Marx's "history Notes" Late In The 19th Century, The Epistemological And Methodological Positioning In The European Historiographical Tradition

Marx's Capital is the masterpiece that focuses on the concept of capital for the first the time in human history. With the concept of capital detailed analyzed deeply, Marx highlighted the opposition of the most revolutionary class that they are the proletariat and are middle class. On the base of analyzing the inherent weaknesses of the capitalist system and the inevitability of the end historically, it is said as usual that Marx pointed out the direction to establish an ideal society. The first volume of Capital was published in 1867 and Marx's economic theory has begun to enter the German academic community and it affected Weber, Sombart and so the younger generation of scholars deeply when the second and the third volume was published. Such as Weber, although they have researched the capital and the capitalist system in historical research holistically he had come to very different conclusions comparing with Marx as a general statement. In his early paper, The social causes of the decline of classical Western civilization, he argued that the decline of classical civilization is the characterization of failure of the capitalism for the West characterized for the first time. The weakness of Western classical civilization that it is lack of effective mechanism of capital accumulation and concentration was highlighted increasingly with the early Roman Empire boundaries delineated and the key events that the channel of slaves from the war of plunder was blocked suddenly. The result of his incident that brought out changes in agricultural systems and the structural readjustment of political power finally led to the decline of the classical civilization in the Roman Empire. From this, it started a transitional stage from the ancient to the feudalism. Marx's theme is the rise of modern capitalism. Weber analyzed the full prepare what the modern made for the second rise of capitalism in the system and spirit in detail in Economic History and The Protestant Ethic and the Spirit of Capitalism. However, Weber had kept regardless of the fact that where will be this process of capital expansion eventually. Or, will there be the third expansion of capitalism?Whether they got so very different conclusion or not that when Marx and Weber faced the same subject, "capital and capitalism ", and they both based on historic visit. The author believes that the key lies in the Marx's and Weber's methods and attitudes towards history. The significance of Notes of History for Karl Marx is just as social causes of the decline of classical Western civilization for Weber thesis is equally important, which is so important for Marx. The intention of this article is digging out the underlying causes of Marx's social view and of perspectives the historical process by analyzing Notes of History in detail. And it will help us to understand the other real and utterly different Marx from the general theory on this basis.The thesis attempts to study the background that Notes of History is built on and the individual endeavor by which Marx deals with the transitional period, which is clued by the great change of methodology and epistemology in late 19th century. The result of the practical failure that Marx's historical philosophy and economics suffering from, some people tend to distinguish the section of Science from the section of Value in Marx's theory. But the others still insist on a religious view that any division of the Marx's works is a kind of blasphemy. The author believes that it is necessary to view Marx's Notes of History as an independent work. The world of World History and the liquidity of time presented in Notes of History show the indifferent attitudes of Marx to theory and action, ideal and reality.The thesis is divided into four parts. The introduction mainly describes Marx's change of attitudes to his theory and action, ideal and reality in his whole life. Notes of History that was commonly chosen by the most distinguished historian who has a "world history" vision, includes the time spanning from the decline of the Roman Empire to the war of European religion in 17th century. Marx's Notes of History which mainly presents his basic theory of history is exactly written since 1870. This theory for understanding the intention and all the works of Marx is fundamentally important. From this, he established his basic attitudes that he put Notes of History as an independent work to handle.In this thesis, the first chapter mainly expounds the background of work and conditions, including the shift of the economic life, psychological condition, World View and Dialectics. In the period of writing Notes of History, nobody is willing to indirectly understand the "economic facts" except Marx. The confrontation is so difficult and complex, involving the most fundamental fate and future of capitalism. The most fundamental problem is the rise and fall of individualism. Marx pointed out that the carrier of individual society began to drop in the process of capital and the social class that owns political consciousness and desire also constantly dissipated in the 18th century and early 19th century. The serious situation that is faced by Marx is the inherent weakness that caused by the decline of dialectics and the rise of "world view".The theme of the second chapter is on philosophy and history, which explores the origin and special significance of Notes of History. The demise of philosophy and the rise of German History which is beginning with Niebuhr are the theoretical basis of Notes of History, especially the identical concept and individual concept in Niebuhr—Ranke's world history system. In this sense, Notes of History presents Marx's attitudes to theory and action, ideal and reality. Section III of this chapter, "Notes on History: comparison and interpretation "is the most important part in the paper. "Theory and Action:Marx and the Socialist Party" and "Marx's Notes on History:compare and interpret" that compare with the ideology of the contemporary socialist party and the writing of history before Marx highlight the theory and principle of Marx. Marx's principle means the identity of the philosophy with the history. It is namely the demise of philosophy itself, that is, as a form of man's own subjective sense of the philosophy of it. In Marx's view, philosophy must turn out for the world and take action of it. It mustn't reach its integrity. Philosophy must serve for the history. Marx opposes that it simply denies the request of philosophy in practice. He also opposes the rejection and criticism of specific political parties by pure theory. Marx claimed that "I do not care about any intention." Marx preached only the relentless process and the logic of historical dialectics, by which he declares the demise of capitalism, and never with the pleasure of revenge and moral outrage. There is no doubt that any pre-set ideal of utopian will totally divorce from reality because of the contrary to historical materialism and dialectical materialism by Marx's demand to the historical theory that is the demise of philosophy and the reconciliation and achievement of philosophy in practice. It will inevitably once again present he dualism of separated structure of philosophy and history, value and fact. Marx shows historical world that is before the scientific period by the form of "World History" or "Universal History". It will be a work more important and more fundamental than the passionate appeal in the "Communist Manifesto" or the systematic and rigorous scientific economic analysis in "Capital".The third chapter mainly reaffirms the teachings and the value of Notes of History. Ultimately, Notes of History makes the Historical Ideal on the demise of philosophy and Dialectics of Methodology reappeared in history and historical field. Marx once claimed to be not a Marxist. This means that he has not indirect views of theory and action, ideal and reality, whether it is absolute unity or absolute opposition; of human folly and misfortune neither fancy or sympathy. He adds historical facts to economic theory.He thinks that if he could not make a plan for the present in the broad historical perspective, the current of life will inevitably suffer from disaster because of the short-sighted.The thesis puts the analysis of into the background of the time, contacts Marx's consistent problem consciousness and re-summarized the lessons of Notes of History on the basis of analyzing urgent problems in the field of the society and knowledge. The thesis based on a series of comparison and interpretation reveals Marx's ultimate teachings in Notes of History that the final virtue and glory of human lie in participating in the short but not correct business. The motto of "Please give up all hope" which is inscribed on the entrance of hell by Dante is also "Capital" by Marx. The thesis argues that the motto can also be inscribed on the entrance of the Notes of History in the same sense.It is in this sense, we need to re-examine Marx. While Marx and Weber for the theme of "capital and capitalism" may have a different view, they tightly restrict the scope of writing to the subject of a scientific and dispassionate investigation by historical analysis. Maybe they just want to provide more material for forming theory as much as possible for readers, rather than providing a ready-made theory. They have reached such a goal, "prefers to let his crazy, do not go crazy with the world follow their own." But they will be investigated through discussion of the scope of their tightly restricted to the subject of a scientific and dispassionate investigation. The goal of this thesis r is to make the reader see Marx as just a thinker and a theorist, not a prophet. Maybe the indifference image of Marx restored in Notes of History can be as a new way to understand the difference between Marx and Marxist.