The May Fourth Intellectuals and Religion

Tonglu Li

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Chapter 6 The May Fourth Intellectuals and Religion

In: New Vocabularies of May Fourth Studies

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Tonglu Li

Tonglu Li
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Type:: Chapter

Pages:: 147–171

DOI:: https://doi.org/10.1163/9789004697904_008

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Abstract

A century ago, the May Fourth intellectuals, such as Chen Duxiu, Hu Shih, Cai Yuanpei, Lu Xun, and Zhou Zuoren witnessed the rise of secular modernity in China. Based on their faith in the modern sciences, and under the influence of the traditional secular education they received, these intellectuals had an overall distrust of religion and denied it as the ultimate source of truth, although different religions were assessed differently. Their discussions on religion observed no boundaries in terms of disciplinary knowledge. Some of them focused on religion’s political aspects, some started to study various religion-related issues as a field of modern knowledge, and others highlighted its aesthetic and philosophical inspirations. Their attitude toward religion formed a spectrum from the conservative to the radical. While some acknowledged its significance in people’s spiritual lives and its value as an inspiration for cultural creativity, others proposed replacing religion with alternative modern institutions, such as science, aesthetic education, morality, or philosophy. These ideas indicated their overall secular orientation and their ambition to meet people’s religious needs in an alternative fashion. The May Fourth attitude toward religion has shaped modern China’s perception of religion in the decades that followed, and its “specter” is still “haunting” us today.

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New Vocabularies of May Fourth Studies

Series: Ideas, History, and Modern China, Volume: 33

E-Book ISBN:: 9789004697904

Publisher:: Brill

Print Publication Date:: 16 Oct 2024

Subjects
- Asian Studies
  - China
  - History
- History
  - Intellectual History
  - Chinese History

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Chapter 6 The May Fourth Intellectuals and Religion

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New Vocabularies of May Fourth Studies

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