A Discussion Of 'the Thesis For The Doctorate' Of Marx And The Innovation About It

As the first completely and openly publishing philosophical writings,'The Thesis for the Doctorate'of Marx is the historic starting point of philosophical thoughts of young Marx, and it is also the source and birthplace of Marxian philosophy. Undoubtedly, it has great signification for us to comprehend systemically and historically the form of Marxian philosophy, to read and explain the embryo work earnestly.Before writing'The Thesis for the Doctorate', Marx completed the turning towards Hegelian philosophy. From the beginning, he took a regardful and critical attitude to Hegel. Marx took part in the machine of radical'New Hegelians'and became an important member of it. Under the influence of'New Hegelians', especially that of Bauer,Marx researched the self–consciousness of later ancient Greek philosophy, and finished his thesis for the doctorate, named The difference between Democritus'nature of philosophy and Epicurus'nature of philosophy.In'The Thesis for the Doctorate'Marx investigated the difference between Democritus'nature of philosophy and Epicurus', criticized the determinism, or predetermination, of Democritus that denied accidental existence, and appreciated the denial of absolute inevitability and the accidentalism that broke determinism of Epicurus, regarding the latter raised the subjectivity , the self–consciousness and the freedom of human being. He treated Epicurus'philosophy as'the really historical key to understand Greek philosophy'.Based on the thoughts of predecessors,'The Thesis for the Doctorate'innovated from three aspects. Firstly, Marx expressed his thoughts of freedom founded on the self–consciousness. Secondly, grounded on agreeing with Hegel the thought of this thesis surpassed the Hegelian philosophy in religion, the relation between philosophy and the real world, the relation between necessity and contingency and that between necessity and freedom etc. Lastly, Marx broke through the limit of"New Hegelians"showing an intention that can't be restrained to make philosophy actualized.