The turn of Chen Duxiu's literary view from democracy to Marxism

Abstract

Chen Duxiu (1879–1942) was the standard-bearer and main force of the New Culture Movement, an ideological liberation movement against feudalism initiated by some advanced intellectuals in China since 1917. He was the commander-in-chief of the May Fourth Movement – a patriotic movement dominated by young students, the broad masses, citizens, businessmen and other classes, and a figure of significance in modern Chinese history (1840–1949) who cannot be ignored. The literary revolution he led was a crucial driving force behind the political revolution in modern China, and his political beliefs greatly influenced his literary views. Chen Duxiu's early guiding ideology was democracy, which later shifted to Marxism, and he widely disseminated Marxist theory through platforms such as New Youth (La Jeunesse). How did Chen Duxiu's thoughts transition from democracy to Marxism, and how did his political advocacy affect his literary and artistic outlook? During the New Culture period, Chen Duxiu's literary and artistic thoughts played a programmatic and decisive role, and they still have significant reference value today for the construction of socialism with Chinese characteristics under the guidance of Marxism.