Chapter 8: The Fabian Society

On March 17, 1883, Karl Marx passed away in London, and only nine people attended his funeral.

Ten months later, his followers in London formed the Fabian Society, named after the Roman general Quintus Fabius Maximus.

The name "Fabian" was chosen because, in ancient Rome, Fabius defeated the formidable opponent Hannibal through guerrilla tactics. Similarly, the Fabian Society advocated for gradual and moderate reformism to slowly advance social change.

Due to its moderate stance, the Fabian Society received considerable support from intellectuals, including renowned figures such as George Bernard Shaw. At its peak in 1945, over 200 members of the Fabian Society sat in Parliament, leading the media at the time to describe the entire Parliament as a vast Fabian school.

Why did Lin Ran know this? It was because, while temporarily staying at Li Xiaoman’s house, he accidentally discovered a strange badge wedged in the study.

(Lin Ran examines the Fabian Society badge.)

Li Xiaoman looked delighted upon seeing it and quickly put the badge away, but she remained tight-lipped when Lin Ran inquired about it.

Puzzled, Lin Ran searched online for a long time before learning that the badge belonged to the Fabian Society, depicting a wolf in sheep’s clothing. He then gained some understanding of this once-famous but rapidly declining modern society.

Still, more questions arose: How did an English society’s badge end up in a Chinese family’s possession? After all, Li Xiaoman’s family had been pure-blood Chinese for three generations.

Much later, after they had become closer, Lin Ran seized the opportunity to ask about it.

Li Xiaoman replied with a look of melancholy:

“During the late Qing Dynasty, there were various government-sponsored students studying abroad, you know? Initially, most were sent to England and France, but after the Franco-Prussian War, students began to be sent to Germany.

My great-grandfather went to Germany to study under that atmosphere. Unlike most who attended the Berlin Military Academy, he studied at the University of Frankfurt.

Like many patriots of that era, he sought a way to save China. Back then, the Fabian Society’s influence had penetrated Germany, and the famous Frankfurt School was established in Frankfurt. One of my great-grandfather’s most respected professors joined the Frankfurt School, so he followed suit and joined as well.”

Lin Ran was amazed. Coming from such a distinguished lineage, he asked, “At that time, it must have been very difficult for a Chinese person to join the Fabian Society?”

Given the era and circumstances, Lin Ran thought it must have been extremely challenging for a Chinese individual to enter such an esteemed white intellectual society.

Li Xiaoman nodded. “Of course. But the professor my great-grandfather admired was Max Horkheimer.”

(page 2)

“He was the founder of the Frankfurt School. On his strong recommendation, combined with the belief that the school needed an Asian representative to convey its ideas, my great-grandfather was finally accepted.

He worked at the Social Research Center of the University of Frankfurt, the first institution in Europe dedicated to studying Karl Marx.

This is the badge he received for joining the Frankfurt School. It is a testament to our family’s history; I thought I’d never find it again!

This badge differs slightly from the current Fabian Society badges.”

The difficulties implied in those few sentences were unimaginable. Lin Ran thought about how many hardships his Chinese predecessors must have overcome to earn such an opportunity.

Li Xiaoman’s proud expression was vivid in Lin Ran’s mind. He asked, “What’s different about it?”

Li Xiaoman took the badge out of her box and showed its back to Lin Ran:

“See this?”

“A turtle?”

“Yes, this is the earliest Fabian Society badge—a turtle—with the inscription:

‘Why I strike, I strike hard.’

It means that the Fabians are patient; they wait for the right moment, but when they strike, they do so decisively.”

This discovery deepened Lin Ran’s understanding of the Fabian Society and revealed the extraordinary nature of the organization.

If it were just the Fabian Society, it had done much good: it first proposed the establishment of a national health service system in 1911, introduced the minimum wage in 1906, and abolished hereditary nobility in 1917.

One could say that the modern welfare state originated from the Fabian Society.

The Frankfurt School, which originated from the Fabian Society, was quite different.

It was most famous for Critical Theory.

(page 3)

In 1922, an international conference held in Moscow focused on how to export culture to Europe.

The German delegate, Moenzenberg, proposed organizing Marxist intellectuals to systematically dismantle capitalism, leading to the birth of the Frankfurt School.

Max Horkheimer, whom Li Xiaoman mentioned, was the second director of the Social Research Center at the University of Frankfurt. Their main achievement was Critical Theory.

The core of Critical Theory is to identify the world’s flaws in order to destroy it. Social problems are not about individuals but systemic issues, so the system must be smashed.

The theoretical foundations for movements like LGBT and Black Lives Matter trace back to this.

No matter how well articulated, the ultimate goal was to destroy all traditions and disrupt social order.

After Horkheimer fled to the United States, he met Columbia University’s president Butler in New York. Butler admired Horkheimer and helped him relocate the Frankfurt School to Columbia, even providing him with an entire building.

Through this opportunity, Frankfurt School researchers became Columbia University professors. From there, they spread to Princeton, Brandeis, and other institutions across America.

Thanks to Columbia’s influence, the Frankfurt School extended its reach to England and America.

Simply put, by the 1960s, the Frankfurt School wielded considerable influence in America, coinciding with Democrat John F. Kennedy’s presidency.

Lin Ran not only possessed proof of the Frankfurt School’s founding, namely the Fabian Society badge, but also held a sixty-year informational advantage.

Combining these factors, he could easily enjoy the Frankfurt School’s protection, allowing him to navigate America unchallenged throughout the 1960s.

From 1961 to 1969, the Democrats firmly controlled the White House.

Eight years later, by the time Lin Ran had achieved success, he would never be questioned over trivial matters; he had made thorough preparations.

The only difficulty was persuading Li Xiaoman to let him keep the badge.

After all, it was her family heirloom.