O'connor's "ecological Marxism" Thought

The creation and development of "Ecological Marxism" is notaccidental, the formulation and development of "Ecological Marxism" isnot only based on solid realistic foundation, but also on rich theoreticalfoundation as well. Its horizon of problems and philosophical cornerstoneare different from those of traditional Marxism and Western Marxism. Ithas close contacts with Ecological Socialism. "Ecological Marxisim"hasmany schools. James O'Conner, an American scholar, is an importantrepresentative of Ecological Marxists.The creation of O'Conner's "Ecological Marxism" had its ownsocial background. O'Conner declares that ecology ought to base onMarxism, and Marxism ought to revise its own theories so that it couldcontain the standpoints of ecology. O'Conner reconstructs "EcologicalMarxism" by the reason of the existence of Marxist theoretical vacuumand ecological problems etc.The main thoughts of O'Conner's "Ecological Marxism" include:recontructing the cultural idea by nature and re-moulding the classicaltheory of productive force and productive relation by nature and culture,interpreting the relation among nature, culture and social labor forreconstructing historical materialism. O'Conner inspects the contradictionamong capitalistic productive force, productive relation and productiveconditions by the medium of the second contradiction of capitalism(contradiction between capitalistic productive relation and its productiveconditions), and the reason for capital underproduction with economiccrisis and the ecological crisis, he emphasizes the anti-ecological natureof capitalism and its ecological unsustainability. Facing with theeconomic crisis and the ecological crisis of the capitalistic society, hehangs together socialism, green thoughts and ecological movements, andcarries out his system speculation: ecological socialism which orients to aproductive ecological justice.O'Conner's "Ecological Marxism" not only has its special insightsbut also has its own limitations: the metaphysics of historical materialism;critique on crises of capitalism unthoroughly; the Utopia of the Ecological Socialism. O'Conner's "Ecological Marxism" differs fromclassic historical materialism, and overflows the basic frame of theoriesof Marx.Objectively speaking, O'Conner's "Ecological Marxism" gives usnot only the significance of theoretical innovation, but also the realisticcritical function. It can give us the theoretical and practical significance inpushing forward the contemporary development of Marxism andunderstanding the contemporary capitalistic society with developmentalinsight, especially in choosing social developmental way and mode inChina.