The Philosophical Influences of Mao Zedong: Notations, Reflections and Insights

by Robert Elliott Allinson

Overview

This philosophical Mao is a fresh portrait of the mind of the ruler who changed the face of China in the twentieth century. The book traces the influences of both traditional Chinese and traditional pre-Marxist Western philosophy on the early Mao and how these influences guided the development of his thought. It reveals evidence of the creative dimensions of Mao’s thinking and how he wove the yin/yang pattern of change depicted in the Yijing, the Chinese Book of Changes, into the Marxist dialectic to bring ancient Chinese philosophy to mark changes in twentieth century thought.

Mao’s lifetime philosophical journey includes his interpretations of and comments on both Chinese and Western philosophers. His deep, metaphysical reflections, uncanny prognostications and pensive speculations from his early pre-Marxist period to his later philosophical years prove to be as startling as they are thought-provoking.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781350059856
Publisher:	Bloomsbury Academic
Publication date:	09/19/2019
Pages:	256
Product dimensions:	6.16(w) x 9.11(h) x 0.78(d)

About the Author

Robert Elliott Allinson is Professor of Philosophy at Soka University of America, USA and former Professor at The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong.

Table of Contents

Foreword xi

Preface xv

Acknowledgements xxii

1 Introduction to the Philosophical Mao 1

The Good and the Bad Mao 1

Traditional Western, Traditional Chinese Philosophy and Mao 6

Mao's Individual Thought versus the Official Philosophy of Mao 7

The pre-Marxist Mao and its Continued Influence 12

The Place of Frederick Paulsen's A System of Ethics in Mao's Thought 14

Mao and Confucianism: A Preview 16

The Influence of Philosophy on Mao's Thinking 17

2 Mao's Youthful Philosophical Development 21

The Influence of both Western Philosophy and Chinese Philosophy 21

Mao's Introduction to Western Philosophy and the Ideas of the West 25

3 Mao in the Margins: Mao's Philosophy of Egoism 35

The Influence of Paulsen's A System of Ethics 35

The Significance of 'Mao in the Margins' 36

Paulsen's, A System of Ethics 38

The Continuity of Mao's Thought 38

Mao's Views on Ethics 39

The Idea of the Great Man and the Primacy of the Will 39

Mao Collapses Moral Instinct into the Instinct for Self-preservation 40

Mao on Aristotle and Confucius: A Prelude 44

Mao on Schopenhauer 45

Mao on Buddhism and Mohism 46

Mao's Individualism 47

Mao and Zhuangzi 49

Synopsizing Mao's Views of Egoism and Ethics from his Marginal Notes 50

The Egoism-Altruism Conundrum 50

Mao on Aesthetics and Ethics 56

Mao on Good and Evil 62

Synopsizing Mao's Views on Individualism and Society from his Marginal Notes 63

4 Mao's Early Philosophical Influences and Reflections 65

Confucian and Aristotelian Influences 65

The Impact of Aristotle's Ethics on Mao 66

Aristotle and Confucius 67

Mao and Mencius 68

Confucius's Idea of the Self 69

Mao's Interpretation of Confucius 70

Mao and Confucianism: Universal Love versus Familial Love 71

Confucius's Central Ethical Principle 73

Filial Piety 74

Mao and Confucianism 75

Mao and Mencius 77

Mao on Following One's Impulses 79

Mao's Key Interpretation of Mencius 80

Mao's Philosophy of Egoism and his Early Metaphysics 82

Mao's Early Metaphysics 83

The Question of Suicide 85

Mao Does Not Subscribe to Absolute Evil 85

Mao as an Existentialist 86

Mao on Happiness and Virtue 88

Mao and Nietzsche 88

The Child is the Father of the Man 92

Mao and Zhuangzi 93

5 The Blend of the Influence of Chinese and Western Philosophy on Mao's Thought and Parallels in China's Social and Economic Development 97

Mao on Confucianism and Paulsen's Voluntarism 97

Mao and the Yijing 99

Mao's Departure from the Classical Chinese Philosophical Tradition 103

The Influence of Laozi's Notorious Chapter Nineteen on Mao's Cultural Revolution 104

