"Remove ribs as torches: The Complete Biography of Guo Zhun"

Author: Gao Jianguo / Country: Mainland China
Publisher:
Publishing Date: 2000-01-01
Features: In ancient Greek, the word "history" originally meant "to see" or "to know." If one cannot see the truth, how can they understand the world? If one does see the truth, how can they comprehend this colorful and blood-stained land, soaked in sweat and tears? During the campaign to create deities that swept across the nation and the era of the "Gang of Four's" lawlessness, Guo Zhun wrote on the wall of the prison, "A confession of crimes," yet it consisted of only one sheet of white paper with two black characters: "Read history!" For this, he paid the price of his life. Yet, this was precisely the work of a contemporary Chinese thinker who stood at the height of human civilization, conducting all-round exploration and reflection. He was an fearless and selfless fighter for humanity, leaving us invaluable golden insights. China has Guo Zhun—in the years of the "Gang of Four's" reign, he walked through the chaotic and ruthless world, constantly exploring and moving forward fearlessly. It was this former Bolshevik who was expelled from the Communist Party who washed away the shame suffered by the Chinese intellectuals who had been trampled upon, restored their historical dignity and the pride of the people, and restored their rightful brilliance.
China has Guo Zhun—rare hardships gave birth to the brilliance of his profound thoughts. His wisdom and dedication were condensed into his timeless works. He said, "As long as we clearly see the problems, our motherland will soon 'soar the world'!" What extraordinary courage and foresight! This was an extraordinary and magnificent prophecy! In that era over twenty years ago, he stood at the height of human civilization, contemplating China's modernization process and the future of humanity.
China has Guo Zhun—ordinary people may not become giants, but they must possess the spirit of giants. A river of history without giants is easily dried up. Guo Zhun's ashes were scattered in a small river in Beijing. He believed that even a small river could lead to the sea. He was an ordinary man, yet only he truly understood the joys and sorrows of ordinary people, making his reflections all the more intimate and profound. That nameless river will never be lonely because of Guo Zhun's presence, always singing a joyful song toward the boundless sea.
However, since Guo Zhun launched a fierce love against Wang Bi, she was drawn to him irrevocably. Guo Zhun was exceptionally intelligent, witty, sincere, and never guarded his heart. He was actively working to join the Communist Party and was full of revolutionary ideals. His charming image gradually occupied her sensitive heart. She was clearly more captivated by him. Thus, she hinted at Z with apologies and distanced herself from other male suitors. Although Guo Zhun was a year younger than Wang Bi—one nineteen, the other twenty—this did not hinder Wang Bi from accepting the passionate love he offered.
The passionate love between Guo Zhun and Wang Bi made them forget the harshness and danger in the midst of the struggle, allowing them to enjoy the sweetness of love amidst revolution. They drew strength and confidence from each other. As Guo Zhun said, "Reading history is not useless." Today, people looking back can see that the army led by workers and peasants had unparalleled steadfastness in revolutionary wars and had always directly represented their interests. However, the long land revolution, with its strategy of encircling the city from the countryside, allowed the CCP to seize power and brought the strength and consciousness of farmers into this army. Under the influence of necessity and chance, the intellectuals within this army gradually diminished, becoming a negligible weight on the scales. The highly centralized will of most revolutionaries also led them to judge the value of this small weight solely based on collective standards. Over time, even the shared knowledge of humanity—human wisdom—was reduced to a rusty weight through a single "colored lens," appearing almost worthless. Thus, blind obedience gradually spread, and simplistic, absolute thinking was encouraged.
Guo Zhun faced exactly this period of history. After enduring a long era of authoritarianism and a semi-colonial, semi-feudal society, followed by the "Cultural Revolution" and other "Leftist" political movements, the timid mentality of many Chinese had become entrenched in their bones. There are countless folk sayings in China: "Shoot the bird that crows too loudly," "The rafter that sticks out will rot first," "Those who stand above the rest will be destroyed," "Do not be the first to start a war," "Do not be the first to bring disaster," and "Do not be the first to seek fortune"—all targeting innovators in theory and practice. Who dares to disagree with "the Party's directives" or mainstream culture, to challenge collective consciousness? Such people are labeled "rebellious" and "outliers." These "rebellious" individuals are not only punishable but also seen as shameful, abandoned by society, and cursed by the masses.
Despite wearing several "black hats," Guo Zhun, driven by his love for his country and humanity, repeatedly dared to "be the first in the world!" With his full strength, he shouted resolutely: China's reform and humanity's progress require the "saintly spirit of martyrdom," like Bruno who was willing to be burned at the stake rather than abandon the heliocentric theory. "This is a fundamental issue worth shouting loudly." For this, he willingly stood at the forefront of reform, sacrificing himself to pursue the truth and creating a new value system for Chinese intellectuals.
In fully democratic advanced countries, however, the awareness of individual independence and freedom is drowned in the thick, sugary "popular" atmosphere, leaving little tension between democracy, freedom, and independence. Therefore, the value system that Guo Zhun emphasized for intellectuals is equally applicable to today and tomorrow. No wonder later generations of scholars revered him as the pride and model of his generation, "the lofty peak to which all aspire" and "the path that all follow."
In the tragic and long years when disasters followed one another, Guo Zhun was truly someone who handled misfortune with remarkable grace. No matter how much he suffered and was wronged, he never expressed even a half-word of regret for his early dedication to revolution. He always said, "Our history has always been like this." He felt it was his responsibility to think of a correct and reasonable path for a disaster-ridden motherland.
Although wearing several "black hats," Guo Zhun walked alone in the twilight of his life, enduring daily torment from illness and persecution, constantly feeling the scorching heat of hell. Yet, with a loyal heart devoted to the people, he thought with solemnity. In his works left to the world, he wrote with a grand spirit: "As long as we clearly see the problems, treat reality objectively instead of dogmatically, our motherland will soon soar the world economically!" What extraordinary courage and foresight! Precisely for the sake of the motherland's soaring, Guo Zhun struggled forward fearlessly, unwavering even in the face of death!