No. 5, 2020

CONTENTS

Special Reports/Marking the 150th Anniversary of Lenin’s Birth Learning Lenin’s Thought and Developing Marxism：Address at a Theoretical Seminar Marking the 150th Anniversary of Lenin’s Birth    Qu Qingshan（1）

Revisiting Lenin’s Ideas on Strengthening the Party    Xie Chuntao（7）

Remembering Lenin’s Great Work，Better Understanding and Practicing 21st Century Chinese Marxism That Leads China and Influences the World    Weng Tiehui（9）

Lenin’s Exploration of the Socialist Road and Construction and Its Relevance    Jiang Hui（11）

Lenin’s Important Contributions to Marxist Political Economy    Gu Hailiang（14）

The Philosophical Innovations of Lenin    Wang Dong（16）

On Lenin’s Theory of the Development of Eastern Society    Yu Liangzao（18）

From Imperialism：The Highest Stage of Capitalism to Building a Human Community

with a Shared Future   An Qinian（20）

Special Column/Marking the 200th Anniversary of Engels’ Birth（I）

Carrying Forward and Keeping Alive Engels’ Great Communist Spirit and Firm Belief：In Memory of the 200th Anniversary of Engels’ Birth    Zhu Chuanqi（23）

The Logical Paths of Engels’ Development of Marxism    Wu Jiahua & Yan Peng（31）

A New Interpretation of Engels’ Proposition “Labor Created the Human Being Himself” Based on Marxist Philosophical Anthropology    Wang Nanshi（41）

The Combination of Philosophy and Politics：Engels and Young Hegelians     Tang Zhengdong（53）

The Schelling-Hegel Academic Case and the Origin of Engels' Philosophical Thought    Nie Jinfang（60）

Research on Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era

Using the Unique Advantages of the Socialist System with Chinese Characteristics

to Turn Crises into Opportunities    Xiao Guiqing & Che Zongkai（73）

Seizing the Discourse Power to Interpret the Socialist System with Chinese Characteristics

    Tang Aijun（82）

A Methodological Analysis of How to Improve the Socialistic System with Chinese Characteristics    Zhou Zhaocheng（90）

Reflections on Keeping Alive and Developing Fine Traditional Chinese Culture

in the New Era    Han Meiqun（97）

Research on Marxism Abroad

Lukács’ Economic Philosophical Thought in the Context of Marx’s Economic Philosophy and Its Tragic Ending（I）    Gong Jingcai（103）

How Is Metaphysical Experience Possible?：Adorno’s Conception of Metaphysics and Its Relevance    Wang Xiaosheng & Wei Qin（112）

Apparatus， Event，and the Use of Body：Study on the Event Theory of Agamben    Lan Jiang（120）

The Production of Space and the Mondialization of the State: Comments on Henri

Lefebvre’s Theory of State and Space    Yan Jing（127）

A Study on American Left-Wing Scholars’ Criticism of Surveillance Capitalism

in the 21st Century    Fu Hao（135）

Dialogue and Interview

The Dilemma of Right-Wing Populism in the UK and the US and the Challenge of the Left Movement under the COVID-19 Epidemic: A Dialogue with Professor Sean Sayers    Song Chaolong（141）

Features

COVID-19 and Catastrophe Capitalism: Commodity Chains and Ecological-Epidemiological-Economic Crises    John Bellamy Foster & Intan Suwandi（147）

Research on Political Science with Chinese Characteristics

A Proper Understanding of the Socialist National System in New Type    Xie Fusheng & Pan Yimei（156）

Research on China’s Ability to Eliminate Its Absolute Poverty    Jiang Yongmu & Luyang（167）

Political and Education Studies

Fully Understanding the Value Goal of Developing Political Education in All University Curricula    Xu Rong（176）

Upgrading All University Curricula’s Political Education Capacity    Chen Shifa & Zhang Li（183）

The Evolution and Theoretical Innovation of the Internet Concept of Political Education

Zhang Yu（190）

The Value of Political Education    Gao Fei（197）

MAIN ABSTRACTS

Carrying Forward and Keeping Alive Engels’ Great Communist Spirit and Firm Belief

Zhu Chuanqi

As a great Communist revolutionary, Engels had been fighting for the liberation of the working class since his youth. He was a great Marxist thinker and theoretician. He was not only a faithful friend of Marx, but also his lifelong collaborator. He made outstanding contributions to the establishment, improvement, and development of Marxist theory. Engels was a firm believer in communism. He fought and criticized opportunism and dogmatism throughout his life. Engels was a great man of high moral character and an open heart. He presented the praise and glory socialist activists and social organizations used to honor him for his 70th birthday as a wreath of honor to Marx’s grave. As we commemorate the 200th anniversary of Engels’ birth, it is important to carry forward and keep alive his great communist spirit and firm belief.

