The Research On "the Tucker-Wood Thesis"

With the diversification of political, economic, cultural and other fields on the development of modern society, all kinds of social problems and conflicts are increasingly acute, there is a lack of unified moral criterion to restraint and measure. However, facing the increasingly prominent dilemma of " lack of justice", it is more urgent and necessary to have an ethics of justice. In the 1970s, scholars expand a long-lasting debate around the topic of "Marx and Justice ".Robert Tucker and Allen W. Wood broke through the traditional recognition of Marx’s defense for justice, and proposed the view that the capitalist exploitation is reasonable and righteous in Marx’s theory. Other Marxists criticize the thesis, and "The Tucker-Wood thesis" becomes the starting point of the debate between "the assentients" and "the opponents". Based on Marx’s classic text, the both sides also attempt to defend their views on their own points of view. But it not only did not clarify the concept of justice under the Marx’s perspective, but also did not provide a moral standard specifications for the "lack of justice" dilemma.This paper focus on revisiting "The Tucker-Wood thesis" and the views of both sides on this debate, and contrast the views of both sides around three main contents of thesis, namely whether Marx condemned the capitalism as unjust? Why did Marx criticize Capitalist? And whether Communism society is social justice? Then it clarifies the substance of the debates focus. On this basis, I try to restore the true Marxist concept of justice, through analyzing the possibility of Marx’s justice and the construction of the just society in reality, then to realize the transition from "possibility" to "reality" to make a defense for Marx’s justice. Combined with the contemporary lack of "justice" dilemma in China, we can use Marx’s concept of justice to provide reasonable and targeted strategy from the necessary conditions of just society in reality, which will make our country to be the future just society.