped the development and changes of the principal social contradiction, adhered to seeking truth from facts, proceeded from reality in everything, and focused on resolving the principal contradiction to accomplish different revolutionary tasks. After the failure of the Great Revolution [31]31 The Great Revolution (1924–1927) refers to the first Kuomintang-Communist cooperation period, which ended when Chiang Kai-shek’s right-wing Kuomintang purged and massacred Communists in April 1927., facing Chiang Kai-shek’s [32]32 Chiang Kai-shek (1887–1975) was the leader of the Kuomintang and the Republic of China, the main antagonist of the CPC in the Chinese Civil War. horrific massacres, he led the Red Army to struggle against him in the vast countryside; facing the war of aggression launched by Japanese imperialism, China’s revolutionary situation changed. “The revolutionary strategy and the revolutionary leadership style must also change accordingly.” Mao Zedong resolutely promoted the second Kuomintang-Communist cooperation [33]33 The second Kuomintang-Communist cooperation (1937–1945) was an anti-Japanese united front formed after the Xi’an Incident, suspending the civil war to resist Japanese invasion., established the broadest anti-Japanese national united front, and ultimately defeated Japanese imperialism.

第三，斗争要突出“两点论”和“重点论”，解决主要矛盾。“我们共产党人的斗争，从来都是奔着矛盾问题、风险挑战去的”。毛泽东深刻把握社会主要矛盾的发展变化，坚持实事求是，一切从实际出发，着力解决主要矛盾以完成不同革命任务。大革命失败后，面对蒋介石的恐怖屠杀，他带领红军在广大农村与之斗争；面对日本帝国主义发动的侵略战争，中国的革命形势发生了改变，“革命的策略，革命的领导方式，也必须跟着改变”，毛泽东毅然推动第二次国共合作，建立起了最广泛的抗日民族统一战线，最终战胜了日本帝国主义。

(B) Consistently Adhering to the Spirit of “Daring to Struggle, Having the Courage to Struggle”

（二）始终坚持“敢于斗争、勇于斗争”的精神

“Thoroughgoing materialists are fearless.” In his revolutionary practice for the nation, the country, and the people, Mao Zedong always dared to struggle and had the courage to struggle, mainly reflected in three aspects:

“彻底的唯物主义者是无所畏惧的。”毛泽东在为民族、国家、人民的革命实践中始终敢于和勇于斗争，主要体现在三方面：

First, not fearing powerful enemies. To change the backward and impoverished state of the Chinese nation and achieve the goal of the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation, in revolution and construction, the more powerful the enemy, the more it aroused Mao Zedong’s will to struggle. As the young Mao Zedong said: “Struggling with heaven, endless joy! Struggling with earth, endless joy! Struggling with people, endless joy!” [34]34 This is a famous saying attributed to the young Mao Zedong, expressing a combative, heroic attitude toward nature and society. Second, not fearing sacrifice for the people. Mao Zedong emphasized, “Chinese Communists, who take the greatest interests of the broadest masses of the Chinese people as their starting point, believe that their cause is completely just, and they are willing to sacrifice everything personal, ready at all times to give their lives for our cause.” “Everyone must die, but the meaning of death differs… To die for the interests of the people is weightier than Mount Tai; to die for the fascists, for those who exploit and oppress the people, is lighter than a feather.” [35]35 These lines are from Mao Zedong’s essay “Serve the People” (1944), commemorating the soldier Zhang Side. For the people, Mao Zedong successively lost six close relatives. The people, and only the people, were the source of motivation for Mao Zedong and other Chinese Communists to fear no sacrifice and to struggle heroically. Third, destroy in order to build. The Chinese Communist Party is not only adept at destroying an old world but also at building a new world. After the failure of the Great Revolution, what path should the revolution take? Should it continue to imitate the Soviet revolutionary model, constantly launching uprisings in Chinese cities, or blaze a new trail? Mao Zedong believed that the peasant question was the central question of the Chinese revolution, and thus resolutely directed the revolutionary tide toward the countryside. Facing an unfamiliar revolutionary environment, Mao Zedong was always full of confidence, saying: “Enemy troops surround us thousands strong; steadfastly we stand our ground.” [36]36 This line is from Mao Zedong’s poem “Jinggangshan” (1928), written during the early period of the Red Army’s base area struggles. After the victory in the War of Resistance Against Japan, in order to build a “new China that is independent, free, democratic, unified, and prosperous,” [37]37 This phrase comes from Mao Zedong’s report “On Coalition Government” (1945) at the Seventh National Congress of the CPC, outlining the post-war goal for China. Mao Zedong was not at all afraid of various “ghosts and evil,” pointing out: “We must overcome difficulties. We must learn what we do not know. We must learn economic work from all those who are expert (no matter who they are). Treat them as teachers, learn from them respectfully and conscientiously. If you don’t know, you don’t know; don’t pretend to know. Don’t put on bureaucratic airs. Dig into the work; in a few months, a year or two, three or five years, you will certainly learn it.” [38]38 This passage is from Mao Zedong’s speech “On the People’s Democratic Dictatorship” (1949), urging cadres to learn economic management after the founding of the PRC. Precisely by relying on the struggle philosophy and spirit of “not believing in evil, not fearing ghosts,” the Chinese Communists, with Comrade Mao Zedong as their main representative, united and led the Chinese people to overcome one difficulty after another in the process of building a new world, laying the foundation for the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation.

