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WEEKLY NEWSLETTER
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China
Index
An important goal of Maoist ideology was the inculcation of
certain prescribed values in party members and, by extension, in
society as a whole. These included selfless dedication to the
common good; an egalitarian concern with the uncomplicated
expression of ideas in maxims or brief phrases understandable to
all; and fervent commitment to ideal social behavior. In contrast,
state ideology in the hands of Deng Xiaoping had a different
purpose. The orientation was practical and less doctrinaire, aimed
at fulfilling the goals of modernization. The official ideology was
to be used to channel the individual's attempts to understand and
practice modern concepts and methods. For example, in early 1987
the concept of village committees was introduced to give the
massive rural population direct experience in self-management. It
did not appear that these new bodies were meant to have substantive
power but rather that they were intended to indoctrinate the
population with modern approaches to social and political
relations.
Paralleling this use of ideology as a cognitive tool was the
party's policy of "emancipating the mind" and allowing debate to
extend into subjects once considered "forbidden zones." China's
scholars have argued publicly over issues such as the value of the
commune system, the need for market concepts in a socialist
economy, the historical impact of humanism, and even the current
relevance of Marxism-Leninism. Student demonstrators in the mid1980s went too far, however, by questioning the preeminent role of
the party. At that point, the immediate official response was to
subordinate creativity and experimentation to public recognition of
the presiding role of the party and its ideology.
Data as of July 1987
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