Engels' Scientific Vision Of A Better Life In The Future Society In His Later Years And Its Enlightenmen

The scientific prediction of a better life in the future society is an important part of the Marxist theoretical system,and it is a central issue throughout the historical development of Marxism.In his later years,Engels combined the new changes in the development of capitalism and the new issues faced by the proletarian revolution,and from the holistic perspective of historical materialism,he scientifically predicted a better life in the future society.He discussed the development goals and realization conditions of a better life in the future society from different aspects,systematically and principledly described the blueprint for a better life in the future society,and creatively enriched and developed Marxism.Based on the texts of Engels in his later years,this article systematically presents Engels’ thoughts on a better life in the future society in his later years,and at the same time takes the basic idea of scientific socialism co-founded by Marx and Engels as a reference,and strives to fully present the theoretical nature and contribution of this idea,thereby making it more profound To reveal and demonstrate the internal consistency of Marx and Engels’ thought,the scientific nature of historical materialism and the integrity of the development history of Marxism.Humans’ assumptions about a better life in the future society often arise from thinking and criticism of practical problems.Therefore,in the history of human thought,the issue of “a better life in the future society” has always been debated;many thinkers have made various prospects and ideas for a better life in the future society.Whether it is the "Datong" society in the Confucian classic “Book of Rites”,or the "Peach Blossom Garden";whether it is Plato’s “Utopia”,whether it is Campanella’s “Sun City”,or Moore’s “Utopia”,Whether it is Fourier’s “Flange” or Owen’s “New Harmonious Commune”,they both express their criticism and dissatisfaction with reality through their beautiful imagination of a better life in the future society.In his later years,based on the new understanding of capitalism,starting from the fundamental standpoint of historical materialism,in the process of criticizing and analyzing capitalist society,Engels theoretically expounded the developmental,popular and practical characteristics of a better life in the future society;at the same time,Scientific evaluation: “Utopians are utopians precisely because they can only be so in an age when capitalist production is still very underdeveloped.They have to conceive the elements of a new society from their heads,because these Elements are not yet universally evident in the old society itself;they can only turn to reason to conceive the essential character of their new architecture,because they cannot yet turn to the history of the time.” explicitly states that the utopian society It lacks the historical limitations and illusory essence supported by practical foundations and scientific theories.A better life in the future society is essentially practical,rooted in human labor practices.Practice makes a better life in the future society possible,and builds a bridge from “ideal” to “reality” for a better life in the future society.“History always develops along with people’s pursuit of a better life.” It embodies the “sublation” of the new form of human civilization in the way of life,and is an inevitable trend of social and historical progress.Engels pointed out: “The ultimate cause of all social changes and political changes should not be found in people’s minds,in people’s growing knowledge of eternal truth and justice,but in changes in the mode of production and exchange.We should not look in the philosophy of the relevant era,but in the economy of the relevant era.” Therefore,the good life of the future society is a specific process of human social history,a product of a specific historical era,It is interrelated with the social form and material production mode of this specific historical era;it is determined and promoted by the internal contradictions and internal motivations of society;it is a practice that conforms to the laws of historical development of human society.It reveals a better life in the future society: in terms of its development,it is the unity of the highly developed productive forces and the means of production owned by the society;in terms of its history,it is the unity of urban-rural integrated development and the mitigation of ecological crisis;in terms of its social nature,is the unity of freedom,equality,morality and the rule of law;from its subjectivity,“the people’s yearning for a better life is our goal.” In the entire social and historical process,the people are not only the creators of social material wealth,but also the creators of social spiritual wealth,and the decisive force for social change.The ideas of Marx and Engels are fundamentally the same,and it can be seen from Engels’ s idea of advancing with the times in his later years,his adherence to and the basic method of embodying historical materialism,that they are complementary in the process of their ideological development.This just shows that “Marx’s entire world outlook is not a doctrine,but a method.It does not provide ready-made dogma,but a starting point for further research and a method for such research.” The value of it is to inherit and develop Marx’s thought and provide a scientific methodology.“Marxism is a continuously developing and open theory that has always stood at the forefront of the times.” Entering the 21 st century,Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era accurately grasped the stage characteristics of my country’s development and the new changes in the main contradictions of our society,and insisted on Taking the people’s yearning for a better life as the goal of struggle,this also precisely reflects the original contribution of the new era thought to Marxism,enriches and develops the Marxist theory of social contradictions,and scientifically answers the era standard and realization of “a better life” path.