Social Sciences in China (Chinese Edition)

No.1, 2014

 

The History and Logic of Marx’s Transcending Western Centralism

(Abstract)

 

Ye Xianming

 

Based on a scientific critique of Western centralism founded on three dimensions and on his ever more profound exploration of world history research and critiques of capitalism, from the 1870s on, Marx extended his understanding of the general and specific relations of capitalism from Western Europe to the rest of world while throwing off the influence of Western-centered expressions like “the stagnation of oriental society.” He thoroughly transcended the theory that “Europe was unique” and finally concluded his scientific critique of Western-centric thought forms and discourse systems. On this basis, he pointed out a possible development path for Russian rural communes and the whole of Russia, placed as they were in the world historical capitalist era, that differed from the Western development model but was intimately connected with capitalism. Thus he further developed and perfected the scientific theory of social forms and enriched the historical connotations of critiques of political economy.