The Dissension and Introspection about Intelligentsia Issue in CCP around 1956

Around 1956, the views and policies towards intelligentsia among the high-level leaders in Chinese Communist Party (CCP) had been gone through a complicated process.Mao cannot completely agree with those views and policies made by the high-level CCP leaders represented by Zhou Enlai.On the one hand, based on Mao’s “Epidermis Hair Thought” on intelligentsia, he emphasized the fundamental converting of their world outlook, and the training for the proletarian intelligentsia;on the other hand, Zhou suggested to treat and convert intelligentsia considering their utility and potential contribution to the national development. “Epidermis Hair Thought” has its historic limitation, and easily been distorted and used under practical circumstances.Modern society needs to call for the public character of intelligentsia and meanwhile respect their relative independence.