이 연구에서는 1922년 이후 잇따라 나온 좌파 잡지 가운데 『신생활』, 『조선지광』, 『비판』, 『신계단』등 네 잡지가 게재한 사회주의에 관한 논설을 분석하였다. 연구 결과에 따르면 첫째, 네 좌파 잡지의 전체 논설 가운데 사회주의 사상에 관한 논설이 『신생활』은 13.9%, 『조선지광』은 16.9%, 『비판』은 16.3%, 『신계단』은 24.3%를 차지했다. 둘째, 네 잡지가 게재한 사회주의 논설을 철학, 경제, 정치의 세 범주로 나누어 분석한 결과 철학에 압도적으로 높은 관심을 보인 것으로 나타났다. 그러나 범주별 관심은 잡지에 따라, 또는 시기에 따라 다른 경향을 보였다. 즉 『신생활』은 경제사상이나 정치사상에 관심을 보였으며, 『조선지광』과 『신계단』은 철학사상에 압도적으로 높은 관심을 보였고 경제사상에 그 다음으로 관심을 보였다. 반면에 『비판』은 경제사상과 철학사상에 대등한 관심을 보였다. 시기적으로는 대체로 격동기에는 경제사상과 정치사상에 관심을 보였지만 안정기에는 철학사상에 관심을 집중했다. 이들 잡지는 사회주의와 다른 이론이나 사상에 대해서는 극단적인 배타성을 보였으며, 서구의 사회주의나 소련의 멘셰비즘에 대해서도 일관되게 부정적 태도를 드러냈다. 이런 배타성은 국내 운동에 대해서도 그대로 투영되었다.
After the March First Movement, the colonial government policy of the Japanese imperialists converted from militarism to cultural assimilation policy. Under such situation, the Japanese government allowed publication of socialist magazines in accordance with the Newspaper Law, leading to Shinsaenghwal Group's(신생활 그룹) founding of the first ever socialist magazine, Shinsaenghwal(신생활) in 1922. Soon followed successive publications of socialist magazines, such as Chosunjigwang(조선지광), Shingyedan(신계단), Bipan(비판), etc, which operated as the foothold for intellectuals to expand and deepen socialism. In reference to the four magazines listed above, this study seeks to analyze the ratio of editorials devoted to socialism as well as that of socialistically oriented philosophic, economic, and political ideologies according to the subject of each editorial. Key findings are as follow. First, out of all the editorials in selected socialist magazines, the percentages of socialism editorials consisted of 13.9% in Shinsaenghwal, 16.9% in Chosunjigwang, 23.4% in Shingyedan, and 16.3% in Bipan. Out of the examined magazines, in not a single magazine was the overall ratio of the socialism editorials able to reach a quarter percent of all the editorials. Nonetheless, the selected four magazines displayed higher percentage of socialist editorials, in comparison of such magazines as Shinchunji(신천지) and Hyeondae Pyeongron(현대평론) which weren't published by socialists but had lots interest in socialism,. Out of all editorials, socialism editorials occupied 8.7% for Shinchunji and 6.2% for Hyeondae Pyeongron. Second, as a result of classifying socialism editorials into philosophy, economy and politics, the four magazines displayed overwhelming interest in philosophy. However, interests among categories portrayed differences by the magazine and time period. For instance, Shinsaenghwal showed interest in economic and political ideologies, while Chosunjigwang and Shingyedan conveyed great enthusiasm in philosophic ideology, following with interest for economic ideology. By contrast, Bipan placed equal regard to economic and political ideologies. In relation to time, periods of turbulence called for interest in economic and political ideologies, while during periods of stability, editorials were more likely to be concentrated in philosophic ideology. These magazines displayed extreme ostracism towards any theories or principles other than socialism and held consistent negative attitudes toward western socialism, as well as the Soviet Mensheviks. Such exclusion was directly reflected in domestic movements as well. These magazines predicted that the cultural nationalism of Donga Ilbo and left winged nationalism of Chosun Ilbo that were both headed by native bourgeoisie will, in the end, become involved in conspiracy with the foreign imperial bourgeoisie. Therefore, they emphasized, the desirable direction of leadership for the colonial people was not to head to the hands of national bourgeoisie but to the proletariats. It can be stated that for the socialists, their reason for existence and the purpose of magazine publications lay on 'leading the colonial people to the right direction.'