The Logical Paths of Engels’ Development of Marxism

Wu Jiahua & Yan Peng

Theoreticians do not have a full understanding of the original and scientific nature of Engels’ thoughts and they underestimate Engels’ contribution to the development of Marxism, which is largely due to a lack of research on Engels’ thoughts and his diversified ways and logical paths for developing Marxism. By developing Marxism mainly through logical paths such as answering the questions of the times, filling in theoretical gaps, constructing theory systems, standardizing the category of theories, deepening basic theories, revising ideological perceptions, advancing theoretical development, and criticizing erroneous ideas, Engels demonstrated the salient scientific, revolutionary, practical, people-oriented, and developmental nature of Marxism.

A New Interpretation of Engels’ Proposition “Labor Created the Human Being Himself” Based on Marxist Philosophical Anthropology

Wang Nanshi

The theoretical goal of Engels’s proposition that “labor created the human being himself” is to link physical anthropology with sociocultural anthropology. This proposition transitions from physical anthropology, which is close to natural science, to sociocultural anthropology. With a connective philosophical-anthropological vision, it provides a deeper and more comprehensive justification for the basic propositions of historical materialism: “Man is an objective activity” and “Man creates the environment, just as the environment creates man,” i.e. the human world is created through the interaction between human beings and the environment. This also means that this proposition itself constitutes the core proposition of historical materialism, so it can neither be abandoned nor maintained selectively; it must be maintained in toto. In addition, starting from a perspective of Marxist philosophical anthropology, with the help of a reasonable interpretation of the latest developments in life sciences, it is possible to successfully maintain this proposition in toto.

The Schelling-Hegel Academic Case and the Origin of Engels’ Philosophical Thought

Nie Jinfang

In previous studies on the history of Marx and Engels’ thought, the “immature-mature” linear interpretation and the prevalence of “rupture theory” have led theoreticians to pay more attention to their thought in their middle and later stages, while neglecting to sort out and discern their early thoughts. For this reason, the paper discusses the origin of Engels’ philosophical thought. First, Engels wrote many works after attending Schelling’ lectures and courses at Humboldt University of Berlin, in which he summarized his understanding of the differences between Schelling and Hegel in many respects, and improved his philosophical thinking. Second, Engels’ thought broke through the perceptual attitude of observing society and the issues of the times during the Bremen period, and entered the stage of rational meditation. The most direct impact of this tour of Engels’ philosophy is reflected in the analysis of capital society in Umrisse zu einer Kritik der Nationalkonomie and The Condition of the Working Class in England. In addition, if we study Herrn Eugen Dührings Umw?lzung der Wissenschaft (Anti-Dühring) and Ludwig Feuerbach und der Ausgang der klassischen deutschen Philosophie in his later years from the origin of Engels’ thought, it is not difficult to find the long-term and lasting effects of his early thoughts. In the current era of globalization as we face complicated and difficult realities, rational thinking, overall observation methods and systemic principles, which are always regarded as backward, conservative and even outdated, should be more highly valued and promoted than irrational emotions, individual self-centeredness and state supremacy. This is the practical significance of Schelling and Hegel’s thoughts, and it is also what we should learn from commemorating the 200th anniversary of the birth of Engels.

The Combination of Philosophy and Politics: Engels and Young Hegelians

Tang Zhengdong

Influenced by the views of Young Hegelians, such as Arnold Luge, young Engels understood the theoretical significance of Young Hegelians from the perspective of implementing philosophical principle of freedom through political action. This understanding is not only reflected in his critique of the thoughts of Ernst Moritz Arndt and F.W.J. Schelling, but also in his criticism of the retrogressive phenomena in the cultural and political life of Prussia at that time. After arriving in England, young Engels gradually eliminated the influence of the methodology of Young Hegelians and started his journey to historical materialism.

