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The Meaning Of Life

Posted on:2012-08-30Degree:MasterType:Thesis
Country:ChinaCandidate:W X BaoFull Text:PDF
GTID:2207330338992730Subject:Basic principles of Marxism
Abstract/Summary:PDF Full Text Request
This thesis aims to explore Chen Duxiu's life philosophy. The so-called life philosophy focuses on investigating how and what kind of interactive relation has been established between human being and the"situation"he is in.At the outset, Chen is facing two questions, the slump of individual's spirits and the peril of the country, which are deeply related to each other. According to Chen, it is the former that mainly leads to the latter. Therefore, he advocated opposing tradition while liberating humanity.There are two reasons why Chen is opposing tradition. Firstly, Confucian culture restrains the development of humanity. Secondly, Confucianism does not fit to the modern life. Actually, the two aspects are actually the same. In Chen's opinion, modern life represents the liberation of humanity, while the liberation of humanity leads to modern life. Yet, Chen's opposition to tradition is still not comprehensive and complete, due to his implicit thoughts originating from Confucian ideas towards man and relations between man and nature.Democracy and science are two sharp weapons in the struggle against tradition. Chen's so-called science mainly refers to modern empirical science and evolutionism. Besides the instrumental function, science also plays the value function.Soon, it comes to Chen that, the value of man in terms of modern empirical science is at stake. Then Chen encounters the core contradiction of his life philosophy. To determine man's earthly value, man has to erase his illusion of transcendent; but if he really achieved this, he would not find his value any more.For this reason, Chen entrusts man's value to the care of society (or country), which has not been clearly proven by Chen. From here, the relation between individual and country has been totally reversed. At before, Chen thought that the individual could save the country, but now he hopes that country could save the individual.However, the country does not posse eternal value. The way Chen fixing this defect is to weaken the implication of"eternity", and transfer the need for"eternity"to the hope for future. Nevertheless, how is the relation between country and individual been established? And what can promise the unseen future except for our faith in evolutionism?After Chen turning to Marxism, these two questions are readily solved. The answer lies in that all relation between country and individual are based on their practical relations. And, Marx's claim that socialism will inevitably take the place of capitalism also lays a solid scientific foundation for the hope of future.By now, Chen's life philosophy has been entirely established. To him, man has no transcendental origins, and man has been positioned in certain society and production relations. The way man builds positive relation with this situation is to promote the course of his society, the final result of which will be the highest ideal of human being and that of humanity.
Keywords/Search Tags:Chen Duxiu, life philosophy, tradition, science, future, Marxism
PDF Full Text Request
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