From Rational Criticism To Practical Criticism

Based on practical category, Marxist philosophy clearly showed a critical spirit which inherently fears any might and has the courage to revolt. This spirit not only inherits rational thinking in modern times and promotes the enterprising spirit, but also understands the spirit of pursuing excellence and self-perfection. To be honest, the essence of philosophy is criticism which exists before and after the birth of Marxist philosophy. But the criticism is a rational one at reflection or culture aspect. Marx laid practice as the foundation of criticism thus he realized the revolutionary transformation of philosophy critical spirit---practical criticism replaced rational criticism. Analyzing and interpreting the origin, essence, development and modern performance, I established my thesis on this transformation.Surrounding the subject and target, I divided the thesis into 5 logical parts.Chapter one: From criticism to the nature of the Marxist philosophyIn the process of analyzing and interpreting the basic connation of"criticism"category, I told the differences of criticism between daily life and philosophy, the former tending to be negative and the later meaning sublating and dialectical negation----overcoming and reserving, inheriting and developing. On this basis we think the essence of philosophy is criticism and the philosophy itself is a theory of thinking which reveals and exists by criticizing way. An introspecting theory which promotes and develops by free criticism and critical freedom. Specifically speaking, criticism in the view of philosophy includes two dimensions. On the one hand, it aims at excavating the real origin of problem and pointing out the premise, which unfolds and clarifies the premise of the problem. On the other hand, it interprets the existed problem under the new explaining framework, delimits the scope of the problem and refreshes it through criticizing, obtains great development. Finally, as one of the philosophy manifestations, Marxist philosophy's essence is critical. Not being established on the rational"critical weapon", it keeps a foothold on practical"weapon criticism"which realizes the revolutionary transformation of philosophy critical spirit.Chapter two: The cradle of the Marxist philosophy critical spirit The 19th century Marx lived in was an era which used"criticism"to express the problem of theory and realities. Marx was imperceptibly influenced by the indomitably critical spirit which become a part in Marxism. This was the call of duty of that era. Of course, Marxist philosophy critical spirit had its own history. It was influenced by the France Enlightenment and German classical philosophy in 18th century, Utopian Socialism in 19th century. All these bred Marxist philosophy critical spirit and inspired its forming and development. In this sense, Marxist philosophy critical spirit not only inherited the critical courage of France Enlightenment in 18th century and accepted the self-criticism attitude of German classical philosophy but also understood the critical spirit of Utopian Socialist against capitalism. Taking a broad view of the France Enlightenment in 18th century, Utopian Socialism in 19th century and German classical philosophy, we can find out the essential spirit included in the dominant idea of the three movements---rationally critical spirit. Such kind of philosophy clearly paid attention to reality but it only theoretically explained the world as a philosophy theory which lacks possibility in solving practical question. The living space of Marxist philosophy exists in this sense. Only Marxist philosophy practical criticism can criticize rationality which itself can not complete.Chapter three: the manifestation of the critical spirit in early Marxist philosophy.Marx began writing in his youth .Till the finish of Die heilige Family his early idea experienced a process of entering Hegel's Speculative Reason which is far away from Kant's idealism and Fichte's romanticism, then detaching Hegel and entering Feuerbach's Humanist Materialism. Marx shifted his philosophy theory foothold according to the demand of his ideology development. This made the Marxist philosophy critical spirit not consistent but undertake the three logically theoretical links: criticism against idealism and romanticism, Hegel's Speculative Reason and Feuerbach's Humanist Materialism. More importantly, although Kant ,Hegel, Young Hegalians and Feuerbach,etc.made impact on the formation processing of critical spirit of Marxist philosophy, they were different. The ciritical spirit of Kant ,Hegel,Young Hegalians and Feuerbach came from speculative activities of human person, far away from real life of human person and itself is it's purpose; but the critical spirit of Marxist philosophy appealed to go back to real life of human person and concerned the real problem of society, and further with the unfeared spirit to harsh criticize the real problem of society. Sure, we must confess that the standpoint of Marxist philosophy had limitation at that time. However the critique was the purpose of Marxist philosophy, but from nature point of view ,this critique also based on abstract rationality. That is to say that if want to change world, must by virtue of scientific practice critique, because theory critique is difficult to do so.Chapter four: Three-dimensional interpretations and transforming performances on Marxist critical spirit based on practiceStudying the basic connotation of practical category dated from Aristotle period, we consider that the practical category of Marxist philosophy inherits and surpasses understanding of previous philosophers towards practical category. In the view of Marxist philosophy, practical category can be devided into three forms of expressions: thinking patterns of practical standpoint, material production practice and the proletarian revolution practice. Further, based on the three forms of expressions of practical category, Marxist philosophy interprets Marxist critical spirit based on practice from three dimensions:criticism of metaphysics, political economy and construction of ideal Communist society. Marxist philosophy brought to light the spirit essence of burgher society by criticizing Metaphysics, or it cleared the hurdle of capitalist society ideology. Marxist philosophy analyzed and explained the capitalist society from economy aspect by criticizing political economy. Marxist philosophy demanded that we overturn capitalist society institution, pointed out the subject and way by constructing ideal communist society. The most important thing is that it explained how we can build the basic framework of communist society after overturning capitalist society. Of course, what we have to stress is the indivisible relationship between the three aspects which integrate as a whole in the view of Marxist philosophy critical spirit based on practice. Anyone who adopts an isolated ,still ,or one-sided opinion and method, wrench or exaggerate one of the three aspects will make mistake and cause harm. So Marxist philosophy obtained critical foothold which is different from traditional metaphysic based on rationality by re-comprehending practical category. Consequently, it overrunned the rationally critical spirit of traditional metaphysics and fulfilled the revolutionary change of philosophy critical spirit from rationality to practice. Particularly, it earthshakingly changed people's attitude towards world outlook, way of understanding and criticizing and comprehension to people.Chaper five: Marxist philosophy critical spirit after MarxAfter Marx, the critical spirit which is characterized by changing reality, proving value and self-interpreting inspires philosophers and thinkers after Marx with confidence to inherit and develop the critical spirit of Marxist philosophy. Among the successors, Western Marxism, especially the Frankfurt School is the uppermost of the critical spirit of Marxist philosophy.But the foothold, construction strategy of ideal society in future, subject of criticism and essence of revelation are entirely different from Marxist philosophy critical spirit though they called themselves Marxist philosophy successor and abstracted by the critical character of Marxist philosophy. Essentially, their criticism is of rationality. In mordern China, as the successor of Marxist philosophy critical spirit, CPC constantly keeps in mind the critical essence of Marxist philosophy and pursues it in realization of mordern China reform and open career. We think emancipating the mind and seeking truth from facts symbolize the most Chinese Marxist philosophy critical spirit. In a word, Marx promoted Marxist philosophy critical spirit from rational criticism to practical criticism by transfroming critical dimension. And in this revolutionary transformation Marx surpassed Hegel and Feuerbach at time dimension, Western Marxism especially Frankfurt School in logical dimension. Marx's death is not the end of Marxist philosophy critical spirit. On the contrary, we think the era of understanding and interpreting Marxist philosophy critical spirit has just begun. We firmly believe that we can obtain victory of socialist modernization one and another by constantly arming ourselves with Marxist philosophy critical spirit, insisting the ideological line of emancipating the mind and seeking truch from facts.