The Ecological Theory Of Marx

The ecological issue, which involves not only the deterioration of the natural environment, but the matter of social ecology, viz. of population, is the most pressing nature-society problem man has been facing in modern society. Marx and Engles, who dedicated their life to the undertaking of human well-being, had explored and discussed thoroughly this problem. Focusing on Marxist outlook on ecology that is represented by Marx and Engels, this dissertation attempts to reveal its directive significance and practical implications in the present age, and accordingly serves the theoretical construction of harmonious society. An outlook on natural ecology results from man's rational reflection in a particular historic period about changes and developments of the natural world and theirs laws, and the relationship between human being and the nature, etc. The history before Marxist outlook on natural ecology has broadly witnessed the mythical in the ignorant age, the organic and holistic in the ancient age, the theological in the medieval times, and the mechanical that opposes human being to the nature in the early modern times. Marx and Engels both gave accounts for their outlook on natural ecology in Economic & Philosophic Manuscripts, Theses on Feuerbach, The German Ideology, Dialectics of Nature, etc. According to them, human being is the product of nature history developing to a certain stage; the natural word is the material precondition for the existence of human society and the development of human history, the headspring of human spirit's self-support, and human being's link to each other; and the harmonious relationship between human and nature should be maintain. Therefore, Marxist outlook on nature is basically characterized by the dialectical unity of human and nature based on social practice, and the persuasion that human as natural social beings and social natural beings is organically unified.An outlook on social ecology is rational thought that concentrates on the advancement of human society. Marxist outlook on social ecology, which came into being after British classical population thought and Malthusian population theory, focuses on the analysis of alienated labor, reviewing that in what sense the alienation and abstraction of labor is inevitable, and how it can be developed the useful and discarded the useless. Marx and Engels argue that two kinds of production are reciprocal precondition for each other, and they restrict each other; and hence dynamic balance must be kept between them. Humanistic concern is necessary for solving the problem of social ecology.As the significant ideological treasure through which we perceive the relationship between human and nature, human and social relations, Marxist outlook on ecology is the theory that guides us to build a harmonious society and to promote the full development of human and reasonable progress. To extend eco-economy and follow the way of sustainable development between ecosystem and economy, we should move forward practically and employ nature according to its law, and follow both the economic and natural rules, reversing from the way of exploiting nature destructively to boost economy, while develop economy and preserve nature synchronously and recur to scientific advance to construct sustainable eco-civilization. Adherence to Marxist ecology and implement of the strategy of sustainable development marks a significant transition in human progress, which indicates a landmark that human forsake the old-fashioned development way to break a new one to build a contemporary civilization, which is also the only way we can choose to advance.