칼 맑스의 실천철학 고찰

Abstract

Of the thinkers in the 19th century, no one had as strong impact on mankind as Karl Marx did. His influence was not confined to Europe, his arena, but reached to many other countries in the world, still taking hold beyond his times. When we look back on the history of mankind, the 20th century had been saturated with significant events related to him. In this country too, his philosophy offered theoretical support to our national liberation movements during the past colonial rule by Japanese imperialists and is now working as a theoretical basis for the activists who desire social progress. The reason of his philosophy's wielding such influence may lie in the fact that Marx found the contradictions of capitalism and presented alternatives to it. Since the end of long-lasted prosperity of capitalism in 1950s through 1970s, global capitalism has undergone a huge transition. The longstanding depression following the boom after World War Ⅱ and the collapse of actual socialism in the 1980s became the political and economic setting that allowed the policy ideology of Neo-liberalism to quickly get momentum and proliferate to all over the world. The Neo -liberalism can be summed as a policy that expands and deepens capitalism. Under increasing acceleration of world capitalism in the name of Neo-liberalism, we have to focus on the philosophy that has offered an analysis of the contradictions of capitalism and solution to them. Marx was the philosopher who clarified that the hostile contradictions between the capital and the labour in a capitalistic society will invariably lead to inevitable sublation. Marx's analysis comes in a way of praxis perception of reality. His analysis of capitalism shown in his later works is represented quite specifically in his early works. Since he had already analyzed capitalism on a basis critical of the specific actuality in his early works, this study intends to look into his early works. The characteristics of Marx's philosophy in his early works are: first, the starting point of his thinking was specific actuality. Second, Marx established his own philosophy by the critical method. Finally, he aimed at the unity of theory and praxis, and leaned toward the praxis. The article begins with such premise of the characteristics of Marxian philosophy. The plot of the article is as follow: In chapter two, the study deals with a man of praxis that Marx noted. Marx viewed a man as 'a species-being', 'an ensemble of social relations' and 'a praxis subject'. In chapter three, the study takes a review with its focus on his thoughts which linked the awareness of the meaning of labour as the essence of human nature as well as the alienation of the labour to praxis. Labour as human nature is said to have been portrayed in an estranged form in a society of private property, especially in a capitalistic society. By overcoming the alienation, a man can recover labour as the essence of human life and further progress to his liberation, said Marx. In chapter four, the study examines a characteristic of Marxian philosophy, the unity of theory and praxis. A theory is understood as a praxis-linked one of revolution, while being a philosophy of praxis. Marx began his philosophy at history which is the actuality of specific human activities. Marx ardently sought no other philosophy than the one that was not separated from the actuality of specific human living, that is, one that justly grasps, interprets and at the same time can reform the actuality. Finally, in chapter five, the study tries to find the meaning that Marxian philosophy offers in the present era, and to observe the entailment that Marxian philosophy of praxis suggests to us over the issues that we face in these days.