Marxist Scholar Who Helped to Cement Deng Xiaoping’s Rise to Power Dies

Hu Fuming's writing questioned the 'Two Whatevers'

Patients on stretchers are seen at Tongren hospital in Shanghai on Jan. 3, 2023. Hector Retamal/AFP via Getty Images

News Analysis

In early January, headlines around the world noted the passing of Hu Fuming, professor of philosophy at China’s Nanjing University. Hu died on Jan. 2, as COVID-19 raged in China.  He was renowned for his role in writing “Practice Is the Sole Criterion for Testing Truth,” a 1978 article that helped former leader Deng Xiaoping consolidate power.