人的本质:自由的劳动实践——重读马克思《1844年经济学哲学手稿》

Discussion about Human Essence:Free-labor Practice——Reread Economic and Philosophical Manuscripts of 1844 by Karl Marx

人的本质是人之为人的根本之质,区别于人的属性和人性。马克思在《1844年经济学哲学手稿》中明确将人的本质界定为自由的劳动实践。这一重要的界定显示此时的马克思已经接近了历史唯物主义。这一界定不仅避免了以往哲学家对人的本质的抽象理解,而且指明人是社会性的存在物,因而与"人的现实本质是一切社会关系的总和"是不相矛盾的。并且,马克思还指出了人类解放的目标即实现人的本质的真正确证。

Human essence,which differs from human attributes and humanity,is the fundamental nature on being human. Marx explicitly defines human essence as free-labor practice in Economic and Philosophical Manuscripts of 1844.This impor-tant definition means that Marx would become a historical materialist at that time.The definition not only avoids previous phi-losophers＇abstract understanding of human essence,but also designates that human is social being.So the definition is not in contradiction with＂the reality of human essence is the sum of all social relations＂,and also points out the target of human liber-ation,which is realizing human essence to be confirmed.