Abstract:

During the May Fourth New Cultural Movement of 1919 that linked up with the "Hundred Days' Reform" of 1898 and the 1911 Revolution, the spread of the modern idea of "equality" reached its peak. The May Fourth intellectuals were represented by members of "New Youth", whose idea of "equality" had its historical features. With the downfall of China's autocratic monarchy the "equality" began to enter into urban intellectuals' everyday life due to its part transformation from a heretical political appeal to an article in law. Compared with Locke's notion of equality, the School of "New Youth" had a more radical appearance in its demands of family morals and equality of the sexes in general. However, differences towards the issue of economic equality among its members constituted an in-depth cause for their later separation. What was generally emphasized by those liberals was only equality of legal rights, while economic equality tended to be overlooked. On the other hand, radical leftists paid more attention to substantial equality in economy. Their dissatisfaction with intellectual enlightenment of the idea of equality made them turn to engage in practical social revolutions.

Key words: the School of "New Youth", equality, equality of legal right, economic equality