Spirit of Yenan Maoist Ethics

Spirit of YenanMaoist Ethics

Equality… no class distinctions

Respect for the PEOPLE, not for superiors◦make peasants the agents of change

◦SERVE THE PEOPLE!

Yenan Spirit

Anti-Confucius◦Serve the revolution, not the past

Cooperation◦fight ‘self interest’◦do not be private in thoughts and values

Yenan Spirit

Revolutionary idealism◦China CAN be changed!

◦desire to change the social and economic structures in China

◦deliberate modernization

Yenan Spirit

“The outstanding thing about China’s 600 million people is that they are ‘poor and blank’! This may be a bad thing, but in reality it is a good thing… on a blank sheet of paer free from any marks, the freshest and most beautiful charcters can be written, the freshest and most beautiful pictures can be printed.”

~ Mao Tse-tung, 1958

FamineLandPovertyEducationMedical careLack of industrializationDestruction of the country (due to wars)

Problems Facing the PRC in 1949

Five Guarantees◦food, housing, education, clothing, medical

“Walking on Two Legs”◦equality for men & women◦past serves the present◦agriculture AND industry

Solutions by Mao

Dependence on self (not the West)

Using communes◦The group is more important than the individual

Solutions by Mao

Anti:◦pest◦waste◦bureaucrats

◦cheating◦corruption

Mass Campaigns1949-1960

Quickwrite:

What ideals of leadership are revealed in this fictional account? (List several)

Reading: “The Model Official”

Mao’s attempt to:◦Let the masses plan development◦Decentralize development of agriculture and industry

Caused great destruction of land and environment…

NOT successful!

Great Leap Forward

Large group of intellectuals and scholars◦“let a hundred new ideas come forth…”

Criticism of communism began (and therefore Mao)◦Critics sent to ‘re-education camps’ (i.e. prison)

“Let a hundred flowers bloom”