A Study On The Humanism Paradigm Of Critical Theory

There are plenty of studies, both at home and abroad, on critical theory of Frankfurt School. However, a synchronic study on this diachronic problem, which lasting across half a century, is needed to grasp the true spirit of critical theory. The author intends to re-consider this problem from the humanistic perspective by studying the original and other interpretations and using paradigm theory. It is of important theoretical and practical value to have a deep research on this problem for holding and developing Marxism in China nowadays.The introduction part mainly involves the reason of this study and the unique perspective, research methods and innovation of humanistic paradigm. The critical theory of Frankfurt School, which is the longest, largest, and most enduring trend of thought of western Marxism in the last century, has great influence on later western Marxism, postmodernism, feminism, etc. But it is of no doubt that the kernel of its theory is humanism. It is a new attempt to de-familiarize a familiar problem to have a deeper research on this problem through the humanistic paradigm by analyzing the humanism and using paradigm theory. By using the paradigm theory and doing comparative studies on the original and interpretations of scholars*and the original Marxism doctrine, we can discard the false and retain the true, discard the dross and select the essential, and thus constantly sublating this trend.The first chapter mainly introduces the origin and formation of humanistic paradigm of critical theory. The humanistic paradigm of critical theory, derived from the humanism tradition of western philosophy, is the historical manifestation of western humanism philosophy. On contrast to the humanism in18th century, humanism of critical theory is based on the social history and economics analysis, therefore, it is a new humanism. No matter Grossman and Herbert, or Marcuse and Horkheimer, they all had a very professional research on political economics, which constitutes the important theoretical support of critical theory. We can clearly see the formation and characteristics of the humanistic paradigm of critical theory in the comparison between the traditional theory and critical theory by Horkheimer.The second chapter mainly discusses the kernel, which is history perspective of humanism, of humanistic paradigm of critical theory. If the kernel of Marxism is historical materialism, then the core theory of critical theory is undoubtedly the history perspective of humanism. This perspective which is the result of their humanistic interpretation of economic and philosophical manuscripts of1844, is manifested in every factor of their theory, and is the "hidden hand" that support the critical theory. Adorno, in his Negative Dialectics, gave a well argument on this perspective. The biggest difference between this historical perspective and historical materialism is that its compromising character is manifested once faced with the reality. The struggle to reality of critical theory, is a kind of "compromising with fighting", which constitutes the theoretical background of critical theory, and is the characteristic of humanism history perspective.The third chapter focuses on the theme of the critical theory, which is critical capitalism. Critical theory never gives up reflection and critique of capitalism society and its history. As "an oasis in the desert" in an era in which capitalism rules all the world, its insistence on this point is the reason why critical theory is called critical theory. They took cultural industry as the breakthrough point to enter the core of the capitalism system, which is totalitarianism, and dissected deeply of the external manifestation of totalitarianism, which is technology and science as ideology. On this basis, they had a philosophical reflection on the starting point of the development of capitalism, the alienation of enlightenment, trying to guard enlightenment in the reflection of the enlightenment and rekindle the light of hope for human liberation.The fourth chapter focuses on the plight of humanistic paradigm of critical theory. Its plight emerged as the critical theory developed to a certain extent. From the point of theory itself, Adorno’s negative dialectics pushed the critical theory to the summit, meanwhile, it disintegrated the foundation of the critical theory from within in the disintegration process of the Lukacs "materialization" and Hegel’s "identity". From the point of the path of seeking reality liberation, although they pointed out the problems of capitalism society and found out the real causation, they could not find a way to guide the people to achieve liberation as limited by humanism, but only proposed a Utopian liberation, which is beautiful but let people bewilder. This shows the incompleteness of their theory. Facing critics of Althusser’s "theoretical anti-humanism theory" critical theory could not give an effective response. These three factors interweave with each other, which leads critical theory to a strife-torn state and shifts of paradigm.The fifth chapter mainly discusses the humanistic paradigm shift of critical theory and its influence. The student movement in1968, in which the weakness, compromise and incompleteness of humanistic paradigm were exposed completely, became the flashpoint of the humanistic paradigm shift of critical theory. There were two obvious differentiation inside critical theory after Horkheimer and Adorno passed away successively. Compared to the "persistence" of Schmidt, Habermas’s "reconstruction" had more influence. He tried to achieve the reconstruction of critical theory through the reconstruction of historical materialism. Their efforts had profound influence on Honneth’s theory of recognition which became another fruition of critical theory as time went by and had an extensive and profound influence on both theory and practice.In the conclusion part, the author tries to illustrate the idea that only by understanding this trend from the stand, viewpoint and method of Marxism can we grasp the pros and cons of the humanistic paradigm of the critical theory more deeply and truly achieve the use of "stones from other hills".