Capitalist theory and socialist practice: The organization of Chinese mathematics in the early 1950s

Abstract

This article explores how the Chinese state organized scientific research in the 1950s, through a case study of mathematics. By examining the organizing process of the Chinese Mathematical Society and the establishment of the Institute of Mathematics of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, the article explains how a number of state agents were selected to lead national level research institutes as a means for guiding scientists in serving the needs of the state. In addition, under state corporatism, all scientists were attached to discipline-specific academic societies, forming a large hierarchy consisting of societies at different levels. When the political leaders needed to transform the agendas of the scientists, these organizations served as channels for communicating to constituent members what to do. Given this kind of organizational structure in the early days of the People’s Republic of China, it was hard to differentiate between scientists and the organizational apparatus, especially for the scientists holding top-level leadership positions. Nevertheless, this study shows that individual researchers often resisted official mandates and found ways to pursue independent research interests by employing the state's rhetoric.