Study On Schaff’s Humanism Ideology

There is a close theoretical relation between Marxism and humanism which is an important source of Marxism. The purpose of Marxism is to realize the freedom, liberation and full development of human with the starting point of the real, concrete individual in specific social relations. The historic mission of Marxism is to transform the existing social relations, to abolish exploitation and overcome alienation. Marxism, established on the basis of historical materialism, is thorough humanism. Schaff’s humanism inherits and carries forward Marxist Humanism. In the fissure between two social systems, the humanistic idealities of the Eastern European scholars are carrying more historic loads.The theme of this article is to clarify the character of humanistic logic and social criticism in the thought of Schaff who is considered as a master of the Socialist Humanism. On the historical background of the struggle between two social systems in the 20th Century, Schaff firmly defended the Marxism stand, based on the core values of individual human freedom and fullest development, comprehensively and systematically, he expounded the kernel theory of Socialist Humanism, consciously summarized the essential character of Socialist Humanism, further refine the philosophy position, pursuit of value and political ideality of contemporary socialism. Socialist Humanism is an important contemporary theoretical component of Marxist Humanism. Schaff’s Socialist Humanism is an organic integrated ideology, its ideological core is the theory of humanism and alienation; its theoretical media is the research of the Socialism principles, conditions and foundation for development and other aspects; its reality is the critique to the alienations of the two social systems and the introspection to the ecological crisis and the technical rationality.Schaff considered that the fundamental principle of Socialism is to abolish all exploitations, overcome all forms of individual alienation, to achieve freedom, equality and social justice. Schaff deepened the intension of humanism to human individual, summarized that the basic mission of Socialism is to cultivate the full developed "the new man of Socialism", and advocated that Socialism should create conditions for the realization of freedom and happiness of human individual. Schaff pointed out the developing direction of Eco-socialism, and initiated the basic concept of Socialism in the future. Schaff’s ideology of Socialist Humanism has both important theoretical value and practical significance in building Socialism with Chinese characteristics.