A Fusion of Worlds: Interplay of Chinese Tradition and Marxism

Political philosophyPolitical philosophy significantly contributes to shaping a country’s logic of governanceGovernance, logic of and policy developments. This chapter argues that, although China is defined as a ‘communist regime’, its traditional political philosophiesPolitical philosophy exert a greater influence on its contemporary logic of governanceGovernance, logic of than Marxism–LeninismMarxism–Leninism. Contemporary China can be regarded as a hybrid model—with MarxismMarxism serving as the guiding state ideologyIdeology and traditional political philosophies, namely, the ‘rule of ritualRule of ritual’, the ‘rule of lawRule of law’, and theRule of virtuevirtue ‘rule of virtueRule of virtue’, forming the underlying logic of governanceGovernance, logic of. This chapter is structured to sequentially explain the origins of these three political philosophies and their influences on modern China’s governance and decision-makingDecision-making. Additionally, it delves into the interplay between Chinese traditional political philosophies and Marxism in the contemporary era. The chapter argues that the recent resurgence of Marxism does not intend to replace the foundational governance ethos moulded by traditional political philosophiesPolitical philosophy, nor does it seek to ignite fresh class conflictsClass conflict. Rather, it serves as an instrument to strengthen the rule of the CCPChinese Communist Party (CCP), reinforce its state economic strategy, and rally the populace under a shared national ideologyIdeology.