Dual Dimensions Of Marxist Materialism

There were different logical views people use to understand and interprethistorical materialism ever since. The debate between “humanism” and “science” wasgetting hot especially after the emergence of western Marxism in20th century. Despitethe different recognitions of Marxist historical materialism, both humanistic Marxismand scientific Marxism had the same defect, that was, they firmly kept the one-sided“humanism” or “science” in pursuing and reconstructing Marxist historical materialism.As a result, historical materialism was unfortunately led to idealism while humanisticMarxism was underlining the active side of Marxism. And when scientific Marxismtried to explain social activities and historical process in the thinking of positivescience, scientific Marxism made the creativity of the subject of the humanhistory—human beings belittled or denied. After analyzing the causes, perspectiveschools and main viewpoints of western Marxism, we have a more comprehensiveperspective of Marxist historical materialism. Therefore, we can boldly assert that it israther an organic integration of main body’s selectivity and fateful determinacy not achoice between humanist and science in Marxist historical materialism. We mustwholly and completely master the double dimensionality of Marxist historicalmaterialism and realize that we study Marxist philosophy not simply to cognate theknowledge or to get answers of contemporary issues from Marxism but to ask foradvice at Marxism. The theoretical logic of scientific development concept can beanalyzed and decoded on the basis of the double dimensionality. Thus, the dialecticalunity of main body’s selectivity and fateful determinacy that both scientificdevelopment concept and historical materialism emphasized can be traced to the sameorigin. In this way, we should follow and use the determinant in social historicaldevelopment, at the same time make full use of the selectivity of historical subjects—human beings. What’s more, we must adhere to socialism with Chinesecharacteristics.