The “Cultural Revolution” in China and World Political Thought

Telos. 2026. Vol. 2026. No. 215. P. 11–41.

Lukin A.

The year 2026 marks the sixtieth anniversary of the beginning in China of the “Great Proletarian Cultural Revolution” – an unprecedented political campaign both in its duration and in the tragic nature of its results and consequences. Despite the publication of numerous books and articles devoted to it in various countries around the world, its causes, ideological origins, and influence on Chinese and global thought remain insufficiently studied and are at times interpreted rather superficially. Yet its impact was highly significant: at the time, the course of the “Cultural Revolution” was followed closely, and with differing sentiments, in many countries; its ideas and practices enjoyed considerable popularity not only in China but also among left-wing circles in Europe, the United States, and certain Asian countries, and even today its legacy is assessed in an ambiguous manner. Although the “Cultural Revolution” has been officially condemned within China, this condemnation has gradually lost some of its sharpness, and certain aspects are even regarded with a degree of nostalgia. Abroad, many questions connected with the events of Chinese history in the 1960s and 1970s continue to be debated, often giving rise to markedly divergent, and at times opposing, views.

The present anniversary offers a valuable opportunity to return to the events of those years and to examine them not only on the basis of new documents that became available after their conclusion, but also in light of current knowledge concerning subsequent trends in the development of global social thought. Such an approach is necessary for a more adequate assessment of the “Cultural Revolution” and of the ideology that gave rise to it.

Keywords: China, Marxism, cultural revolution, Ideology, Frankfurt School