ABSTRACT
Li Da was one of the most influential of the philosophers and social theorists to introduce Marxism to China. The first theme of Li Da's writings is the philosophy of Marxism, often referred to as dialectical materialism and the second theme is the aetiology of social change. This chapter analyses these intellectual themes within Marxism which were to have a profound influence on the development and structure of Li Da's thought. It deals with the interpretation taken by Li Da from Marx, Engels, Plekhanov and Lenin, but particularly from the Soviet philosophers and theorists of the early 1930s, arid introduced into China. The chapter focuses on the convergence between Li Da's reading of dialectical materialism and the "orthodoxy" which prevailed in Soviet philosophical circles of the early 1930s, for this particular "orthodoxy" was to have a dramatic impact on the development of Marxism in China, partly as a result of Li's efforts.