Mao and Hobbes 106

Mao and Locke 107

Mao and Marxism 108

The Hegelian Dialectic 109

Mao's Dialectical Thinking 110

Flashback to the Beginnings of Mao's Thought 111

The Confucian Revival and the Dialectic 117

6 Mao's Marxist Thought and the Yijing 121

Non-antagonistic and Antagonistic Contradictions 135

Mao on Endless Struggle 136

The Principal and the Secondary Aspects of Contradiction 138

Is Mao Influenced by Soviet Sources? 141

The Superstructure and the Base: Mao's Inversion of Classical Marxism 142

What if Other Scholars Wrote the Works Attributed to Mao? 148

7 Mao as Metaphysician and Literatus 151

Mao as Metaphysician and Philosopher of Science 151

Is Mao a Western or a Chinese Philosopher? 161

Mao as Literatus 162

8 Mao's Contributions to Philosophy 169

Mao's Philosophical Contributions to Marxism 169

Mao's Reduction of All Laws of Dialectics to One 171

Mao's Philosophical Contributions to Philosophy Proper 176

The Primacy of the Will 176

Mao's Deviation from Confucius 179

Mao's Notion of Continuous Struggle without Resolution 180

Theory and Practice 182

Mao and Heracleitus 185

Mao's Use of Complementary rather than Contradictory Opposites 185

Notes 189

Selected List of References 218

Index 226

Editorial Reviews

Mao Ze Dong is celebrated (or cursed) as a revolutionary leader, but the philosophical foundation of his activity is largely ignored. In his superb study, Allinson fills in this lack. Mao's thought is not just located in its historical context; its complex references to the Chinese traditional thought, to Marx and Western philosophy, but also to modern sciences (quantum physics), are explored and documented. A new Mao thus emerges, a Mao whose radical acts are grounded in a thick texture of philosophical reflections. Allinson's Mao is indispensable for everybody who wants to understand not just Mao but the concatenation of philosophy and politics that characterized the twentieth century.” —Slavoj Žižek, International Director of the Birkbeck Institute for the Humanities, University of London, UK

“Through extensive research, involving not only Mao's writings themselves but also the marginal notes he made on books he read, Allinson is able to trace the development of Mao's thinking over the course of his lifetime and to demonstrate the degree to which he was actively engaged with both the Chinese and Western philosophical traditions throughout. This is an invaluable contribution to our understanding of the intellectual history of China.” —Michael Puett, Walter C. Klein Professor of Chinese History and Anthropology, Harvard University, USA

“Has it ever occurred to you to associate Mao with Aristotle or with the ancient Chinese Book of Changes, the Yijing? If you find it hard to believe, read this book by Robert Allinson who, in his own philosophical way, manages to inject new life and revived interest in this highly controversial but iconic figure which is still looming large behind the giant video screen of present day China.” —Anne Cheng, Chair of Chinese Intellectual History, Collège de France, Paris, France

“This is a most exciting and fascinating enterprise. A magnificent statement on behalf of East-West philosophy.” —Irene Eber, Former Director and Louis Frieberg Professor Emerita of Chinese History and Philosophy, Louis Frieberg Center for East Asian Studies, Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Israel and Former Senior Fellow, Harry S. Truman Research Institute for the Advancement of Peace, Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Israel

"As Irene Eber writes in her foreword to this book, “This is a ground breaking work”. She is right, for it is indeed a work of utmost importance. In addition, the book is essential because it deals with a highly topical issue, one that can certainly help us to improve our understanding of contemporary China . . . Allinson achieves his goals in this book by clearly demonstrating a thoughtfully elaborated case of a truly intercultural, and, at the same time, truly intersubjective philosophy with widely influential connotations. This volume will be of great value to anyone interested in Chinese or cross-cultural philosophy, political theory and recent history." — Jana Rošker, chief editor of Asian Studies and the founder and first president of the European Association of Chinese Philosophy (International Communication of Chinese Culture)

From the Publisher