The dialectics of “iron hook” and “tofu”: the shifts in Liang Shuming’s thinking in the 1950s and the “duality” of Chinese socialist practices

Starting with the metaphor “iron hook and tofu” proposed by Liang Shuming, the Chinese thinker and leader of the rural reconstruction movement in the twentieth century, this article retraces the debate between Liang and Mao Zedong in 1953 under the historical context of the early 1950s and the shifts in Liang’s thinking from the 1920s to the 1950s. The dialectical relationship between “iron hook” and “tofu” was an important issue throughout Liang’s lifelong thinking. Centering on this metaphor, the article presents a deeper understanding of the dynamics and tensions in Liang’s thoughts, the ideaistic shifts that resulted in his similarity to and divergence from Mao, and the inherent “duality” of Chinese socialist practices. The metaphor “iron hook and tofu” will also provide a reference for rethinking the complex relationship between rural revolution and rural reconstruction, and between radicalism and reformism.