A Study On The Relationship Between Marx And Bruno Powell’s Philosophical Thoughts

Deeply influenced by classical German philosophy,Bruno Powell(hereafter referred to as Powell)joined the influential ideological group of the time,the Young Hegelians,and became its leader and core member.During the activities of the Young Hegelians,Powell promoted the philosophy of self-consciousness,which had also influenced Marx at an early stage,and the relationship between the two men began.The relationship between Marx and Powell went through the process of intimacy,disagreement,opposition,criticism and liquidation,and the evolution of their relationship carried the development and change of their thoughts.It can be said that Marx’s criticism of Powell’s philosophical thought is not only the process of his constantly exculpating the past philosophical belief,but also the process of his constantly going to the depth of history to construct scientific historical materialism.Looking back on the history,Marx had the closest relationship with Powell when he was preparing to write his doctoral thesis.He once consulted with Powell on the topic of his doctoral thesis,and the discussion containing Powell’s ideas can also be found in Marx’s doctoral thesis.Powell also advised Marx on his future career choices,and the two men wrote to each other for a long time.However,in the process of writing his doctoral thesis,Marx discovered the potential difference between the philosophical beliefs he pursued and Powell’s.At this time,Marx began to think about the feasibility of Powell’s philosophical ideas and put aside the plan of writing a journal together with Powell.During his tenure at Rheinische Zeitelzeit,Marx denounced the foolish behavior of Powell and other associates.The ideological differences between him and Powell began to emerge,especially after realizing that Powell’s much trumpeted idealist and speculative philosophy could not solve the practical problems of real life.Marx decided to turn away from Powell and began to criticize Powell’s philosophy.Starting from "On the Jewish Question",Marx began to criticize Powell’s religious thought.He criticized Powell’s understanding of the Jewish question and its solution,reinterpreted the relationship between political liberation and religion,and promoted political liberation to human liberation.In The Holy Family,Marx criticizes Powell’s mass view and exposes the nature of speculative idealism,thus determining the philosophical stand of materialism and making theoretical preparations for the establishment of historical materialism.The completion of the German Ideology means that Marx’s criticism of Powell reached an unprecedented height.In the book,Marx reiterated his criticism of Powell’s religious view and mass view,trying to completely realize the overall liquidation of the past philosophical belief in this chapter,and from then on to achieve a complete break with the young Hagarians.In the process of criticizing Powell,Marx realized the turn of his philosophical thought and found the right way to the new philosophical thought--historical materialism.