The Reflection Of Modernity In Chinese Contemporary Society

Modernity is the topic which is recognized by Marx and the contemporary philosophy. Marx changed the capital into man who engaged in the practical activity,and formed historical materialism on the basis of the two greatest theories including rationality and subjectivity. Marxism itself is also the outcome of modernity,and is one kind of theory representation in the process of modernization. The pursuit of liberation is the most important value target of modernity, but also brings human being's maze and his estranging from the world. The modern society breaks off the fetters of personal freedom, and emphasizes human being's value and dignity by the way of breaking from tradition. The development of the modern society and its extension in the scope of the whole world, creates numerous opportunities to enjoy living for human being. However the modernity has a tremendous negative side, which becomes particularly obvious in this century. Therefore under the circumstance of globalization, the reshaping of modernity after the enlightenment becomes the important topic and urgent mission of the contemporary social theories. Referring to Habermas"reforming modernity", Lyotard"rewriting modernity", or Giddens"objecting modernity", their common theory significance is the introspection, judgment and rewriting of contradiction which is exposed in the process of modernization. Chinese economy develops quickly, the living standard has been improving, and people's retrospection to himself also deepens instantly. Hence, the pursuit of liberation becomes the inside value of social reform. This kind of introspection surpasses the limit of time and place, becomes the concern to human being's widespread attention. Today the modernity expands to the whole world, and particularly to China which is pursuing modernity actively, so this thought deserves our deep thought.Today, modernity has become a global phenomenon, so China should maintain a more rational towards it. Modernity has broken the western origins and possessed the diversity to adapt the development of different nations. Modernity from the moment of being disseminated to non-western regions faces a problem of integration of universality and speciality. Objectively speaking, there always be tension which is flexible and negotiable between universality and speciality. Accepting modernity will not lead to singleness. While on the contrary, it will bring diverse development. Owing to its intrinsic tension and conflict, modernity has shown its serious crisis, but its irreplaceable and indispensable value for modern society and modern people has not lost. The modernity is really unlucky in China, because it is an incomplete career and meanwhile it has walked to a development bottleneck. Just as those concept of values of modernity was being established, the various theories of post-modernity began to question and criticize modernity, which made the modernity's basic value concept(the value approbation of freedom, democracy etc) To face and introspect modernity, Chinese firstly should express their Chinese concern of modernity, but not to follow western modernity theory. We must accept modernity and examine its fundamental assumption rationally. Like Feenberg says, the modernity we face today is"optional modernity". Selection means two dimensions of construction and criticizing. But we always worry about how to handle the relation of cosmopolitan and nationality. From western world to china, modernity experienced a process of speciality to popularity. Now it's necessary to return to Chinese characteristics that are greatly different from western space time. China confronts the problem of modernity in the process of modernity universalization.For Chinese, the coming of modernity problem is rather late. At the same time, it concealed behind the problem of modernization which made Chinese concerning enthusiasm toward social movement of modernization greatly surpassed the problem of modernity which is introspection towards modernization movement. Under the present Chinese social background, modernity has its character of times. In the period of modernizing transformation, China is facing the problem of transforming from traditional society to modern as well as from market economy to the planned economy. Meanwhile, China is facing the problem of heading to the world, in which the symbol of"post-modernity"has appeared. China is facing the unprecedented collision and comprehension, which has formed the characteristics of China's modernity: the co-existence of tradition, modernity and post-modernity;the contradiction of cultural singleness and abruption. In the transformation process of modernization in China, the ethic concept of value of"tradition"is rapidly diffused. And at the same time, theory and valuation of post-modernity is gradually introduced into China. China shouldn't refuse modernity, but to accept its achievement, but we have to avoid the striking imperfection and abruption of modernity. The emergence of modernity problem isn't the modernity problem itself that the west point out. What it depend on is the Chinese cultural tradition and modernization construction. It's only a part that being revealed in China's modernization construction. So we must set out from China's reality to resolve the modernity problem of China, but not to copy western theories. We should make clear the formation vein of western modernity theory and the source of western post-modernity's critics toward modernity. While more importantly, we must regard China's modernization practice as foothold to smooth the idea of China's modernity problem.