On Marx And Engels' Peace Theory And Its Practical Significance

Peace is a fundamental ideal of human being. For thousands of years, numerous thinkers have never stopped the pursuit of rational understanding of peace and the realization of peace. The emergence of Marxism provided a correct world view and methodology for scientific exploration of peace, and laid down a solid foundation for establishing a scientific and advanced view of peace. As the founders of Marxism, Marx and Engels'peace theory is a very valuable intellectual resource in the Marxist exploration of peace. However, there has been relatively little academic research on this point. Therefore, based on the original theory of Marx and Engels, by digging and arranging Marx and Engels'peace theory, this dissertation aims to enrich Marxist study on peace theory and provide theoretical foundation and methodological guidance for China to develop her peace theory and put it into practice.Marx and Engels'peace theory came into being to meet the needs of the revolutionary situation under the specific social conditions in Europe in the 19th century. The development of capitalism and prominence of internal contradictions in Europe, the reality of war interweaving with peace in Europe and the world, and the development of the proletarian liberation movement were the historical conditions for Marx and Engels'peace theory to come into being. Marx and Engels'peace theory also had profound ideological origins, modern peace ideas of some bourgeois thinkers (Dante, Grotius, Rousseau, Kant, Hegel, Bentham, etc), and the peace ideas of Moore, Campanella, Saint-Simon, Fourier, Owen and other utopian socialists, became important nutrition sources for the formation and development of Marx and Engels'peace theory. Although these peace ideas have their own historical and class limitations, they have provided the foundation for Marx and Engels'peace theory.Marx and Engels'peace theory had a process of formation and development. On the whole, the development of Marx and Engels'peace theory experienced four phases: The period before 1848 was the first phase, during which Marx and Engels'peace theory was germinated. The second phase was from 1848 to 1852, during which Marx and Engels'peace theory was established. The the third phase was from 1853 to 1869, during which Marx and Engels'peace theory was elaborated. And the fourth phase was from 1870 to 1895, during which Marx and Engels'peace theory was deepened.How Marx and Engels understood the meaning of"peace"? and how they used the concept"peace"? Make a comprehensive view of Marx and Engels'discourses, we can see that they mainly understood the meaning of peace in five aspects: peace is a kind of normal state of relationship between different stakeholders of human society, peace is a kind of non-violent way of communication between different stakeholders, peace is an important principle in handling relations between different ethnics and states, peace is an important security condition for human society to progress, and peace is a dialectical process of the development of human history.Marx and Engels analyzed the fundamental factors affecting the peace. The first factor is productivity and contact form, the conflict between which is the fundamental factor affecting the peace. The second factor is private ownership of means of production and class relations. In comparison, the impact of private ownership on peace is more far-reaching and decisive, while the impact of class relations on peace is more direct and obvious; The third one is national and ethnic relations. Internal relations and Ethnic relations, especially the contradiction between them, is an important factor affecting the peace; The fourth is national relations. Relations between countries have a profound impact on international peace and war.How to look for peace under the rule of the bourgeoisie? This is a major practical problem that Marx and Engels had to face. In this regard, Marx and Engels adopted the position of dialectical analysis. On the one hand, they saw the peace under the rule of the bourgeoisie that has the positive side;on the other hand, they severely exposed and criticized the false peace of the bourgeoisie. Marx and Engels revealed that there could be no real peace in the bourgeois era, because there was no peace between the proletariat and the bourgeoisie; the aggression and robbery of capitalist powerful countries to weak nations was no peace; and the struggle for supremacy between capitalist powerful countries could lead to no peace. By criticizing the early theory of mercantile peace and international peace and freedom alliance, Marx and Engels exposed and criticized the bourgeois pacifism. Marx and Engels pointed out that from the economic point of view, the root causes of non-peacefulness were the basic contradictions of capitalism in the capitalist society; while from the perspective of people themselves, the root causes of non-peacefulness were human alienation under capitalist conditions.Based on the analysis of bourgeois peace, Marx and Engels explored the conditions of peace and ways to achieve peace. By analyzing reality of peace in the capitalist world, Marx and Engels put forward the vision about conditions of peace and realization of peace. From the fundamental interests of the proletariats, they scientifically identified that the conditions of achieving ideal peace are the full development of productive forces, fundamental change in the ownership of the means of production, the demise of class and state, and the full and free development of everyone. The conditions of achieving peace in reality are internal democracy, elimination of hegemony and militarism, elimination of ethnic conflicts and achieving independence of every nationality and country. Peace can be achieved mainly through the proletarian revolution, applying the rules of international law to regulate the behavior of state and adjust international relations, and making"morality and justice"the supreme criterion of international relations. In his later years, Engels made outstanding contributions to instructing the struggle of international proletariat against imperialistic war and fighting for world peace.In the present era, Marx and Engels'peace theory Still has very important practical significance. It mainly includes: Marx and Engels's world view and methodology has instructive significance in correctly understanding the current issues of world peace; Marx and Engels'peace theory provides a scientific criteria of analysis to dialectically evaluate varieties of contemporary western peace advocates; Marx and Engels'peace theory has great practical significance in guiding China to fight for a peaceful international environment for China; Marx and Engels'peace theory has great practical significance in guiding china to deal with international relations by peaceful means; Marx and Engels'peace theory has great practical significance in guiding China to promote the process of world peace and commit to building a harmonious world.