ABSTRACT
This chapter explores a revolution caught between modern politics and the traditional role of the Chinese intellectual class. It discusses the early commitment of Zenq Qi to the revolution of youth, and analyzes the ideological bases of the Chinese Youth Party (CYP). The coherent modern ideological platform etches in sharper relief the political incongruities between the desire for modern revolution and the limitations of the traditional intellectual role assumed by Zeng Qi and his cohorts in the CYP. In Zeng's lifetime, 1923 was a turning point. He began the year in illness, restlessly sitting in a sanitorium and outlining schemes in his diary for political activity. With his relatively advanced understanding of Western philosophy and culture, he was able to appreciate the diversity of socialist theories. The case of Zeng and the CYP is important because it raises the generic question of cultural transference in the realm of politics.
