A Comparative Study Of Marx, Liberalism And The Confucian Theory Of Harmonious Society

Modern Chinese ideology history is the development of history which Marxism, liberalism and traditional Chinese ideology mainly Confucianism three ideological resources have been competing. In the course of history for more than170years, first liberalism replaced Confucianism became China’s mainstream ideology and famous school, then Marxism replaced liberalism became China’s mainstream ideology and famous school. Since the reform and opening up, resurgence of liberalism and Confucianism, they have more and more influence in China. So at present, based on the guidance of Marxism, competition between Marxism, liberalism and Confucianism is ongoing on China ideology and culture scene.Building a socialist harmonious society, the first to be faced with a problem to be solved is that these three ideological resources of modern Chinese intellectual history of the place in the process of building a socialist harmonious society and mutual relations. This is related to the strategic choice Chinese cultural development in the new century, so it is a very important problem.The relationship between the individual and the whole, freedom and order is the basic contradiction of harmonious view. The concept of a harmonious society solves problems which kind of society is a harmonious society, and which ways achieve a harmonious society. It specifically deals with the relationship between man and himself, man and nature, man and man, man and society, between internal and external. The basic distinction between Marx, liberalism and the Confucian concept of harmony is the two on the different location of the contradiction between the two sides. The basic distinction between Marx, liberalism and the Confucian view of harmonious society is what a harmonious society is and how to achieve harmonious society.The Confucian view of harmony is a harmony that whole is denominated, and that order is denominated. The liberal view of harmony is a harmony that individual is denominated, and that freedom is denominated. Marx’s view of harmony is the dialectical unity between the individual and the whole, and unity between liberty and order. This is the basic distinction between Marx’s, liberal and Confucian view of harmony. According to the ontology and the philosophy of subject, harmony is the unity of opposites between subject and object. How to achieve the unity of subject and object, Marx, liberalism and Confucianism three are very different. The subject of Confucian is an ethics subject, with particular emphasis on subject-object unity achieved through self-cultivation of the subject. The subject of liberalism is a scientific subject, with particular emphasis on the subject to the object of one-sided conquest realizing the unity of subject and object. The subject of Marx is a dialectical subject, emphasizes transforming the object and emphasizes transforming the subject to achieve the unity of subject and object, which overcomes the defects of the liberalism and Confucianism.Confucianism considers that Confucian feudal hierarchical society is a harmonious society. If people carry out self-cultivation in accordance with Confucian ritual, control individual desires and needs, so that their thoughts and behavior are in line with etiquette, social harmony will be able to achieve. Confucianism puts forward a series of political, economic, legal aspects of the achieving a harmonious society the way including ethic. In politics, governors or the social elite apply a policy of benevolence to people to gain people’s support to achieve harmony and harmonious people and government of the world. In economy, Confucian mainly through distribution equalitarianism avoids conflicts between rich and poor, in order to maintain social harmony. In terms of the rule of law, Confucianism advocates for the destruction of the system, disruption of public order are given harsh criticism and punishment, as a security force for social harmony.Liberalism thinks that the hierarchy system is unreasonable. Liberalism thinks that the free competition capitalism society that is based on private ownership of the means of production is a perpetual harmonious society. Liberalism puts forward a whole set of promoting social harmony ways. Liberalism takes legal system as a basic platform for social harmony. Liberalism takes free competition in the market as a fundamental force of promoting social harmony. Liberalism regards civil society as the dominant force in promoting social harmony. Liberalism takes government as an auxiliary force to promote social harmony, and tries to avoid government intervention in the market. Liberalism takes the social security system as the guarantee force of the harmonious society. From a logical point of view, the liberal concept of harmony is the negation of the Confucian ethics of harmonious concept of Conservatism, it is based on the economic harmony, it has historical progress is of great significance. It reflects the importance of material production for the development of human society. However, liberalism denies the ethical one-sidedness with the economical one-sidedness; this still belongs to a kind of one-sided mode of thinking. At the same time, liberalism though against class inequality, it is also in the protection of disparity between the rich and the poor of this new inequality, this inequality is caused to new non-harmony.Marx fully affirmed the significance of historical progress of liberal theory of harmony. Marx thinks that freedom and equality of liberalism form is a necessary condition for a harmonious society, but this is only the harmony of a historical stage of development, Marx advocates the harmony is built on the basis of unity of socialization production material joint possession and individual ownership, it is the unity of form and content, it is the real harmony. Marx thinks, the free competition market economy does not necessarily lead to social harmony, it will cause the polarization between the rich and the poor and the serious class opposition. At the same time, the wealth of one-sided pursuit becomes the only motive force of economic development, this inevitably will cause the alienation of man, it will abstract the full, rich essence of man as economic nature of single. Marx thinks, we should develop the economy and production, but the economy is not the only means to promote social harmony. We should use economic, ethical, spiritual and so on the many kinds of methods in combination to avoid the alienation of man, to avoid the formation of class antagonism of disparity between the rich and the poor. For civil society, Marx thinks that a part of civil society gained political liberation, this is a part of human liberation, only human beings to liberation, to achieve real harmony.Through a comparative study, this dissertation draws the following conclusion: The strategic choice of Chinese cultural development in the new century is under Marxist concept of harmony guide to Marxism as the main body of concept of harmony, dialectical absorbed in thoughts of Chinese and Western harmony beneficial ingredients. Marx’s view of harmony and harmonious society theory are the only guiding ideology of building a harmonious socialist society with Chinese characteristics. From the unity of history and logic point of view, the development of human society to now, on the concept of harmony and harmonious society theory experienced conservatism, liberalism and Marx’s three historical stages of development, showing the process of dialectical development of a spiral. Marx’s harmonious view is not accidental, it is in the economic, political, cultural, human and social development to a certain stage of the inevitable product, it dialectically absorbs all the useful factors of harmony theories of conservatism and liberalism, and it represents the highest level of harmony theories of human. Marx’s harmony theory become us to carry on the construction of a harmonious socialist society with Chinese characteristics only guiding ideology, it is the inevitable result of human harmony development, but also an inevitable choice for Chinese characteristics of the practice of socialist construction. Thought of harmony of conservatism and liberalism are rich in a large number of valuable thought materials, they are our construction Chinese characteristic socialism harmonious society’s important thought resources and reference materials, we cannot neglect their positive role in the construction process of socialist harmonious society with Chinese characteristics, but they should not be and could not become the guiding ideology of the construction of the socialist harmonious society with Chinese characteristics. This is the inevitable conclusion drawn Chinese history and reality.