Michael Rowe's Theory Of "selective Affinity"

In recent years, the latest development of western political philosophy can berendered as a "return to religion", some well-known scholars of contemporary westernMarxist theorists, such as Habermas, Zizek, Badiou, Agamben, Eagleton and soon,have turned to Judaism, Christianity or other traditional religions and theology inorder to search for resources from the political philosophy of modernity and evenpost-modernity to confront the plight of today’s multiculturalism and identity politicsand the crisis of revolutionary subjectivity,with an attempt to rebuild the possibility ofrevolution and the theoretical discourse of subjectivity. How could critical theory turnto religion and make alliance with it, What is the relationship between critical theoryand theology on earth? This is what Michael Lowy’s theory of "elective affinity" tosolve.Lowy’s theory of "elective affinity" based on combing thought of CentralEuropean Jewish intellectuals such as Lukacs, Bloch,and Benjamin, he found therevolutionary utopia that critical theorists once conceived always has a dimension ofJewish messianism. How could Jewish messianism and libertarian utopian thought getinto elective affinity? Lowy answers as follows, firstly, the duality of meaning,catastrophic dimension, new world picture and opposing the authority and Torah,thesefive structural homology affinity provide a theoretical basis; Secondly, rediscoveringJudaism and identifing Revolution utopian constitute the paths of its affinity; thirdly,the anti-capitalist romanticism is its cultural cornerstone and the inherent logic.Specifically, to Lukacs, Lowy thinks that the religious aspects of his theory, not onlymake a prescription for the increasingly fragmented social world, but also promote histern to the humanism critical logic. To Bloch, Lowy thinks around how the revolutionmight happen again, in order to walk out of the plight of Utopia, one should resort tothe Messiah, and practice Marxism, the only way to move towards a new overall lifeis the elective affinity of the two. To Benjamin, Lowy thinks his metaphor about"puppet and dwarf " is a vivid expression of such affinity of historical materialism andtheology.Lowy’s theory of "elective affinity" exhibits further in his analysis of the LatinAmerican theology of liberation, after he reinterprets Marxist view of religion,explores the the duality and rereads "Weber proposition" radically,the fundamentalcharacteristic of liberation theology is to achieve an elective affinity betweenMarxism and theology: on one hand, the liberterain religion provides spiritual supportfor Marxist revolution, such as the firm belief in the ultimate salvation, moral outrageof the unjust social system, and throwing himself into the revolutionary practice, onthe other hand, the spreading of Marxism in Latin America reactivates a revolutionarydimension of religion, both of them jointly against the capitalism which is becoming areligion. What is the elective affinity relationship between critical theory and theology?On one hand, critical theory and theology are mutually interdependent and inspireeach other, their relationship is dialectical; On the other hand, in light of the heterogeneity, the two sides have maintained a certain distance. How could Criticaltheory and theology get into "selective affinity"? Firstly, the theology provides criticalfulcrum (the indignation to unfair reality, longing for a better life) for critical theoryand critical architecture (the Jewish messianism time framework, Christianeschatology) and basis of the faithful practice; Secondly, critical theory will activatethe revolutioary dimension of the religion and theology,(the Jewish-Christiantheology has a profound and long-standing tradition of critical theory, they critiquethe phenomenon contrary to God, at the same time, the real criticism can only befound in theologians,the latter advocating grace are the most radical social criticaltheorists); Thirdly, critical theory and theology have a common enemy, the capitalistfetishism as the false God.Lowy’s theory of "elective affinity" provides a theoretical support for the returnto religion of the left foreign Marxism: Firstly, Badiou has found "two Pauls",especially the fighting Paul as basis of universalism, which is the paradigm ofrevolutionary subject in post-Marxist era; Secondly, Zizek has inherited Lowy’sstrategy Union of critical theory and theology, and clearly stated that "To become atrue dialectical materialist, one must go through a Christian experience"; Thirdly,Agamben has accepted Lowy’s thought on" History should be written by the losers,bacause they are the true bearers of the universality of salvation ", and put forwardhis theory of "the Remnants".Lowy’s theory of "elective affinity" is not only of great theoretical value forunderstanding the inherent correlation of critical theory and theology, digging deeplyof critical theory from a religious dimension, but also has a certain practicalsignificance to re-examine the status of religion in a contemporary post-secularsociety and considerate socialist core values of justice, freedom and morality, whichare contained in religious ideology, more importantly, it gives a new path to solve thecurrent crisis of revolutionary subjectivity and reconstruct the possibility of revolution,resultly opening up a practice space for the cultural critique of the Western Marxisttheory, of course, whether this transcendental picture could open an Exodus in thecontemporary world still remains practical and historical considerations.