Social Sciences in China (Chinese Edition)

No.5, 2019

The Academic Status and Theoretical Contribution of Marxist Sociology

(Abstract)

Liu Shaojie

Although Marx and Engels did not use the concept of sociology to refer to their ideology and theories about social development and transformation, they did systematically create a Marxist sociology in terms of basic standpoint, methodological principles and a series of major ideological tenets. On the basis of extensive empirical research, they propounded in depth the basic theories of Marxist sociology under the name of historical materialism. Marxist sociology has been inherited and disseminated in the practice of Russian and Chinese socialist revolutions, and has exerted a wide-ranging influence on Western sociology, especially contemporary Western sociological research. The study of Marxist sociology’ essential characteristics, academic status, historical development and wide-ranging influence is a major project that should be treated seriously in inheriting and developing Marxist sociology and progressing and innovating Chinese sociology.