The Historical Forms of Materialism and the Philosophical Domain of Historical Materialism

Natural materialism, humanistic materialism and historical materialism are the three historical forms of materialism. The ＂material＂ in historical materialism is a social thing which is ＂perceptible and imperceptible by the senses＂ and connotes social relations; and the ＂history＂ in historical materialism is the realm in which contradictions between man and nature and between man and society are able to unfold, so historical materialism is ＂actually a critical view of the world＂ that inherently contains dialectics in a ＂rational form.＂ The formulation of historical materialism opened a new path for the development of materialism and even philosophy as a whole. In the course of its critique of capitalist society, which unfolds with capital as a core category, historical materialism sublates abstract existence and discovers real social existence, thus putting an end to metaphysics, which is grounded in abstract ontology.

SPECIAL ISSUE： IMPORTANT ISSUES IN MARXIST PHILOSOPHICAL STUDIES IN CONTEMPORARY CHINA：Historical materialism and the path to social actuality

The fundamental task of Marxist philosophical studies today is to uncover contemporary social actuality. It was Hegel who first showed a possible way to social actuality in philosophical terms via sharp critiques of subjective consciousness and its external reflection. Marx critically inherited this legacy from Hegel. His critiques not only undermined the speculative, idealist alliance of Idea and Actuality, but also thoroughly reconstructed the essential dimension of social actuality. A Kantian interpretation of Marxist philosophy on this theme presupposes a dismissal of the dimension of social actuality, which means a return to the philosophy of subjective consciousness. The latter in turn means the actual collapse of historical materialism. The path to social actuality is vital to historical materialism. It is only through this path that the truth of the theory of historical materialism can be upheld.

The Critical Dimension and Power of Social Semiotics:An Examination from the Perspective of Historical Materialism

Marx’s profound analysis of such social signs as commodity,money,and capital shows that inversion and negation are universal and rule-governed social signs and that social signs attain historical characteristics in certain social formations.The basic contradiction arising from human practice,i.e.,their contradictory movement of objectification and nonobjectification,is determined by the dialectical nature of practice,that is,by the relationship of negativity as a medium,and is the concrete expression of the dialectics of negativity in signs.The critique of social semiotics from the perspective of historical materialism is based on practice and reality,and points to the future;it is revolutionary and constructive.At present,the scientific construction of social semiotics can not only promote the development of semiotics,but can also be an important step in deepening historical materialism.

Historical Research on Rights in the Eyes of Young Marx

Karl Marx’s insightful critique of bourgeois rights,represented in the Declaration of the Rights of Man and of the Citizen adopted by France,can be attributed to the short-term and longterm perspectives he adopted successively in his research.By reading works such as History of France in the Revolutionary Era and History of the French Revolutionary Parliament,Marx was able to examine the original intentions of the legislators in the period of the French Revolution.This short-term examination was the most intuitive and logical approach to studying the Declaration of the Rights of Man and of the Citizen,in which Marx focused on the research of the period of the French National Convention and its idea on property rights.The enigmatic political-legal facts that emerged in 1793 during the French Revolution,along with other incidents,presented an opportunity for Marx to turn to long-term rights surveys.In this context,Marx gradually shifted his attention from the legislators who were the shining protagonists of the“grand political historical drama”to the underlying forces that worked behind them,and in doing so understood how the two major achievements of the French Revolution provided an explanation for the historicity of the phenomenon of rights.Marx’s longterm rights surveys from the perspective of historical materialism were directly inspired by the Kreuznach Notes as well as famous scholars including Francois Guizot,Augustin Thierry,and Henri Saint-Simon.

Mapping a Paleodrainage System of the Keriya River Using Remote Sensing Data and Historical Materials

Keriya River, one of the ancient Four Green Corridors in the Tarim Basin, recording the changes of climate-environment and the ancient Silk Road of the region. According to the archaeological data, historical materials and paleoclimates information, its eeo-environment and climate have taken great changes since the 1.09 Ma B.P, especially during the recent 2,000 years, many famous ancient cities having been abandoned and the south route of the Silk Road has been moved southward. This study illustrates the capability of the remote sensing data （radar data, topographic data and optical images） and historical materials, in mapping the ancient drainage networks. A major paleodrainage system of Keriya River has linked the Kunlun Mountains to the Tienshan Mountains, possibly as far back as the early Pleistocene. The Keriya River will have important implications for not only the understanding of the paleoenvironments and paleoclimates of Tarim Basin from the early Pleistocene to the Holocene, but also the changes of the Silk Road.

Methodology of Marx for Ecological Justice

Historical materialism provides a methodology for solving the problem of ecological justice,that is,consciously constructing the socialist power system is the prerequisite and foundation for realizing ecological justice.In essence,the fundamental nature of the socialist power system,namely,“affinity to the people”,determines the realistic possibility of ecological justice.

Marx’s Ontology of Social Power System for Ecological Justice

Historical materialism provides the ontology basis to understand the contemporary ecological justice problem,which is the perspective for analyzing ecological interests from the nature,structure,and transition of the social power system.The transcendence of Marx’s thoughts on western mainstream environmental justice theory lies that it does not based on the“speculative ontology”of metaphysics,but on the basis of“realistic ontology”of social power system.

