Rational Horizon Of Marxism In Hiromatsu Wataru’s Perspective

Hiromatsu Wataru（1933-1994) is one of the most influential philosophers, Marxisttheorists in Japan after the war. According to the author’s research, his Marxismtheoretical research basically has two aspects, one is the representation of the history ofMarx and Engels original ideas; the other is the explanatory reconstruction of theirthought.Hiromatsu Wataru waded through first-hand text and material research elaboratelyand described the forming process of Marx’s thought from Marx childhood, the student,the Pheinische Zeitung newspaper period to Economics and Philosophy Manuscript in1844, he aimed to restore Marx’s thought. Hiromatsu was highly conscious of themethodology when he expanded his ideas and views. He tried to recover the originalMarx’s thoughts with the method of literature textual research. The author thinks that,Hiromatsu Wataru’s view has great value. Such as, he thought that Should Augustus’sPrincipate Be a Happy State in Roman Era could reflect Marx’s political attitude morethan Youth’s consideration of Career Choice. At the age of the university, Marx did notstand on the enlightenment of rationalism trend or romantic irrationalism, but discardedthe basis of both, came to Hegel’s socialist, and thus started to form his own thoughts. Inthe Pheinische Zeitung newspaper period, as a young Hegel member, Marx stillopposed Philosophy of Religion with “self-consciousness” and “rational philosophy”. InEconomics and Philosophy Manuscript in1844, Marx did not separate from Hegel’sphilosophy although he had already accepted Feuerbach’s humanistic philosophy. Atthat time, Marx’s communist theory was based on the idea of Hegel’s “Civil Society”and the “national community”. He established “human ethics community” and“democracy” countries, and finally represented the theory of human liberation. And thecommunist theory was not based on the criticizing of national economics, but just a linkof Hegel’s philosophy, and a method of transcending the philosophy of law. Marxcriticized Hegel’s philosophy of speculative idealism and Feuerbach’s philosophy of humanism in his works such as Die Heilige Familie, The Outline about Feuerbach andGerman Ideology. And he created a new philosophy for the working class based on thepractice epistemology.Hiromatsu Wataru reconstructed Marxism explanatorily after he researched theforming and developing process of Marx and Engels thought. Hiromatsu Watarushowed his understanding of Historical Materialism and expounded the fundamentaltheory of Marxism by reading lots of literature material and excavating the hidden ideasto people.Hiromatsu Wataru considered that the most important transformation of Marxistphilosophy was the self criticism and transcending of “alienation theory” fromEconomics and Philosophy Manuscript in1844to German Ideology. After that, Marxestablished the Marxist historical materialism. Hiromatsu Wataru also thought thathistorical materialism was “Marxist world outlook” itself. He paid special attention tothe transformation of Marx’s Alienation Theory to Materialization Theory. Alienation isthe key concepts of Marx, and materialized (Versachlichung, Verdinglichung) concept isMarx mature symbol. Alienation is the key concepts of Marx, and materialized(Versachlichung, Verdinglichung) concept is Marx mature symbol.After1845, theMarxist Materialization Theory overcame the model of “subject-object” andconsciously established the Relationship Ontology Theory at the same time. FromMarx’s view, materialized concept is set as that relationship between human is also therelationship between materials or the relationship between attributes of the things. Infact, this is an illusion that appeared from direct consciousness in certain conditions inpeople’s daily life. Hiromatsu Wataru thought highly of the Marx’s Materialized Theory.He pointed out that Marx not only clarified the materialized phenomenon in economiclife, but also discussed the materialized phenomenon in historical phenomenon, socialpower, political power, morality，system and mass movements, etc. His theory left forlater generations the subject to inherit and spread out not only for the philosophy systembut also in the specific application.On the other hand, the author thinks that Hiromatsu Wataru has the tendency ofgeneralizing Marx’s Materialization Theory. Marx’s Materialization Theory emphasizes the labor and the production relations that materialized in the commodity. In capitalistsociety, wealth is the huge commodity accumulation.Various private labor spread humanlabor in exchange of the same value when objective thing is expressed, producers formsocial relations by exchanging the products of labor. This relationship which is formedby exchange goods is unreal. The social relationship between producers is embodied inthe one between the products of labor. This social relations full of material are reflectedand thus “fetishism” emerges. Hiromatsu Wataru expanded it to the materialization ofsocial relationship. It is clear that he interpreted and applied Marx’s MaterializationTheory excessively.He broke the historical limit of goods society in Marx’sMaterialization Theory and regarded materialization as a kind of common thing or akind of eternal phenomenon. He was obviously contrary to Marx’s original intent.Hiromatsu Wataru expounded future communist structures from the traditionaltheories of the freedom and equality. He thinks that Marx and Engels criticizescapitalism of the falsity of freedom and equality phenomenon, the future communistsociety should be the countries without the division of labor based on eliminating the“individual ownership” of the “free combination”. Hiromatsu Wataru’s communismtheory just pointed out theory blind spot which was ignored in our socialist practice:Personal ownership does not equate to public ownership; The realization of the freedommust have the material conditions; Freedom is not the one protected by national power,but “people’s free and overall development” after the abolition of political constraints,and so on. However, Hiromatsu Wataru discarded the communism in the interpretationfor Marx before traditional “liberty, equality, love” concept, construct a kind of moralethics under the restriction of “friendly cooperation community”.The author thinks that the conclusion was contrary to scientific communist spiritestablished by Marx and Engels. The Communist Society is the one that private property,social barriers and classes are abolished. There is no class system, no private property,no government, but collective production, common ownership of property andliberation of all mankind. Marx’s “equality of individual property” may only to be truewhen all the working people possess productive property jointly and any personalprivilege is eliminated, and the working people are the masters of the collective sector of society at that time. The Communist Society was just regarded by Hiromatsu Wataruas a philosophical sublation, which obviously had the color of Hegel’s socialistthoughts.Hegel’s philosophy is always one of the most important frame reference in theprocess of Marx exploring and constructing, but the relations between them has been inthe complex state. Marx had tried to cut off relations of young Hegel origin bycriticizing Hegel’s philosophy, but he couldn’t cut it off completely. The author thinksthat Hiromatsu Wataru are unique on the details of the associated development and trackof the research of Marx and Hegel, But he put the Marx and Engels overcome the binaryopposition of modern philosophy standing in Hegel’s philosophy on an extension cord,with "industry" instead of Hegel’s "absolutely spirit" and the finish, the conclusion is toosimple.Overall, there were some mistakes or misunderstanding about Marxism in theHiromatsu Wataru theory, but his study was comparatively comprehensive andsystematic on the founders of Marxism. His contributions of study can not be ignored.We should absorbing reference in Hiromatsu Wataru’s Marxist theory research critically.It’s the great theoretical significance for us to absorb the modern human civilizationachievements, to get rid of bondage of Western Marxism and theoretical system oftraditional textbook, to grasp Marxist standpoints, viewpoint and method scientifically,to enrich and develop of Marxist Theory combined with our exploration and practiceunder the condition of the contemporary era.