China Pt. 8: Mao Zedong and Maoism with Yueran Zhang

In Part 8 of our ongoing series on China we're joined by Yueren Zhang to discuss Mao Zedong and the political philosophy of Maoism. Yueran Zhang is Assistant Professor in the department of sociology at the University of Chicago. He specializes in the comparative studies of capitalism, socialism, and transitions in between, with a special emphasis on political economy and the dynamics of development in the Global South. 

The conversation opens by presenting a biographical and historical overview of Mao Zedong, the context in which the Chinese Revolution occured, and Mao's role in the Chinese Revolution. We then introduce Maoism as a philosophy and political practice and take a deep dive into how Mao's philosophy shaped his political practice—using the cultural revolution and building mass movements as examples. We explore Mao and his relationship to Deng Xiaoping, China's political system and whether we can view China as a socialist or capitalist state (Yueren holds a very different view from most of our previous guests in this episode), the role that Mao's political practice and philosophy plays in modern day revolutionary movements, and much more. 

Producer's note: Our China series is a Patreon series, but we've published this episode publicly. The episode itself is completely fine to listen to as a standalone. If you like what you hear and want to hear more, the entire series is available on Patreon and covers a wide range of topics and perspectives which complement this episode. 

Further resources:

• The Cultural Revolution at the Margins: Chinese Socialism in Crisis, by Yiching Wu
• Studies show strong public support for China’s political system (Jason Hickel)

Related episodes:

• Listen to our ongoing series on China
• Migration as Economic Imperialism w/ Immanuel Ness
• Revolutionary Leftism with Breht O'Shea (includes an introduction to Marxism-Leninism)
• Dialectical Materialism w/ Josh Sykes (includes a basic introduction to Maosim)
• Historical Materialism w/ Torkil Lauesen
• Our ongoing series on the Alliance of Sahel States
• Our ongoing series on Venezuela
• Our ongoing series on Palestine

Intermission music: "The Way That You Slope Your Shoulders" by Witchdream Mansion

Upstream is entirely listener funded. No ads, no promotions, no grants—just Patreon subscriptions and listener donations. We couldn't keep this project going without your support. Subscribe to our Patreon for bi-weekly bonus episodes, access to our entire back catalog of Patreon episodes, and for Upstream stickers and bumper stickers at certain subscription tiers. Through your support you’ll be helping us keep Upstream sustainable and helping to keep this whole project going—socialist political education podcasts are not easy to fund so thank you in advance for the crucial support. patreon.com/upstreampodcast

For more from Upstream, visit www.upstreampodcast.org and follow us on Instagram and Bluesky. You can also subscribe to us on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen to your favorite podcasts.