Chen Duxiu’s Critical Inheritance of Chinese Traditional Culture During the May 4th and New Culture Movement

Chen Duxiu is a leading figure in the early Marxist group. His traditional cultural view in leading the new cultural movement has the outstanding characteristics of being old and innovative. Chen Duxiu advocated democracy and science as the goal and devoted himself to the profound criticism and transformation of Chinese traditional culture represented by Confucianism. The first is to expose the relationship between Confucianism and the feudal autocratic monarchy, strongly flog the decadent act of respecting Confucius and restoring the ancients advocated by the Beiyang government and its spokesmen in the early Republic of China, and call on the people to first clean up all the old ideas against the Republic in their minds to consolidate the revolutionary achievements of the Democratic Republic. Second, we should advocate the cultural value orientation of democracy and science, and take thoroughly criticizing all the old ideas, morality and literature as the path to spread modern civilization concepts such as Democratic Republic, freedom and equality, and scientific progress. Third, it uses the Marxist position, viewpoint and method to make clear the attitude of criticizing Chinese traditional culture in two parts, and affirms the great contribution of Chinese excellent traditional culture in inheriting Chinese civilization. His traditional culture view in the May 4th new culture movement reflects the inevitable trend of historical development and the practical requirements of realistic politics, and explores the important path of Sinicization of Marxism.