Ai Siqi

Statue of Ai Siqi in Heshun

Ai Siqi (birth name: Li Shengxuan ; Chinese  艾思奇 ; * March 2, 1910 ; † March 22, 1966 ) was a politician in the People's Republic of China , who was an authoritative propagandist and theoretician of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP).

Life

Ai Siqi wrote the influential book Philosophy for the Masses in 1934 , which popularized Marxism . This book was a collection of essays that first appeared in Dushu Shenghuo magazine between 1934 and 1935 . Not only did it introduce dialectical materialism , but it also encouraged readers to fight against the so-called "Three Mountains", namely imperialism , feudalism and bureaucratic capitalism . In 1935 he became a member of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP). In 1937, like many other young intellectuals, he went to Yan'an , the target of the Long March and the center of the CCP at that time. There he developed into one of the party's leading theorists .

Mao Zedong described his book Philosophy and Life , published in 1937, as the most profound work of Ai Siqi. Philosophy’s tremendous popularity with the masses is usually attributed to its ability to translate relatively complex philosophical ideas into popular language. He made numerous suggestions to alleviate China's dangerous conditions. He spoke frequently about the worries, problems and misery of individuals, as well as the dangers that threaten the entire nation. Typically, he analyzed concerns of individuals in the light of larger social, national, and international conditions. Conversely, he often and vividly illustrated the relevance of national or international trends or events for individual life. In the course of these discussions he advocated progressive virtues and resented backward-looking vices. His works had a great influence on the works of Mao Zedong. He died shortly before the beginning of the Cultural Revolution .

Web link

• Yuwu Song: Biographical Dictionary of the People's Republic of China , McFarland & Company 2013, online version, p. 4 f.

Note: This article places the family name before the person's first name. This is the usual order in Chinese. Ai is the family name here, Siqi is the first name.