Using the Unique Advantages of the Socialist System with Chinese Characteristics to Turn Crises into Opportunities

Xiao Guiqing & Che Zongkai

The socialist system with Chinese characteristics has been gradually formed, developed and matured in the dialectical transformation from “crises” to “opportunities,” and in overcoming risks and challenges time and time again. Both history and reality prove that the socialist system with Chinese characteristics has the unique advantages of turning crises into opportunities: the leadership of the Communist Party of China provides the political confidence, its ability to concentrate resources to accomplish major missions guarantees efficiency; its reliance on people to promote national development provides the driving force; the integration of independency and opening up creates the most favorable international environment. Being faced with the great struggle in the new era, we should adhere to the leadership of the Communist Party of China, consolidate institutional advantages, strengthen institutional confidence, and use the unique advantages of the socialist system with Chinese characteristics to turn crises into opportunities.

Lukács’ Economic Philosophical Thought in the Context of Marx’s Economic Philosophy and Its Tragic Ending (I)

Gong Jingcai

The debate about Lukács’ philosophical thought around History and Class Consciousness has been going on for nearly a hundred years. On the whole, it is a common phenomenon to ignore the nature of his economic philosophy, the consequence of which is that the fundamental character and true historical status of Lukács’ philosophical thought cannot be revealed. A review of Lukács’ philosophical thought in the context of Marx’s economic philosophy will result in a qualitative change in the concrete content and evaluation conclusion, and bring to us an epoch-making economic philosophy thought. Lukács raised and answered the question of what orthodox Marxism is in the comparative view of Second and Third International Marxism. Lukács’ severe criticism of the view of economic facts of bourgeois economics and Second International Marxism, his use of Marx’s dialectical view of economic facts to counter it and his development of his own view of economic facts provided the methodological premise for the theory of materialization.

How Is Metaphysical Experience Possible?: Adorno’s Conception of Metaphysics and Its Relevance

Wang Xiaosheng & Wei Qin

In Adorno’s view, traditional metaphysics is based on the separation between essence and phenomenon. The core of this metaphysics is the principle of self-preservation, and Adorno wanted to reconstruct a new metaphysics that can secularize metaphysics, and thereby combine essence and phenomenon, i.e. integrating the rational principle of self-preservation with the flesh experience. The metaphysical experience that Adorno put forward is the product of such a combination. Like the intellectual domain envisioned by Kant in his The Critique of Practical Reason, this kind of experience is both intuitive and transcendent, with the same antinomy embedded in the vision of God. Kant wanted to eliminate this antinomy whereas Adorno tried to save it. This is because in modern society, the logic of identity occupies a dominant position. It does not allow non-identical or specific things to be expressed. This kind of metaphysical experience is to resurrect the body, i.e. saving the spiritual body, because the flesh experience is suppressed and denied in the logic of identity. This resurrected body regains the genuine characteristics of human nature. It reveals the absoluteness in terms of a negative form, and thereby transcends the absoluteness as defined by First Philosophy. In this sense, the new metaphysics means exactly negative dialectics. Adorno’s metaphysics is similar to Heidegger’s, but it is also different from the latter.

Apparatus, Event, and the Use of Body: Study on the Event Theory of Agamben

Lan Jiang

The study on biopolitics is only a small part of Agamben’s overall writing, and his more important research is on how to go beyond the apparatus that divides our lives into bios and zoe. In the archaeology of source events, Agamben regarded the language as the original event, which formed the presupposition for human being, and thus constructed the linguistic apparatus. From the moment language occurred as a source event to the present, the apparatus has been dominating the destiny of human beings and dividing people into life under the apparatus and naked life. If you want to go beyond the apparatus, it is not enough to profane it. Etymologically, Agamben sees body use as a connection between the body and the touch established by an external being. In this sense, body use itself constitutes an event. The possibility of a transcendental apparatus lies in the Muses correlation of life with everything in the world through the event of body use.

