On Rational Humanitarianism

Along with the development of human society, humanitarianism has gone through a complicated historical process with constant progress. Though this issue has emerged repeatedly in different stages of human history with thorough discussions, misunderstandings are still prevalent and its nature has not been clarified. Currently in China, concepts like Human-oriented and Harmonious Society have become very important value-outlook, which requires people to handle the concept of humanitarianism correctly so as to guide our practice with right theory. Innovations in this paper include illustration of the rationality of humanitarianism in the present age with three propositions of basic humanitarian ideas, which is guided by Marxism as well as the historical probe into humanitarian ideas, and contrast between Real Man and Abstract Man, which makes a reasonable delimitation in terms of the epistemological thinking of human's homogeneous inter-relationship. This bears great significance to building Marxism World Outlook, facilitating people's all-round development, promoting social progress, constructing socialist harmonious society in addition to enhancing humane care to disadvantaged groups during the social transitional period.