Abstract
Since 1949, when the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) took power in China, the theoretical basis of Chinese political authority has been designated by the CCP as a combination of Marxism-Leninism and Mao Zedong Thought. Whether each ideology influenced Mao’s politics, or whether one did so independently of the others, has been the subject of much discussion and academic debate. Conclusions vary considerably. These either isolate and argue in favour of certain Marxist or Maoist principles, or they integrate the two on the basis of Confucian precedents.
Contemporary China has grown out of the China of the past…. We should sum up our history from Confucius to Sun Yat-sen and take over this valuable legacy. This is important for guiding the great movement of today. Being Marxists, Communists are internationalists, but we can put Marxism into practice only when it is integrated with the specific characteristics of our country and acquires a definite national form. (Mao, 1938, Vol. 2, p. 209)1
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© 1999 Michael Twohey
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Twohey, M. (1999). Mao Zedong. In: Authority and Welfare in China. Studies on the Chinese Economy. Palgrave Macmillan, London. https://doi.org/10.1057/9780230375710_6
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1057/9780230375710_6
Publisher Name: Palgrave Macmillan, London
Print ISBN: 978-1-349-40614-2
Online ISBN: 978-0-230-37571-0
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