Marxist Humanism in China

In China, the period after 1978 was marked by a cautious opening and de-dogmatisation of Marxism. Inspired by re-readings of Marx’s early work, a philosophical current evolved during this time that interpreted Marxism as humanistic thought.

However, this new approach to reading Marx encountered resistance that culminated in ideological campaigns against “spiritual pollution”. However, since the 1990s, these tensions appeared to have eased, and this has led the theoretically ambitious sections of Chinese Marxism to finally attempt a “return to Marx”.