A Fusion of Worlds: Interplay of Chinese Tradition and Marxism

Abstract

Political philosophy significantly contributes to shaping a country’s logic of governance and policy developments. This chapter argues that, although China is defined as a ‘communist regime’, its traditional political philosophies exert a greater influence on its contemporary logic of governance than Marxism–Leninism. Contemporary China can be regarded as a hybrid model—with Marxism serving as the guiding state ideology and traditional political philosophies, namely, the ‘rule of ritual’, the ‘rule of law’, and the ‘rule of virtue’, forming the underlying logic of governance. This chapter is structured to sequentially explain the origins of these three political philosophies and their influences on modern China’s governance and decision-making. Additionally, it delves into the interplay between Chinese traditional political philosophies and Marxism in the contemporary era. The chapter argues that the recent resurgence of Marxism does not intend to replace the foundational governance ethos moulded by traditional political philosophies, nor does it seek to ignite fresh class conflicts. Rather, it serves as an instrument to strengthen the rule of the CCP, reinforce its state economic strategy, and rally the populace under a shared national ideology.

“China seemed to me to have remained essentially Confucian in its belief in a single, universal, generally applicable truth as the standard of individual conduct and social cohesion. What Communism had done, I suggested, was to establish Marxism as the content of that truth.” (Kissinger, 2011)

—Henry Kissinger, the 56th U.S. Secretary of State