THE UTOPIAN CRITIQUE OF ERNST BLOCH (MARXISM)

This thesis examines the major dimensions of Bloch's utopian philosophy and its significance as a critique of the Marxist tradition. The aim is to contribute to the understanding of a thinker who is little known in the English-speaking world and to clarify some of the ways in which he is characterized: an atheist theologian of the revolution, a humanist Marxist who has replaced the economic analysis of Marxism with the idealist principle of hope, and a Marxist romantic whose philosophy of the future is really a revised version of a nostalgic yearning for reconciliation.;The contribution of Bloch's rehabilitation of utopian thinking is examined in two ways. The first part analyzes his critique of philosophical categories which are premised on a static view of history and which are inimical to thinking openly about the future. His philosophy of the not-yet represents the core of his efforts to develop a genuine processual philosophy. It is explicated in terms of his attempt to eradicate the paralysis imposed by dualistic concepts, such as the antitheses of subject and object, man and nature, God and creature. His view of human beings as on-the-way, striving for their as-yet unknown self-identity, emphasizes the importance of hope in the realm of human action and the need to understand the dynamics of anticipatory consciousness so that wishes and dreams will not be manipulated by the unscrupulous. Complementing his analysis of alienation is his critique of confrontational views of nature as an object to be conquered. Bloch's advocation of alternative views of looking at nature and technology forms a crucial part of his utopian critique.;The second part of the thesis examines the question of how images of the future can be obtained that are not mere products of nostalgia. The major issue here is how to develop a critical heritage. Bloch's analysis of our assumptions of what is past, his concepts of nonsynchronism and of remembrance are examined. This discussion is then followed by an analysis of his approaches to evaluating and interpreting cultural products from the past. The thesis concludes with a discussion of the problems and contributions of his philosophy.