New Progress in the Study of “Pre-war Deposits”

At present,the academic researches on the issue of“pre-war deposits”in the banking industry mainly focus on the problems of inflation during the war and after the war,the business operation of the banking industry during the war,the demobilization,reorganization,and currency reform of the banking industry after the war,and so on.The direct related researches are few and focus on the disputes between depositors and banks.Although some archival materials and newspaper materials have been excavated,various kinds of historical materials still need to be further excavated.Research methods need to further strengthen interdisciplinary and integration.Therefore,to deepen the study of“pre-war deposit”,it is necessary to continuously explore and utilize new historical materials,expand research fields,expand research horizons,and pay attention to the use of multi-scientific theories and methods.

Writing and Criticism on the Zen Buddhism in Zen Notes During the Song Dynasty

Zennotes in the Song Dynasty are based on the use of scattered essays to record trivial fragments of Zen Buddhistmonks’ daily life, including Hui Hong’s Lin Jian Lu, Da Hui Pu Jue Chan Shi Zong Men Wu Ku edited by DaoQian, Xiao Ying’s Luo Hu Ye Lu and Yun Wo Ji Tan, Dao Rong’s Cong Lin Sheng Shi, and Huan Wu’s Ku YaMan Lu. Through Zennotes, it is possible to learn more about the life of Zen Buddhist masters in the SongDynasty and the actual development of Zen Buddhism, which were seldom investigated in past studies. Firstly,this study explains the cultural environment generated by Zennotes and the creative development of Zennotes inthe Song Dynasty, and then discusses the main content of Zennotes. Zennotes highlight the characters through thedescription of specific events and make the images and characters of Zen Buddhist monks become vivid on paper.They are the most direct historical material for mastering Zen Buddhist monks in the Song Dynasty. Secondly,Zennotes in the Song Dynasty record anecdotes about Zen Buddhist monks and the literati talking about Zen atthat time, demonstrating the lively and witty interactions between the two. Lastly, the authors of Zennotes oftenrevealed their personal concerns about the growth and decline of temples in the narrative. Based on the above,Zennotes have the value of historical recordings of trivia, and they are first-hand historical materials forconstructing the history of Zen in the Song Dynasty.

Transformation in the Form of a Better Life in the New Era and Its Value Guidance

A"better life in the new era,"a proposition unique to 21 st century Marxism,is based on the historical originality of socialism with Chinese characteristics.Along with the transformation of the main contradictions in Chinese society,"a better life in the new era"has become a new life-form.Of course,the new life-form and new development ideas are complementary.On the one hand,the proposition of the new development ideas is based on the transformation of the new life-forms,so the inherent purport of the two is closely related;on the other,the proposition of such ideas will further promote the construction of"a better life in the new era"at the level of practice,and will play a key leading role in the resolution of major social contradictions.Therefore,to comprehensively understand the revolutionary significance of a"better life in the new era"under the guidance of the new development principles,we must gain an intrinsic grasp of the many forms of a"better life in the new era,"including its actors,forms of occurrence,forms of realization and external forms.They have as their theoretical support such concepts as"the people as themain force,the ruling Party as the guide,""transformation of contradictions,integration of supply and demand,""labor orientation,co-creation and sharing,"and"homogeneous ideals extended worldwide."Together,these constitute a unique Chinese style.In the building of socialism with Chinese characteristics,or modernization,only the sublation of"objective[sachlicher]dependence"and adherence to the practical intention of"free individuality"can fulfill the"return"of a"better life in the new era"toward"man himself,"and achieve value guidance for the Chinese road.

Marx's Thoughts on Economic Globalization

Marx＇s thoughts on economic globalization are contained in his philosophical views, his ideas on historical materialism and his theory of world history. His philosophical transformation broke with the idealist ontology of old philosophy and made philosophical studies connect with reality. His historical materialism starts with the material production activities of human beings in the real world, discloses the rules and trends of the development of human societies, and reveals the sources and trends of the formation and development of world history. His theory of world history throws light on the source, impetus and trends by which human societies transition from regional history to world history, and scientifically analyzes the position and role of capitalism in world history, furnishing an ideological weapon for understanding economic globalization. Marx＇s thoughts on economic globalization mainly reveal the nature and trends of economic globalization; he emphasizes that economic globalization is a result of the global expansion of capitalism.

A Twofold Perspective on Research on Marx and Engels' Classic Texts

Study of the classic texts of Marx and Engels should employ two perspectives： Marxist philosophical history and Marxist philosophical principles. The two cannot be separated, still less contradictory. In dealing creatively with these classic works, we must firmly uphold the methodology of historical materialism, read them in accordance with the authors＇ original intentions and approach them creatively. We need to oppose research styles that place undue emphasis on the researcher＇s own interpretations and constructions. Research on Marxist philosophy should develop on the basis of respect, study and correct understanding of Marx and Engels＇ classic works; different readings of these texts must not be allowed to construct a pluralist Marxism. This is of great importance for consolidating the leading position of Marxism in the sphere of ideology.