Theories and Actions in the Diligent Work-Frugal Study Movement

• In Event: Traveling Theory

Abstract

This essay aims to discuss the intricate relationship between political theory and the diverse spectrum of political actions that such theories inspire. The analysis centers around three radical thinkers who actively participated in the Diligent Work-Frugal Study Movement (1912-1927), an initiative led by a group of Chinese anarchists with the aim of sending Chinese students to France for training in radical political thought. The three focal thinkers are: Li Shizeng (1881-1972), a key figure in the Chinese anarchist movement and the Diligent Work-Frugal Study Programs; Sheng Cheng (1899-1996), a revolutionist and a co-founder of the French Communist Party; and Xiang Jingyu (1895-1928), an early female member of the Chinese Communist Party and a leader of the women’s movement in China. Drawing from these thinkers’ memoirs, literary works, and contributions to journals and pamphlets, this essay aims to explore how they understood anarchism, liberalism, and communism in their own terms. Furthermore, the essay seeks to understand how they then used political theories to challenge various forms of oppression, both within the Chinese tradition (religion, culture, and patriarchy) and in France. A key focus of the analysis will be on the 1921 Lyons incident and the subsequent spread of radical political thought in China.

Author

• Jinxue Chen, Northwestern University