Functional Aspects Of Marx's Spiritual Production

Spiritual production, as one of the basic practical activities of human being, is an important part of those which constitute historical materialism. Marx's definition of spiritual production is formed gradually with the forming of historical materialism. Meanwhile, historical materialism got its full meanings on the base of definition of spiritual production. Spiritual production, like material production and the production of human being, is an organic constituent of social production, and it is important force to impulse the development of society. As such force, spiritual production is embodied by its functional aspects. The function of spiritual production has many aspects, but it has three basic ways as to its main use to impulse the development of society. They are sustaining the survival of humanity, controlling people's ideas and improving economic level. These three functions are in different situations in different ages, and they do not exist as a line in history owing to its different characteristics in different ages. Generally speaking, in primitive society, its main function is to sustain the survival of humanity, because survival is the first necessity, and such production and material production combined directly; In class society, sustaining rulers'political positions being their highest benefit and the very slow development of natural science, the main function of spiritual production is to control people's idea; and the function of developing economy is mainly in the capitalism society as a result of capitalist's catching material benefit only and the greatly developing of natural science. In the socialism society, these three functions of spiritual production have characteristics of themselves to contrast with that of previous societies. Socialism society as the most advanced social form so far, we must depend on spiritual production during the constructing socialism with the Chinese feature. Socialism countries should take advantages of themselves to develop spiritual production and fully use its functions, and keep the viewpoint of scientific development, and all the things is for the humanity, and walk on the continuable development road.The thesis, keeping the principle of historical materialism, depending on Marx's text and making use of the way of the coincidence of history and logic, studied spiritual production from the functional aspects.