The Origins of Chinese Communism [Paperback]

Arif Dirlik (Author)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 0195054547 | ISBN-13: 978-0195054545 | Publication Date: January 19, 1989 | Edition: Pages Stained

Based on a wealth of archival material released after Mao's death, this book offers a revisionist account of the introduction and triumph of Marxism in China. Dirlik shows that, in 1919, at the outset of the May Fourth Movement, anarchism was the predominant ideology among revolutionaries and intellectuals and Marxism was virtually unknown. Three years later, however, the Communist Party of China had emerged as the unchallenged leader of the Left. Dirlik disputes long-held beliefs about the domestic origins of Chinese Communism to argue that Communist thought and organization were brought into radical circles by the Comintern. Though Chinese radicals would not have turned to Communism unassisted, he concludes, Marxist ideology took hold easily when introduced from the outside. This book will prove indispensable to scholars of Chinese history and politics, Asian studies, Marxism, and comparative communism.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"Revise[s] the commonly held view that it was the growing impact of the Russian revolution of 1917 which was decisive in the creation of the Chinese Communist Party."---Political Studies

"A most detailed and well-documented exegesis of socialism....Contains a wealth of material not included in other studies....Invaluable as a reference on the founding of the Communist Party of China."--The Annals of the American Academy

"A solidly grounded study of a shifting political discourse."--Bulletin of Concerned Asian Scholars

"A sophisticated study....Finely textured and filled with insights."--American Historical Review

"Looks like it serves a great need--to help students understand how and why Chinese intellectuals responded to the Russian revolution! It also helps to demystify the whole process of turning revolutionary thought into revolutionary action."--Roland L. Higgins, Keene State College

"Excellent, ground-breaking analytical study."--Linda Walton, Portland State University

"This book clarifies that turbulent period in modern China's history right after World War I....It presents detailed information about the radical network that developed in China between 1918and 1920...[and] emphasizes the important role played by Comintern representatives."--Anthony Garavente, California State University, Long Beach

"A lucid account of the various intellectual threads that constituted the origins of Communism in China. Dirlik shows the interplay of various Western ideologies, especially anarchism, in the formation of Chinese Communism. He gives students a very good idea of the intellectual ferment that was the May Fourth movement."--Lewis Bernstein, Brigham Young University

"Tightly argued, conscientiously documented. Revisionist approach--deemphasizing the example of the 1917 Bolshevik Revolution."--Lea E. Williams, Brown University

"Fascinating book! You should submit it for a book prize in East Asian history."--Anna M. Cienciala, University of Kansas

About the Author

Arif Dirlik is at Duke University.

Product Details

• Paperback: 336 pages
• Publisher: Oxford University Press, USA; Pages Stained edition (January 19, 1989)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0195054547
• ISBN-13: 978-0195054545
• Product Dimensions: 9.1 x 6.1 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 15.5 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #872,239 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A profound description of the origins of Chinese Communism, July 30, 2001

By 

"zhuxi" (Salt Lake City) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Origins of Chinese Communism (Paperback)

This is a masterful and indepth look at the emergence of Chinese Chinese communism. This book is not an easy read, but it is facinating and well written. Dirlik argues that Marxism and Communism were merely another couple of Western ideas that Chinese radicals were examining at the begining of the 20th century. Dirlik examines the influence of anarchism and other philosophies on Chinese thinking, and then tracks how Marxism and then Communism came to dominate radical thinking. He arguse that Marxist philosophy did not cause the creation of Communist groups, but rather that groups formed to study and then to propigate Bolshivism while they were still struggling to understand Marxism. If one wants to REALLY understand the how Communism sprouted in China, this is the book to read.