COVID-19 and Catastrophe Capitalism: Commodity Chains and Ecological-Epidemiological-Economic Crises

John Bellamy Foster & Intan Suwandi

By considering the duality of use values and exchange values in the global capitalist economy, this article analyzes the link between late imperialism and the COVID-19 pandemic. First of all, through multinational agribusiness corporations, Global North obtains exorbitant imperial rents from Global South by labor arbitrage and land arbitrage, while at the same time creating conditions for new pathogens to generate and transmit. COVID-19 is just another illustration of how pandemics are intrinsic inside the capitalist production system. Then, the outbreak of COVID-19 has triggered interruptions of supply chains and supply chain finance, turning an epidemiological crisis into an economic crisis. This exposes vulnerabilities of the capitalist production and financial system. Finally, due to the unequal conditions of capitalist class society, the pandemic falls heaviest on the working class and the poor, and on populations in the periphery. Moreover, in the eyes of some Global North authors, these people are treated as a reasonable tradeoff for the continued growth of the empire of capital. At this point, the necessity of a “revolutionary reconstitution of society at large” rears its head once again. what Marx called “freedom in general” and the preservation of a viable “planetary metabolism” are the most pressing necessities today in determining the human present and future, and even human survival.

A Proper Understanding of the Socialist National System in New Type

Xie Fusheng & Pan Yimei

The essence of the national system is that the Party and the government organize large-scale collaboration according to the needs of governance and create powerful labor productivity for the state. To use it efficiently in governance, one needs to consider four key elements: to what it is applied to, the resources that guarantees its implementation, its organizational basis, and the cooperation between those involved. Based on the investigation of the essence and operational mechanisms of the national system during pandemics, it is found that the operational process of the national system shows the idea of recreating the administrative business process including the  organizational structure, organizational leadership, organizational collaboration, and the information mechanism. In addition, new requirements for the application of the national system are put forward by the development of the socialist market economy, social changes, and digital technological innovation. In order to build a new national system, it is necessary to reshape the organizational process of the national system by absorbing digital technology, promote the diversification of the cooperation between those involved, the flow of information and data and the flattening of the organizational structure, and form a collaborative, efficient, and open government governance system.

Research on China’s Ability to Eliminate Its Absolute Poverty

Jiang Yongmu

In 2020, China will ensure that all rural residents living below the current poverty line are lifted out of poverty and achieve a complete victory in eliminating absolute poverty. The reason why China is able to help so many people out of poverty in such short periods is inseparable from the important role of three factors: China firmly adheres to the guidance of Marxism poverty and anti-poverty theory, and forming the Marxist poverty and anti-poverty ideas adapted to the Chinese context is the source of strength to eliminate absolute poverty; giving full play to the unique advantages of the leadership of the Communist Party of China and the socialist system, and forming a powerful synergy to eliminate absolute poverty is the basis for the ability to eliminate absolute poverty; effectively applying materialist dialectics to analyze and solve the poverty problem, and continuously exploring various ways to solve the persistent poverty in China is the soul of the ability to eliminate absolute poverty.

Fully Understanding the Value Goal of Developing Political Education in All University Curricula

Xu Rong

Developing political education in all university curricula is a strategic measure to implement the fundamental task of building morality and cultivating students in universities from the overall perspective of the development of the Party and the country in the new era. Fully understanding the value goal of promoting political education in all university curricula, establishing the concept of education, teaching, and talent, and developing curriculum culture from the perspective of talent training objectives, curriculum construction objectives and university governance objectives, will help us better grasp the basic connotation, key tasks and work requirements of political education in curricula. It will also make it possible to fully tap the political education resources in each course, integrate knowledge transfer, ability training, and value shaping in the course of teaching, strengthen political education in the curricula comprehensively, hierarchically and sustainably, and ensure that everyone is involved in the whole process in all-around education.

The Evolution and Theoretical Innovation of the Internet Concept of Political Education

Zhang Yu

The internet concept of political education has evolved from the concept of internet tools, the concept of the internet environment to the concept of internet intelligence, reflecting the development process of political education solving new problems and developing new theories in response to the development of internet practice. As a tool, the internet promotes the profound changes of the educators, content, methods and other elements of political education. As an environment, the internet is constructed with both virtual and real space, giving birth to the overall form of internet-based political education, thus enriching and deepening the environmental theory of political education and the theory of subject-object relationship. The internet intelligence concept is forward-looking thinking on the development trend and main theoretical characteristics of the political education in the era of artificial intelligence. The man-machine relationship, extended practice, and the mode of thinking have become an important category of innovation and development of political education.