Reconstruction of the Philosophy of History -- Lukács and Contemporary Western Social Thought

Author: Zhang Xiping
Publisher:
Publish Date: 1998-01-01
Features: The Reconstruction of Historical Philosophy – Lukács and Contemporary Western Social Thought
Lukács is the progenitor of Western Marxism. Since the publication of History and Class Consciousness, he rose to prominence. His interpretations of the concepts of praxis and alienation, along with his ontological reflections on social existence, expressed a practical-humanist understanding of Marxism, becoming an important ideological source for the Western New Left in the 20th century. At the same time, he faced severe criticism from orthodox Marxists. All this made him a controversial and polarizing figure for half a century. This book is the result of the author's years of research. The author traces the development of Lukács's thought by delving into its origins and examines his reconstruction of historical philosophy, with a focus on his relationship with various schools of modern Western philosophy. This approach unites social-historical ontology with anthropology. Some of the insights presented are thought-provoking, while others may be contentious. However, as long as we examine the structure and transformation of society-history from multiple perspectives, it becomes clear that this book holds significant heuristic and academic value in broadening our understanding of society. – Su Guoxun