Agenda

The Elite and the Popular: The tradition of May Fourth intellectuals and its critique in the long 20th century

Speaker
Sebastian Veg
Ecole des hautes études en sciences sociales, EHESS

Interviene
Nicoletta Pesaro
Università Ca’ Foscari Venezia

Abstract
The new culture movement gave birth to a figure that played a central role in the history of 20th century China: May Fourth intellectuals. Inheriting some of the defining traits of the imperial literati – the propensity to take responsibility for society and the nation – they advocated “progressive” ideas (science and enlightenment), without renouncing their elite position. Although they were often criticized – for their factionalism, their elitism, their fascination with theory, their snobbery and eagerness to imitate the latest Western fads – they dominated the intellectual field until 1949. After the establishment of the PRC, many of them were reincarnated as “Leninist scholar-officials,” and again in the 1980s as “establishment intellectuals.” In the democracy movement of 1989 they once more took centre stage, claiming to speak for the entire nation. It was only in the course of the soul-searching after the violent crackdown that their claimed role as spokespeople for society and their organic links with the state were more radically challenged. But in fact, it was not the first time that such a challenge had appeared. Already in May Fourth times, some prominent figures of the new culture movement had called to “Go to the People” (dao minjian qu). At various points throughout the 20th century, intellectuals similarly attempted to give substance to an alternative tradition of engaging with grassroots society and producing knowledge outside the legitimacy framework of state institutions. The presentation will attempt to sketch out these two traditions in China’s twentieth century history and to disentangle some of the strands of the controversial legacy of the May Fourth intellectuals today. 

Ingresso libero

Progetto "Cina/China 70-100"