The Romantic Dimension In Marx 's Thought

The interpretation of Classical German philosophy, British classical politicaleconomy and French Utopian socialism are three pillars of Marxism. People havelong been determining the nature of Marxism by practical philosophy whose theory ofScientific Socialism is revered and honored by the public. With the increasingin-depth research of Marxism by scholars from home and abroad, many of them putforward different views and opinions. The raise the Chinese Dream, the revitalizationof great Chinese nation, brings romanticism to people’s eye, making Marxism asguiding ideology again attract much attention. Romanticism, brought up in late18thand early19th, is cast into the spotlight as an ideological trend or movement. There arescholars who hold the view that the source of Marxism should be rich and diverse,among whose process should exist a stage of romanticism, which can also beexplained as romantic dimension.The pursuit of the essence of individual life, the focus on people’s integrity, thedesire for freedom, the return to nature as well as the emphasis of emotion andsensibility altogether are features of romanticism. However, it is only a flash in thepan during the formation of Marxism. Seeing from the perspective of historicalmaterialism, the development of society is restrained by productivity and economicbase. As social production develops, human beings must change from “realm ofnecessity” into “realm of freedom”, which definitely leads to the achievement ofindividual liberation and freedom pursued by romanticism. So we can interpret thatromanticism can also be found in the great imagination of communist society byMarxism; in this sense, romanticism is actually an important source of Marxism.Recently, the research on the romanticism in Marxism gradually becomespopular. Romanticism does exist in Marx personal ideology system. He criticizedsocial alienation in capitalist society, pursued full and free development of individualand used irony as a custom, all of the three reflecting the romantic character of thisgreat philosopher.The critical and realistic nature of romanticism can be either seen from the focuson individual wholeness and freedom advocated by early German romantics,“returning to nature” put forward by French ones represented by Rousseau, or strongattack by utopian socialism popular in Britain. Based on these, Marx applied practiceinto romanticism, scientifically went beyond it by revealing alienation of labor and establishing practical irony as a basic form. He put up with a great idea and blueprintfor communist society with the goal of achieving highly developed productivity andproductive relation, physical and spiritual abundance as well as full and freedevelopment of individuals. Communism is not the fantasy of romanticism but thelogical belonging and historical finishing of Marx’s practical criticism.