The development of poetic didacticism in Chinese political thought and its function in Mao's ideological campaigns

摘要

Mao, placing so much emphasis on literary issues was, in essence, continuing the long-standing tradition of poetic moral didacticism, and literary political discourse. In the Chinese political tradition, shared belief and identity are more fundamental than legal precedent. Poetry, having evolved from mytho-religious political orthodoxy and having developed as the embodiment of politico-religious philosophy, would ultimately serve the political tradition as a channel of didactic invocation specifically applied for the preservation of political legitimacy and cultural authority.;As Mao was primarily concerned with the reform of Chinese culture in order to create a more balanced and egalitarian polity, his understanding of poetry as an ideological and quasi-religious institution lead him to apply poetic creation for the realization of an ideal society.