The Sino-Soviet Split in Philosophy

Abstract

Concurrently with the recent break in Sino-Soviet joint political action, the Chinese are in the process of re-interpreting Marxist philosophy in more revolutionary terms than the established Russian version. Following the criticism in the early 1960's of Soviet political revisionism, an effort was launched in the first half of 1966 to complete the Proletarian Cultural Revolution in China as the most important guarantee against the revival of bureaucracy and the betrayal of socialist ideals. This Cultural Revolution has led to an implicit re-assessment of the role of philosophy in the revolution. A concerted effort has been made to integrate Marxist philosophy, first, with the Chinese masses of workers, peasants, and soldiers; and second, with the requirements of the world revolution and the national liberation movements of underdeveloped countries.This article can also be found at the Monthly Review website, where most recent articles are published in full.Click here to purchase a PDF version of this article at the Monthly Review website.