The Concept Borrowing Process of Class Theory in the Early 20th Century China

This study examines the process by which class theory was introduced and developed in China, and attempts to answer how class as an academic concept developed into a political term. By examining the development of class theory, the core question discussed in this paper is: Is knowledge political? This paper answers this question from three aspects: the understanding of social structure by Confucians, the Communist Party's transformation of class theory, and the social stratification theory by sociologists based on the Chicago School method. This paper examines the conflict between different ideas, and clearly presents the specific evolutionary path of class theory. This study argues that class theory had political attributes from the very beginning when it was introduced into China, which was determined by the social trend of thought seeking political change at that time. After the transformation of CCP, class theory eventually became a political concept and was separated from academic discussions.