Perception of György Lukács’s Marxism in China: from ideological criticism to the formation of a scientific approach

Abstract

The article examines the history and current state of studies on the ideas of the Hungarian Marxist philosopher György Lukács by the leading Chinese scholarship. It is based on many examples of the most characteristic scientific articles and monographs. The Chinese researchers of Lukács’s philosophy went through a difficult path – from the translation of individual essays to the large-scale translation and study of his fundamental works, as well as from political criticism of partisanship to the practical and theoretical interpretation of his ideas. First of all, it is shown that in the 1950s and 1990s, G. Lukács’s philosophy was involved in political discussions in the PRC, and that the Chinese studies of the Hungarian Marxist essentially repeated the Soviet criticism. At the end of the 1970s and 1980s, the related discussions on Lukács’s ideological affiliation were intensified among the Chinese philosophers (Xu Chongwen, Du Zhangzhi, Zhang Yixing, Sun Bokui). The key focus of the paper is on the main courses of the study of G. Lukács’s philosophy in the works of Chinese philosophers in the 1990s–2000s. There are following examples of such researches with main subject and scholars’ names: regarding the theory of reification (Xu Chongwen, Zhang Xiping, Sun Quansheng, Niu Hongmei, Ye Yanjun, Liang Hui, Li Qingjun, Hu Xuming, Han Qiuhong, Du Zhangzhi); ideas of totality (Xu Chongwen, Yang Wushuan, Zhang Kangzhi, Du Zhangzhi, Jiang Bin); the idea of totality (Xu Chongwen, Yang Wushuan, Zhang Kangzhi, Du Zhangzhi, Jiang Bin); class consciousness (Zhang Yibing, Luo Siliang); orthodox Marxism (You Hao, Li Rong); the book “History and Class Consciousness” (Du Zhangzhi, Sun Bokui, Gu Yisi, Zhang Liang, Zhang Kangzhi, Gao Min); comparative analysis (Pang Yiping, Han Lixin, Luo Siliang). Finally, the article describes and evaluates the study of Lukacs’s philosophy in China. It is shown that the Chinese scientific studies of G. Lukacs have become more specialized and focused on specific problems, and there has been a gradual departure from the traditional conception of Lukacs as a strictly Marxist philosopher. At the same time, it is noted that until today, the Chinese philosophers are significantly behind their Western colleagues in the studying of Lukacs’ ideas, and this primarily concerns the necessary diversity of theoretical and methodological approaches.