The formation,implications and critique of E.P.Thompson's socialist humanism
Socialist humanism developed by E.P.Thompson,a British Marxist historian and New Left scholar,not only endogenizes from his personal beliefs shaped by his life experiences,but is rooted in international politics and domestic conditions in Britain after World War Ⅱ.Thompson's theoretical starting point lies in the"vacancy"of human nature and the moral crisis emergent in real-world politics.Addressing to these issues,Thompson launches critiques from such three dimensions as"mechanistic economic determinism,""anti-intellectualism,"and"moral nihilism".And the solution he proposes is to restore morality to its central position in human life,to resort to the power and influence of intellectuals,and to promote socialist humanism that highlights"human nature."Thompson's thoughts of socialist humanism not only enriched the contemporary understanding of Marxism but also contributed to the post-war development of Marxist thought in Britain,laying the foundation for the evolution of cultural Marxism and cultural politics.Nevertheless,his theory has been critiqued for its problems of having more criticism than construction,more dilapidation than innovation,and for its emphasis on individual subjectivity which gives rise to the tendency of"voluntarism,"and his integrative approach,though forging a distinctive academic methodology,also reveals limitations in his theoretical scope.
万方数据