第一，不惧强大敌人。为改变中华民族贫穷落后的面貌，实现中华民族伟大复兴的目标，在革命和建设中，敌人越强大，越能激起毛泽东的斗争意志，正如青年毛泽东所言：“与天奋斗，其乐无穷！与地奋斗，其乐无穷！与人奋斗，其乐无穷！”第二，为人民不怕牺牲。毛泽东强调，“以中国最广大人民的最大利益为出发点的中国共产党人，相信自己的事业是完全合乎正义的，不惜牺牲自己个人的一切，随时准备拿出自己的生命去殉我们的事业”。“人总是要死的，但死的意义有不同……为人民利益而死，就比泰山还重；替法西斯卖力，替剥削人民和压迫人民的人去死，就比鸿毛还轻。”为了人民，毛泽东先后失去了六名至亲。人民，也只有人民，才是毛泽东等中国共产党人不怕牺牲、英勇斗争的源动力。第三，破而后立。中国共产党不但善于摧毁一个旧世界，也善于建设一个新世界。大革命失败后，革命的道路到底该怎么走，是继续模仿苏联革命模式，不断在中国的城市起义，还是另辟蹊径？毛泽东认为，农民问题是中国革命的中心问题，因而毅然把革命的浪潮引向农村。面对陌生的革命环境，毛泽东始终充满信心，说：“敌军围困万千重，我自岿然不动。”抗日战争胜利后，为建立一个“独立、自由、民主、统一和富强的”新中国成立后，毛泽东毫不惧怕各种“鬼邪”，指出：“我们必须克服困难，我们必须学会自己不懂的东西。我们必须向一切内行的人们（不管什么人）学经济工作。拜他们做老师，恭恭敬敬地学，老老实实地学。不懂就是不懂，不要装懂。不要摆官僚架子。钻进去，几个月，一年两年，三年五年，总可以学会的。”正是凭着“不信邪、不怕鬼”的斗争哲学和精神，以毛泽东同志为主要代表的中国共产党人团结带领中国人民在建设新世界的过程中克服了一个又一个困难，为实现中华民族伟大复兴奠定了基础。

(C) Safeguarding National Security and Social Stability Through Struggle

（三）在斗争中维护国家安全和社会稳定

“National security is the foundation of national rejuvenation, and social stability is the prerequisite for national prosperity.” After the founding of New China, in the face of a series of domestic and international difficulties and challenges, Mao Zedong “did not believe in evil” and also “did not fear ghosts,” always placing national security and social stability in the primary position, ensuring that the fate of the Chinese nation was firmly held in the hands of the Chinese people themselves. Politically, Mao emphasized that in the face of internal and external “ghosts and evils,” it was necessary to uphold the people’s democratic dictatorship, strike at reactionary forces and disrupters of socialist construction, and defend against the subversive activities and possible aggression of external enemies of the state. Economically, Mao emphasized that “if the economic problem is not solved, then none of society’s problems can be solved”; for China to obtain a secure and stable development environment, it needed to vigorously develop the economy and strengthen its capacity to resist imperialism. Culturally, Mao emphasized that culture must certainly make the past serve the present and make foreign things serve China. Militarily, Mao emphasized that at all times national defense construction must be strengthened, and the modernization of national defense was established as an important aspect of the Four Modernizations. [39]39 "Not believing in evil, not fearing ghosts" (不信邪、不怕鬼) is a Chinese idiom popularized by Mao Zedong, expressing a resolute and fearless attitude in the face of difficulties, threats, or superstitions. It is often used in CPC discourse to advocate for ideological firmness and courage in struggle. Diplomatically, Mao emphasized the need to uphold the Five Principles of Peaceful Coexistence, strive to optimize the international environment, and unite all forces, both direct and indirect.

