A Study On O' Connor' Outlook On Nature

Since the 1990s, with the evidence of the global questions, in especial , the evidence of ecological and societal questions, ecological Marxism has exerted a widespread and profound influence, more and more given rise to the general attention and become a warm topic in the modern ecological philosophy circles. This thesis chooses North America Ecological Marxism theoretician, James O'Connor'theory on Ecological Marxism as studying angle of view, from inspecting the formation of O'Connor'theory on Ecological Marxism probes its content and feature , then analyzes theoretical value and limitations.This paper includes five sections.Part1 is a foreword. It simply introduces the studying status quo and meaning on O'Connor'theory of Ecological Marxism.Part 2 mainly introduces producing social historical background and theoretical basis O'Connor'outlook on nature. Its background has truck with Ecological crisis that the contemporary capitalism develops itself and with Ecological movement around the world and the risen of Green politics and with malpractice of traditional socialism pattern. Its theoretical basis has three aspects namely the theory of classical Marxism;the theory of west Marxism;the theory of ecological science.Part 3 strongly introduces O'Connor'outlook on nature.﹙一﹚Nature——the theoretical foundation stone of O'Connor'theory on Ecological Marxism;(二) the relation of man and nature;﹙三﹚capitalism and nature: why is the sustainable capitalism possible;﹙四﹚socialism and nature: why is the ecological socialism possible。O'Connor'outlook on nature lays particular emphasis on studying phenomenon of alienation on nature that the issues on a global scale initiate and being on the logical prerequisite Marxism philosophy's study on the relation of man and nature lead the concepts of"culture"and"nature"onto historical materialism. In the natural social political ideological sphere it spreads out demonstration on the relation of man and nature. O'Connor carries on methodology of historical materialism. Being on the base of the category Marxism's productive labor and taking ecological environmental questions for the theme of the times he studies the source of ecological crisis and the ways of solving ones by combining natural factor with economical and cultural ecological factors and establishes his theoretical visual threshold. In the relation of man and nature he affirms interactive relation between man and nature;on the other hand he emphasizes productive labor on leading role on the relation of man and nature. O'Connor thinks that the first contradiction theory of Historical materialism lacks natural dimensionality. Combining the categories of nature and culture with labor category, O'Connor establishes the second contradiction theory which is based on Production conditions category, deeply analyzes the process of the capital accumulation by crises, opens out the internal relations among eco-crises, economy crises and capital accumulation and comes to the conclusion that sustainable capitalism is impossible. According to the second contradiction theory, O'Connor probes the capitalism origin of the ecological crisis, the function of the new social movement′restraining the capitalist production, the state coordination of the contradiction between capital and natural contradictions and rethinks socialist movement's experiences and lessons and eco-movement's status quo and problems, discusses the possibility and actuality of association of ecology and socialism, Ecological Marxism developed by O'Conner trying to explore the relation of Marxism and ecology, to high light the anti-ecology nature of capitalism and the compatibility with ecological development of socialism, is one of the meaningful theoretical attempt to develop Marxism made by modern western scholars.Part 4 mainly discusses the theoretical trait and the historical position of O'Connor'outlook on nature. O'Conner offers new angle of view for people's coordinating the relation between man and nature by philosophic thought on the whole issues and human difficult position. There is no lack of real knowledge and deep insight among them. They are worth thinking and using for reference. But, for particular historical condition and real reasons, it inevitably exists theoretical limitations. We must apply the Marxism's stand,view point and method to clear up and discriminate.Part 5 is concluding remarks. We come to a conclusion that we must go out crisis, rebuild the relation between man and nature, and realize the harmony of the relation on man and nature by study of O'Connor'outlook on nature.By deeply studying O'Conner's ecological Marxism, it is important theoretical and realistic meanings for us correctly to know and observes global ecological issues, to enrich and develop Marxism's theories, to establish correct ecological ideal, to set up ecological civilization and to construct harmonious society.