Abstract:

The reconstruction of Chinese sociology in 1979 marked a significant event in the history of sociology in China. Today there is an established standard narrative regarding the starting point of this reconstruction. This paper begins by asking: Is there a prehistory preceding this starting point?Based on Mr. Wu Wenzao's diaries from 1956 to 1985, this study systematically examines his academic readings in the 1960s and 1970s, as well as his academic work and interactions with Pan Guangdan, Fei Xiaotong, Lin Yaohua, and other scholars during this period. The paper argues that, the restoration and reconstruction of Chinese sociology did not take place on a blank slate. Despite the abolishment of sociology and severe disruptions to their personal lives and well-being, Wu Wenzao and other scholars, as a community, continued to engage in academic readings in the 1960s and 1970s. This allowed them to keep pace with the global development of disciplines such as sociology, anthropology, and ethnology and enabled them to gain a firm grasp of the mainstream trends and classic works of social sciences worldwide. Moreover, academic exchanges with overseas scholars in the 1970s helped them gain a deeper understanding of the developments of global social sciences. All these factors served as the academic spark and fundamental conditions for the reconstruction of Chinese sociology.More importantly, over many years, Wu Wenzao and Fei Xiaotong maintained the academic community established during the Yanjing period. The strategies that Wu Wenzao employed in developing the "Yanjing School" and the maintenance of this community became the implicit foundation for the reconstruction of Chinese sociology.This paper employs Michel Foucault's method of archaeology of knowledge to explore the readings of scholars represented by Wu Wenzao during the period when sociology was banned in China. This study finds that the starting point of the standard narrative of sociology's reconstruction resembles more a "turning point" of knowledge and power: after this starting point, previously silent knowledge began to emerge from history, regaining space and power. Consequently, the readings of Wu Wenzao became a peculiar "prehistory": highly foresighted and preparatory, they provided the conditions, perspectives, historical experiences, and numerous possibilities for the reconstruction of sociology led by Fei Xiaotong and the construction of a renewed body of social scientific knowledge.

Key words: Wu Wenzao, diary, academic reading, academic community, reconstruction of sociology