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.
On May 11, 1978, state media Guangming Daily published Hu’s article on its front page. China’s propaganda machine boasted that the article sparked a “huge shock” in China’s ideological and theoretical circles, setting off a nationwide discussion on “the question of the criteria of truth,” and marking a prelude to “liberation of the mind.”…