Raymond Williams Studies In Common Cultural Thought

After the Second World War,the living conditions of the British working class were improved to a corresponding extent along with the entire socio-economic and political development,and at the same time,problems such as hedonism and weak sense of class struggle were also highlighted,which triggered the reflection and criticism of British cultural Marxists.As one of the founders of British Cultural Marxism,Raymond Williams combines historical background and real environment,starts from cultural studies,and tries to explore the close relationship between culture and politics,that is,through the construction of cultural critical theory,provide theoretical guidance for the class struggle of the working class,stimulate the potential of class struggle,and ultimately achieve political emancipation.The idea of "common culture" is the ultimate theoretical appeal of Raymond Williams’ research idea.Raymond Williams gave the cultural connotation of the common culture the characteristics of the three dimensions of wholeness,materiality and commonality,thereby expounding the foundation,dynamic mechanism and realization mode of the common culture.The cultural connotation of "wholeness" broadens the breadth and depth of "culture" under the fourfold meaning of the word "culture",pointing out that the common culture comes from the daily life of the masses and has the basis for the acceptance and creation of the masses;The cultural connotation of "materiality" is based on the reinterpretation of the classical Marxist economic foundation-superstructure theoretical model,which affirms the influence of economic foundation on culture,and emphasizes the shaping function of culture,so that the construction of common culture has certain practical significance and motivation.The cultural connotation of "commonality" inherits the idea of "community",highlighting the social attributes of common culture,so that common culture can be disseminated at the social level and form a general social consensus.Raymond Williams’ interpretation of common culture not only highlights his attempt to break through the class barriers of elite culture and strive to justify mass culture.It also embodies the blueprint of Raymond Williams,who came from a working class background,and hoped to replace capitalism with socialism.The common culture carries Williams’ high expectations for the future society,which contains social characteristics such as democracy,equality,freedom,and solidarity.However,common culture is a constructive concept:the goal value appeal is the appeal and driving force of the construction process,and the process value appeal is full of the pursuit of democracy,freedom,and equality,and the two are mutually causal,mutually fulfilling,and mutually explanatory,and finally become a spiritual force that can stimulate the consciousness of subjectivity,realize the dominance of one’s own life,and promote the long revolution.Common culture is a constructive idea,it is not an empty concept,and the realization of common culture has its own practical basis,Raymond Williams believes that the construction of an ideal society from the political perspective of common culture as culture needs to be supported by corresponding social development.The implementation of common culture requires practical principles,practical strategies,and the support of education,publishing and printing technology developed by modern science and technology as a guarantee for public participation in social affairs,so that the practice of common culture can be reasonably explained.Although Raymond Williams’ common cultural thought ignores the economic foundation and undeniably has a certain utopian color,this theory still shows us Raymond Williams’ multidimensional theoretical thinking,enriches the examination position of British cultural studies,highlights the beautiful concept of socialism,and has certain enlightenment significance for China’s socialist cultural construction with Chinese characteristics.