“国家安全是民族复兴的根基，社会稳定是国家强盛的前提。”新中国成立后，面对国内外一系列困难和挑战，毛泽东“不信邪”也“不怕鬼”，始终把国家安全和社会稳定放在首要位置，让中华民族的命运牢牢掌握在中国人民自己手上。政治上，毛泽东强调，面对内外“鬼邪”，必须坚持人民民主专政，打击反动势力和社会主义建设的破坏者，防御国家外部敌人的颠覆活动和可能的侵略。经济上，毛泽东强调，“经济问题不解决，则社会上一切问题俱不能解决”，中国想要获得一个安全稳定的发展环境，就需要大力发展经济和增强抵抗帝国主义的实力。文化上，毛泽东强调，文化一定要古为今用，洋为中用。军事上，毛泽东强调任何时候都要加强国防建设，并将国防的现代化确立为四个现代化的重要方面。外交上，毛泽东强调要坚持和平共处五项原则，努力优化国际环境，团结一切直接的和间接的力量。

In summary, Mao Zedong’s thought of “not believing in evil, not fearing ghosts” epitomizes his struggle philosophy, and has been proven successful in practice; it is a precious spiritual asset of the Chinese Communist Party and the Chinese people. Guided by the struggle spirit of “not believing in evil, not fearing ghosts,” the Chinese Communists, with Comrade Mao Zedong as their main representative, united and led the Chinese people to completely change the fate of the Chinese nation being subjected to arbitrary bullying and its condition of poverty and backwardness, making significant contributions to the liberation cause of the world’s oppressed nations and the cause of human progress. Xi Jinping highly

总之，毛泽东的“不信邪、不怕鬼”思想集中体现了他的斗争哲学，并为实践证明是成功的，是中国共产党和中国人民的宝贵精神财富。在“不信邪、不怕鬼”斗争精神指引下，以毛泽东同志为主要代表的中国共产党人团结带领中国人民彻底改变了中华民族任人宰割的命运和贫穷落后的面貌，为世界被压迫民族的解放事业和人类进步事业作出了重大贡献。习近平高度评价毛泽东的伟大成就，指出：“在几十年艰难而辉煌的战斗生涯中，毛泽东同志为中华民族、中国人民建立了不可磨灭的历史功勋，作出了光耀千秋的历史贡献。”

The world today is in the midst of "changes unseen in a century." To foster new opportunities, open up new horizons, and devise new plans amid these changes, it is necessary to study and carry forward Mao Zedong's struggle philosophy and spirit of "not believing in evil, not fearing ghosts," drawing nourishment from it to effectively "dare to struggle and be adept at struggle." In this sense, in the practical process of vigorously advancing the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation through Chinese-path modernization, Mao Zedong's struggle philosophy of "not believing in evil, not fearing ghosts" possesses immense theoretical value and practical significance.

当今世界正处“百年未有的大变局”，想在变局中育先机、开新局和谋新篇，就需要学习和发扬毛泽东“不信邪、不怕鬼”的斗争哲学和精神，从中汲取滋养，切实做到“敢于斗争、善于斗争”。在这个意义上，在以中国式现代化全力推进中华民族伟大复兴的实践进程中，毛泽东“不信邪、不怕鬼”斗争哲学具有极大的理论价值和现实意义。

(Author bios: Xin Ping, professor and doctoral supervisor in the Department of History, College of Liberal Arts, Shanghai University; Zou Wulong, doctoral candidate in the Department of History, College of Liberal Arts, Shanghai University, and lecturer at the School of Marxism, Guilin University of Electronic Technology)

（作者简介：忻平，上海大学文学院历史学系教授、博士生导师；邹武龙，上海大学文学院历史学系博士研究生，桂林电子科技大学马克思主义学院讲师）

Online editor: Tongxin

网络编辑：同心