On Lefebvre's Critical Theory Of Everyday Life

Lefebvre was one of the greatest Marxism theorists in the 20th century France whose critical theory of everyday life is the nucleus of his theories. The incomplete introduction and partial evaluation about it at home and abroad call for a further study. Thus,based on the clarification of the conception of everyday life from his earlier period to his later period,this dissertation inquires into the background,contents and the theoretical and practical significance of his critical theory of everyday life systematically. The upsurge of fascism and emergence of consumer society were both beyond the explanation of the traditional Marxism theory. Out of the criticism of dogmatism Marxism,Lefebvre started his critical theory of everyday life by applying Marx's alienation theory and dialectics theory to the field of everyday life. In his earlier period, he considered the field of everyday life as that neglected and alienated and therefore the study of everyday life was needed. He had full confidence in the revolution of everyday life. Otherwise,in his later period,due to the generation of neo-capitalism,modern everyday life had recurrent characteristics,everyday life had been completely under the control of the gross link of production and consumption,and so he had a rather pessimistic view to everyday life. However,the estranged everyday life comprised emancipatory elements as well as compelled ones. He supposed a cultural revolution of everyday life on the basis of body,desire and perception. Although his theory has made a fundamental transformation to Marxism theory,it has developed Marxism theory to a certain extent because it conforms to the trend of times and solves the theoretical predicament Marxism theory faces.Meanwhile,his theory opens up postmodern symbolism research and has an important enlightening significance to the study of modernity theory and China's critical theory of everyday life.