Study On Marx's Viewpoint Of Leisure And Its Contemporary Value

Leisure is a basic human paradigm. Studying Marx's viewpoint of leisure is not only the theoretical key to a complete and accurate understanding of Marxist, but also a necessary requirement to promote scientific leisure concept and to achieve harmonious leisure in a harmonious society. However, the word "leisure" never appears in any of Marx's publications. "Free time", "spare time", and "unoccupied person" are some of the categories of obvious "leisure" taste that Marx used. It can be said that, in Marx's theoretical system, leisure is in a theoretical unconscious state. He just implied "leisure" in the process of "criticizing the Old World" and "discovering the New World".Marx's viewpoint of leisure can be summarized with the following three "Ones":one theoretical focus-the leisure right of workers (laborers), one rational core-the pursuit of cultural spirit in leisure, one theoretical purpose-the all-round and free development of human beings. Workers must first fight in order to win the right of leisure, which is the logical starting point of Marx's viewpoint of leisure. However, the working class, after winning the right of leisure, must pursue active leisure culture by means of reasonable leisure activities or leisure consumption, finally achieving the all-round and free development of human beings. The realization of all-round development of human beings also means the final implementation of laborers'leisure right. Therefore, the right of leisure has always been the focus of the viewpoint. Marx's viewpoint of leisure is identified and reflected mainly in the following aspects:free time-the most intuitive representation of Marx's viewpoint of leisure; labor and consumption-two important argument areas of Marx's viewpoint of leisure; all-round development of human beings-purpose of Marx's viewpoint of leisure.In general, free time can not be equated with leisure time. However, Marx's "free time" refers to non-working hours, and these non-working hours are supported by such free activities as "rest", "entertainment", "learning", "science" and "art", which is actually our understanding of "leisure time". Unfortunately, in the early capitalist society in which Marx lived, workers did not have free time; they had at best the illusion of free time in times of unemployment. In other words, workers did not have leisure time.Labor is the prerequisite and basis for leisure and leisure is the purpose and destination of labor. However, in different periods of human history, the true relationship between labor and leisure showed different historical features:in a primitive society, labor and leisure integrate with each other; in a slave society, labor and leisure confront with each other on the basis of unpaid labor; in a feudal society, labor and leisure confront with each other on the basis of paid labor; in a capitalist society, when alienated labor reaches its peak, workers have neither "free time", nor "spare money" or "leisurely mood", being completely excluded from leisure; in human's ideal communist society, free labor is also autonomous leisure, labor and leisure achieve a direct identity.Marx's viewpoint of consumption leisure is mainly implied in his analysis of consumption power, consumption significance and consumption situation in a capitalist society. Marx believed that consumption can be an economic activity, but not just an economic activity; leisure consumption should not lay too much emphasis on the consumption of material goods, but should focus on spirit cultivating and character upgrading of human beings and on culture consumption and edification.Human's all-round development is a theoretical and practical problem about which Marx was concerned all his life. He examined the all-round development from the perspective of leisure:leisure promotes human's all-round development and is a necessary condition for it. However, the all-round development of humans that Marx repeatedly stressed refers to the free and comprehensive development of "every individual" and "all individuals" based on the emancipation of the proletariat. Individual development has always been at the purpose and core status. It is only just in this sense that what Marx pursued is in fact the freedom of leisure as a purpose.Studying the contemporary value of Marx's viewpoint of leisure is the responsibility of theory exploration. At present, building a harmonious socialist society has become a strong tone of the times. Leisure is a basic living state of man, and it is an important part of social harmony; building a harmonious society is, of course, inseparable from leisure harmony. The right of leisure is the theoretical focus of Marx's viewpoint of leisure and leisure harmony must first of all be reflected in the equality of leisure rights. At present, we should pay more attention to the leisure rights of vulnerable groups and implement laborers' leisure rights that have been legally made clear. Real equality of leisure rights is a necessary prerequisite to achieve harmony among human beings and harmony between human beings and society. Leisure harmony must also be directed to human's spiritual and cultural life. People in leisure should not lose their spirit while pleasing the body or forget the cultivating and improving of their culture while meeting their material desire. Taking Marx's viewpoint of leisure as a guide, we should try to clean up the "poisoned" and "westernized" culture, elevate the "secularized" culture, and realize the true return of leisure culture. This is also an important condition for achieving a human's own harmony. Leisure is a kind of rest, leisure is also a kind of recuperation. The process of enjoying leisure is at the same time a process to give the nature decompression and holidays. Returning to nature in leisure, caring nature in leisure and achieving harmony between human beings and nature in leisure are responsibilities that the freedom of leisure is bound to undertake.