The Anti-Rightist Campaign: Silencing Intellectuals in China

This lecture discusses the anti-rightist campaign initiated in China in 1957, which targeted individuals labeled as rightists by the government. The instructor details how Mao Zedong published an article denouncing those who spoke out against the regime, leading to the appointment of Deng Xiaoping to lead the movement against these perceived enemies. The lecture highlights the public denunciations that occurred during struggle meetings, where individuals like Professor Gu Peiqi faced severe criticism. Gu Peiqi's family suffered ostracism, and he endured two decades of hard labor as a consequence of the campaign. The instructor explains that Mao estimated around 10% of the population were rightists, prompting local officials to identify and condemn individuals accordingly. This resulted in millions being imprisoned or sent to labor camps, effectively silencing China's intellectual community, as Mao deemed them unnecessary for the state. The lecture provides a critical overview of the campaign's impact on society and the intellectual landscape in China during this period.