Research On The Core Terms Of Bell’s The Cultural Contradictions Of Capitalism

Religious thoughts are the core of The Cultural Contradictions of Capitalism,therefore the studies on religious thoughts are the key to understand the whole book.After an intensive reading of the whole book,nine core terms in three categories have been selected for diachronic and synchronic studies.It reveals the process from promoting the rising of early capitalism by the coordination of Protestant Ethic and economic impulse,belief decline,the rise of modernism to the prevalence of hedonism;and displays various phenomena in modern society in which human desires and rationality have no limit,economic and cultural realms fracture,spirit is beset with crisis and social contradictions are here and there.In this regard,Daniel Bell has proposed the solution of reviving traditional religion and establishing a public household,which embodies the two features,criticizing modernism and rebuilding sacred belief.Bell’s belief revival has certain particularity.His religious view is based on existentialism,and essentially it is a kind of rational belief to meet the instrumental need for solving social problems with its key contents as isolating the sacred from the profane.Though Bell’s thoughts have some obvious deficiencies,the concept of respecting and renewing tradition and harmonizing multiple values with different goals is of great reference and significance for China to revive Chinese civilization,build a harmonious society and achieve its sustainable development.