马克思主义伦理学的前置问题

The Antecedent Question in Marxist Ethics

如果“历史唯物主义语境下的道德合法性问题”被称作马克思主义伦理学的初始问题,那么,马克思主义伦理学本身能否作为一门知识、作为一门严肃的学问而成立,即“马克思主义伦理学本身的知识合法性问题”,则是更加前置、更加根本的问题。前置问题不等于初始问题。因为马克思恩格斯对道德的否定与批判,不足以构成马克思主义伦理学不成立的理由。在根本上,马克思主义伦理学是否具有知识合法性,与马克思主义者(特别是其经典作家)是否系统地谈论和思考道德现象或道德问题有关,与马克思主义理论是否蕴含或指向伦理规范性有关,与现实生活中是否存在道德问题以及马克思主义者是否打算运用马克思主义理论去处理这些问题有关。当马克思主义的道德论述缺乏系统性从而使我们无法从中提炼明确的价值诉求及合理的实现路径,或者,当阐释者过多地赋予其规范性,以至于突破了历史唯物主义的边界,才会给马克思主义伦理学的前置问题带来否定的答案。

If the"question of moral legitimacy in the context of historical materialism"is regarded as the"initial question"of Marxist ethics,cannot the question of whether Marxist ethics itself can be established as a form of knowledge and a serious branch of scholarship—that is,the"question of the intellectual legitimacy of Marxist ethics itself"-be antecedent and more fundamental?An antecedent question is not the same as an initial question.Marx and Engels'negation and criticism of morality cannot be taken as sufficient reason to invalidate Marxist ethics.Fundamentally,the question of the intellectual legitimacy of Marxist ethics relates to whether Marxists(especially the classical Marxist writers)undertake systematic discussion and thought about moral phenomena or problems;whether Marxist theory contains or directs one toward ethical norms;and whether Marxists intend to solve the moral problems that exist in real life using Marxist theory.Only when Marxist moral discourse has no system,so that one cannot extract from it clear value claims and a reasonable path to their implementation,or when interpreters endow it with overmuch normativity or even break the bounds of historical materialism,will it truly provide a negative answer to the antecedent question of Marxist ethics.