Campaign against Spiritual Pollution
On 12 October 1983, at the Second Plenum of the 12th Central Committee, Deng Xiaoping declared that "there must be no spiritual pollution on the ideological front," naming humanism and the theory of alienation. A campaign followed in theoretical, propaganda and literary circles: People's Daily director Hu Jiwei resigned, deputy editor-in-chief Wang Ruoshui was dismissed, and Zhou Yang was forced into a public self-criticism, while the campaign quickly spread to clothing, hairstyles and popular songs. On 14 December Hu Yaobang drew limits, insisting it not extend to people's ways of life and personal interests; the campaign then cooled and ended in early 1984.
Origins: The Debate over Humanism and Alienation
1983 marked the centenary of Karl Marx's death. On 7 March, Zhou Yang — chairman of the China Federation of Literary and Art Circles and a former deputy head of the Propaganda Department — read a long paper, "An Exploration of Several Theoretical Questions of Marxism," at a commemorative symposium at the Central Party School. It discussed "alienation" in socialist society and the question of humanism; Wang Ruoshui, deputy editor-in-chief of People's Daily, had helped draft it. On 16 March People's Daily published the paper in full. Politburo member Hu Qiaomu objected to its treatment of humanism and alienation. On 4 June, Propaganda Department head Deng Liqun, in a speech at the Central Party School, became the first to use the term "spiritual pollution," applying it to writings on humanism and alienation.
Deng Xiaoping: "No Spiritual Pollution on the Ideological Front"
On 12 October 1983, addressing the Second Plenum of the 12th Central Committee, Deng Xiaoping raised two issues: that Party rectification must not be a mere formality, and that "there must be no spiritual pollution on the ideological front." He defined the essence of spiritual pollution as "the spreading of all kinds of corrupt and decadent ideas of the bourgeoisie and other exploiting classes and the spreading of distrust of socialism, communism and the leadership of the Communist Party," singled out "humanism and the theory of alienation" as "the most prominent problems in ideological circles at present," and criticized "some comrades" who were "keen on discussing the value of the human being, humanism and so-called alienation." At the same time he cautioned that "while emphasizing active ideological struggle, we must still guard against 'Left' errors." The speech was later included in Volume III of the Selected Works of Deng Xiaoping.
Campaign and Overreach
After the plenum the campaign spread rapidly through propaganda, theoretical and literary circles, running almost in parallel with the "Strike Hard" anti-crime campaign that had begun in August. At the end of October, Hu Qiaomu, accompanied by Deng Liqun, came to People's Daily to announce the Central Committee's decision: the resignation of director Hu Jiwei was accepted, and Wang Ruoshui was removed as deputy editor-in-chief. Zhou Yang was compelled to make a public self-criticism in the form of a press interview. The campaign soon spilled from theory into everyday life: some schools banned bell-bottom trousers and permed hair; one government building posted a notice barring "men with big long hair, women with shoulder-length hair, those wearing make-up or jewelry"; lyrical songs, light music and some foreign works came under attack, and for a time some people even drew rural reform and the special economic zones into the discussion of "spiritual pollution."
Drawing Limits and Winding Down
On 14 December 1983, General Secretary Hu Yaobang summoned People's Daily director Qin Chuan, Xinhua director Mu Qing and Minister of Radio and Television Wu Lengxi and told them that "cleaning up pollution on the ideological front must not be extended to people's ways of life and personal interests." He set out a number of limits, including not interfering with how people dress, not banning lyrical songs and light music, and not locking away universally recognized classics. The campaign subsequently cooled rapidly in every sphere. On 3 January 1984, Hu Qiaomu delivered a speech at the Central Party School, "On Humanism and Alienation," offering a systematic theoretical rebuttal of humanism and the theory of alienation; it was published in Red Flag and issued as a pamphlet. According to accounts of the period, in early 1984 Deng Xiaoping told the responsible central officials that the matter could be brought to a close, and the campaign ended after roughly three months.
Impact and Assessments
The campaign was a concentrated clash within the Party, early in the reform era, over whether to tighten or loosen control of the ideological and cultural sphere; its line of attack on "bourgeois liberalization" resurfaced in the campaign "against bourgeois liberalization" around Hu Yaobang's resignation in early 1987. Official accounts emphasize it as a necessary struggle against the erosion of decadent bourgeois ideas under conditions of opening to the outside world; participants and many researchers instead see it as an "undeclared campaign" that was quickly halted. Qin Chuan, then editor-in-chief of People's Daily, later remarked that humanism and alienation "was originally an academic question, but once it was politicized it could no longer be discussed."
Narrative Comparison
| Source | Narrative |
|---|---|
| Deng Xiaoping, "The Party's Urgent Tasks on the Organizational and Ideological Fronts" | The official account rests on Deng Xiaoping's speech: under conditions of opening to the outside world, corrupt bourgeois ideas and distrust of socialism and Party leadership were being spread in the ideological and cultural sphere, with humanism and the theory of alienation as prominent problems; the ideological front had to wage active ideological struggle and permit no spiritual pollution, while also guarding against "Left" errors and excesses. |
| Thomas B. Gold, Asian Survey (1984) | Writing shortly after it ended, Gold traced the campaign from its rise in October 1983 to its demise in January 1984, focusing on its key activists and targets. The article is among the earliest systematic Western accounts of the campaign, recording how it set out from theoretical questions such as humanism and alienation and rose and fell within a few months. |
| Qin Chuan (then editor-in-chief of People's Daily) and Xu Qingquan, "The 1983 Elimination of Spiritual Pollution" | Qin Chuan, who personally approved People's Daily's coverage of Zhou Yang's report, recounts Hu Qiaomu's prior objections, the personnel changes at the paper and Zhou Yang's forced self-criticism. In his view, humanism and alienation "was originally an academic question, but once it was politicized it could no longer be discussed". |
Key Milestones
- Zhou Yang presents his paper on alienation and humanism
Zhou Yang reads his paper at the Central Party School's Marx centenary symposium; People's Daily publishes it in full on 16 March.
- Deng Liqun first uses the term "spiritual pollution"
In a Central Party School speech, Deng Liqun applies the term to writings on humanism and alienation.
- Deng Xiaoping calls for "no spiritual pollution" at the Second Plenum
Deng defines the essence of spiritual pollution and names humanism and alienation, while warning against "Left" errors.
- Hu Yaobang draws limits
Hu Yaobang tells Qin Chuan, Mu Qing and Wu Lengxi that the campaign must not extend to people's ways of life and personal interests.
- Hu Qiaomu delivers "On Humanism and Alienation"
Hu Qiaomu's Central Party School speech systematically rebuts humanism and the theory of alienation; it is then published in Red Flag.
Last verified: