Western Marxist Consumer Culture, [西方马克思主义消费文化理论研究], Doctoral dissertation, Literature and Art, Shandong Normal University, Jinan, Shandong, China 2007.

  • 西方马克思主义消费文化既继承了马克思主义的批判立场和研究角度,同时又吸收了西方现代哲学思潮的方法,对西方消费社会进行了研究和反思。本文旨在对西方马克思主义消费文化理论进行系统研究,追溯其理论源泉,对代表性人物的观点进行全面的分析探讨,为我国的现代化进程提供借鉴。第一部分对西方马克思主义消费文化理论的来源进行了探讨。马克思主义的意识形态和葛兰西的文化霸权理论,马克思的异化理论和卢卡奇的物化理论是西方马克思主义消费文化研究的两个重要理论视角和理论基石。首先是意识形态。西方马克思主义的意识形态说主要来源于马克思。虽然马克思不是意识形态概念的最早提出者,但他大大推进了意识形态理论的研究。在马克思和恩格斯生活的前期,意识形态具有浓重的否定性涵义。在他们看来,经济上占据统治地位的阶级也会在思想上占据统治地位。他们为了维护自己的统治利益,就需要编造谎言,把自己的利益说成是社会各个阶层的普遍利益。马克思和恩格斯的意识形态理论深刻地影响了西方马克思主义者的消费文化观。在西方马克思主义者看来,消费文化是一种意识形态,是统治阶层为了维护自己的利益,维持对被统治阶层的统治而编造的一种谎言,是一种虚假意识。在马克思和恩格斯之后,葛兰西提出了文化霸权(文化领导权)的思想。在葛兰西看来,在国家的统治中,处于优势地位的阶级不但会通过武力和暴力的手段来维护自己的统治,还会通过精神领域中的道德等柔和的手段来维护自己的统治,这就是所谓的文化领导权。在葛兰西看来,文化领导权让被统治阶级自觉地在内心深处认同统治阶级的意识形态。葛兰西认为,革命要取得成功,首先必须夺取文化领导权。文化领导权的夺取具有阵地战的特点,具有持久性,非一朝一夕就可以完成。葛兰西的文化领导权思想对伯明翰文化研究学派影响很深。菲斯克就吸收了葛兰西的文化领导权理论。在菲斯克看来,意识形态并不是一个风平浪静的领域,消费者并非言听计从,而是在消费领域与统治阶层展开了激烈的意识形态争斗,这实际上是受到文化领导权夺取中阵地战理论的影响。其次是异化。异化的概念也不是马克思首先使用的,但马克思深化了对异化的研究。马克思经常使用的概念是异化劳动,在马克思看来,在资本主义条件下,原来的劳动对象和劳动过程成为异己的力量,开始控制人,异化人。后来马克思又明确地使用了>商品拜物教<的概念。他认为物与物的关系遮蔽了人与人真正的关系,这实际上是商品异化的具体体现,是对其早期异化学说的进一步深化。在马克思之后,将异化理论发扬光大的是卢卡奇。卢卡奇看到,异化不再仅仅局限于生产领域,而是延伸到整个的生活领域和消费领域,成为整个人类的一种普遍命运。异化不仅在人的意识层面展开,也在人的无意识层面展开。马克思的异化理论以及卢卡奇的物化理论成为西方马克思主义消费文化研究的又一个重要理论基础。法兰克福学派的弗洛姆深受异化理论的影响,提出了异化消费的概念。而鲍德里亚则看到,人不仅为具体的物控制,而且也陷入符号体系中,被符号所异化。第二部分是法兰克福学派的消费文化思想。在西方马克思主义的消费文化研究中,法兰克福学派是非常重要的流派。法兰克福学派对消费文化的批判是与对大众文化批判、国家批判、科学技术批判、意识形态批判以及现代性批判紧密地结合在一起的。在对消费文化的批判中,他们看到,消费社会并不是我们理想的社会形态,物质的极大丰盛并没有消除人与人之间的不平等,并没有带来幸福和民主。阿多诺批判了文化工业所导致的蒙昧,艺术被市场化,个性生命的沉沦之类弊端;马尔库塞认为,科学技术与消费文化一道维护着资产阶级的意识形态,让整个消费社会成为失去了反思和批判能力的单向度社会,使人们沉浸在消费所承诺的幸福之中,沉浸在用消费表达自我的幻觉之中,失去了自己的主体性;弗洛姆看到,在发达资本主义国家的消费社会中,异化非但没有减轻和消除,反而愈演愈烈,人性非但没有走向健康发展的道路,反而更加扭曲。消费让人异化,成为消费的机器;本雅明亦指出,在消费社会中,艺术的灵韵已经消失,艺术家的灵魂已被腐蚀。法兰克福学派对消费文化的研究是深刻的,有重大的意义,但也存在着明显的不足。首先,他们过分地突出了意识形态的作用,低估了消费者对意识形态的反抗与抵制;其次,他们把消费者看作是原子化的乌合之众,忽略了消费者的复杂性和主体能力;最后,他们把文化文本当作是简单的、标准化的、没有个性的文化产品,而没有注意到文化文本的复杂性,以及接受者解读的多种可能性。第三部分对法兰克福学派之后影响渐大的伯明翰文化研究学派的代表人物之一美国学者菲斯克和法国思想家鲍德里亚消费文化的研究。菲斯克对法兰克福学派的观点提出了强烈质疑。在他看来,消费者并不是原子化的个体,彼此之间毫无联系,而是具有主动性和强烈的斗争意识;意识形态不是单一的,而是复杂多变的;统治阶级利用消费文化推行意识形态的过程,也是被统治阶级躲避、对付或抵抗意识形态的过程,更是建构自己消费文化意义的过程和寻求快感的过程。这类见解,标志着西方马克思主义消费文化研究的一个重大转折:从历史唯物主义的方法转向了微观政治的研究方法,从对经济基础—上层建筑关系的关注模式转向了对人们的日常生活的关注,从一味地强调统治阶级的强大,转向了强调被统治阶级的力量,突出了他们对统治阶级意识形态的躲避和抵抗。尽管菲斯克突出了消费者的权力和主动性,但他有些矫枉过正,过分突出了大众的力量,反而低估了资产阶级意识形态的强大。其结果是他的微观政治领域中的抵抗只能是温和的、渐进的,根本就无法改变现行的制度,只能是认同和肯定现实,批判也就失去了应有的锋芒。鲍德里亚主要见解是:在消费社会,人不仅被具体的物品所异化,而且处在强大的物的体系中,被符号所异化。符号体系成为控制人的新力量,消费者陷入永无止境的符号体系的模范/系列和个性化的追求之中,永远难以满足。这标志着西方马克思主义消费文化研究的另一个转向,即从强调物导致的异化转向强调符号所导致的异化。鲍德里亚早期的‘符号政治经济学’为当代消费社会中的消费需求、媒介交往和社会一体化提供了新的视角。他看到了传媒与符号对人心灵的腐蚀,疾呼消费社会对人类精神的危害。这些见解都是具有重要的理论和现实意义。但鲍德里亚的理论也有值得注意的缺陷。他的思想带有浓重的技术决定论色彩。此外,他的超真实、内爆、模仿、仿真等符号学概念遮蔽了不平等的经济制度、社会关系以及社会罪恶,掩盖了符号背后的真实与利益,使符号本身被神秘化。最后,本文对西方马克思主义消费文化研究的经验、教训进行了总结。西方马克思主义者既坚守了意识形态和异化理论,吸取了马克思主义的批判精髓,又没有固步自封,而是采取了多元化、灵活化的研究策略,这让其研究不断地注入新的活力。西方马克思主义消费文化理论为人类消费文化的健康发展做出了重要的贡献。目前我国虽没有进入消费社会,但已明显受到了消费主义文化的影响。为了建立健康的消费文化观,我们必须进一步加强对西方马克思主义消费文化的研究,并吸取其优秀成果。
  • Western Marxist consumer culture inherits Marx’s critical stand and research perspective. Meanwhile, it also absorbs trends of thought in modern western philosophy, studying and introspecting western consumer society .This dissertation aims to do a systematic research on the western Marxist consumer culture and explore its theoretical source, analyzing views of the representatives to supply useful reference for our modernization. The first part is about discussion on the theoretical sources of western Marxist consumer culture. The author regards Marxist ideology and Autonio Gramsci’s theory of cultural hegemony; Marxist theory of alienation and Georg Lukács’s theory of reification as two important theoretical perspectives and foundation stone to do research on western Marxist consumer culture. It starts with ideology. Western Marxist ideology mainly contributes to Marx. It is Marx who accelerates research on ideology theory. In the earlier stages of Marx and Engels ideology has densely negative implications. In their opinion, the class occupying a dominant position in economy must occupy the same position in culture too. In order to defend for their dominant interest, the ruling class makes up lies that their own interest is equal to the interest of all the classes in society. Marx and Engels’s ideology makes a tremendous impact on western Marxist’s values of consumption. Marxist regards consumer culture as an ideology which is applied by the ruling class to preserve their interest. It is a lie and false awareness useful for the whole ruling class.– After Marx and Engels, Antonio Gramsci puts forward the idea of culture hegemony. In Gramsci’s opinion, the class in superior position would safeguard their dominance not only by the means force and violence, but also by the moderate means of morality in field of mind. It is so called culture hegemony. He thinks that culture hegemony has made the ruling class approve of the ideology of ruling class in the depth of their heart consciously. So controlling the culture hegemony is critical in the final success of revolution. Culture hegemony is characterized by positional warfare which is enduring and it can not be achieved in one morning or evening. Gramsci’s theory culture hegemony influences the Birmingham culture study school deeply. Fisk absorbs the theory and thinks that ideology is not a calm field. Consumers do not believe what they said without doubt and they fight against the ruling class fiercely in the field of consumption. It is affected by the theory that one should achieve the initiative.– Next is alienation. This concept is not first used by Marx, but he develops it advanced. Marx often uses the concept of labor. In his opinion, the previous object and process of labor have been forces of alienation beginning to control humans. Later on, Marx adopts the concept of religion of goods admiration, thinking that the relations of material hide the true relationship of people. It is the specific embodiment of alienation caused by goods, and a further development of previous theory of alienation. After Marx, it is Lukács who makes the theory of alienation known. He discovers that alienation does not limit in the field of production, but it extends to the whole field of life and consumption, being a common destiny of the whole people. Alienation does not exist in our mind of conscious level but also the unconscious level. Marxist theory of alienation and Lukács’s theory of reification become another theoretical foundation of research on western Marxist consumer culture. Frankfurt School’s representative Fromm is deeply affected by theory of alienation and consumption. While Baudrillard finds that humans are not only controlled by specific materials but also by semiotic systems. The second part is devoted to study Frankfurt School’s Consumer culture. Frankfurt School is a very important school among those who do research on consumer culture. Their critique of consumer culture is closely combined with critique of art and literature for the masses, critique of the government, scientific critique, critique of ideology and modern critic. They find that consumer society isn’t the ideal social formation, and the abundant material doesn’t get rid off the inequality of people, bringing no happiness and democracy.– T. W. Adorno criticizes the uncivilized, following cultural industry, the marketing art and shortcomings of the degradation of life of individuality.– Herbert Marcuse thinks that consumer culture safeguards the ruling class’s ideology as well as science and technology. It not only makes the whole consumer society be a unidirectional society without reflectional and critical ability, but also has people indulge in the promised happiness and illusion of self-expression through consumption, which makes people lose subjective quality.– Fromm discovers that in the consumer society of developed countries, alienation becomes rampant but not be lessened or eliminated, and humanity becomes even more twisted but not develops healthily. Consumption causes human beings’ alienation and makes them reduce to consuming machines.– Benjamin also points out that connotation of art has disappeared and artists’ souls have been corroded. Frankfurt School’s research on consumer culture is profound and significant, but there are still many obvious inadequacies. Firstly, they focus too much on the impact of ideology and neglect consumers’ fight and rebellion against it. Secondly, they regard consumers as a disorderly band of atoms, overlooking the complex ability initiative of consumers. Finally, they equate cultural texts with simplified, standard cultural production without individuality, excluding the complex ability of cultural text and the receivers’explaining ability. The third part is about Fisk’s research on the consumer culture, who is a representative of Birmingham School – a famous school after Frankfurt school and France thinker Jean Baudrillard’s ideas. Fisk puts forward his doubt about Frankfurt School intensely. In his opinion, consumers are not individuals of atom which has nothing to do with each other, but they have initiatives and strong fighting consciousness. Ideology is not simplistic but complex and changeable. The process that the ruling class pursue ideology by consumer culture is also the process that the ruled class avoid or fight against ideology, a process they constructing their own cultural significance and search for the delight. This kind of explanation marks a great turning point of research on Western Marxist consumer culture. The research approach changes from historical materialism to micro-politics, the observation model from economic base-supper structure to ordinary men daily life. They also pay attention to the force of the ruled class but not the strength of the ruling class, emphasizing the ruled class avoiding and fighting against ideology of the ruling class.– Though Fisk puts forward emphasis on the right of initiative of consumers, his opinions are overcorrected, overstressing force of the masses and under-evaluating bourgeois strength. They can only to fight against moderately and gradually in the field of micro-politics, being unable to change the current systems. They have to confirm the system and their opinions lose critical force.– Baudrillard’s basic opinion is that: human beings are not alienated by specific materials but also by the signs when they are besieged in strong nets of material in consumer society. Consumers trapped in endless system of signs and individual request will be not satisfied forever when this system become a new force controlling human being. This means another turning point in research on the Western Marxist consumer culture. That is, they put emphasis on alienation caused by signs but not by materials.– Baudrillard’s early >semiotic politics economics< provides a new perspective to consuming requirement, media communication and social integration. He advocates that consumer society endangers our spirit, because he sees the spiritual erosion caused by media and semiotic clearly. These views and explanations have great theoretical and practical significance. While his over-reality, inter-explosion, imitation, simulation and semiotics hide the unfair economic system, social relationship and social evils. They also hide the truthfulness and interest behind the semiotics, making them mysterious. Finally, the dissertation presents the summary about experience and lessens of Western Marxist cultural research. The author thinks that on one hand Western Marxists hold up to the theory of ideology and alienation and absorbs Marxist critical essence; On the other hand they are not conservative but adopt a flexible and pluralistic research strategy. It brings mew blood into their research, making great contribution to the health of human beings’ consumer culture. Nowadays, though our country doesn’t step into consumer society, but we are strongly affected by consumer culture. In order to build healthy value of consumer culture, we must do a further research on Western Marxist consumer culture and absorb their essence positively. [Author’s translation]

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Metadaten
Author:Hui Li
Document Type:Dissertations
Language:Chinese
Year of first Publication:2007
Release Date:2015/12/14
Format:no download and copy possible
IdNo:Li_Hui_2007
Writings about Erich Fromm (Secondary Literature):Dissertations / Dissertationen
Erich Fromm's Library and Erich Fromm Archive:Dissertations / Dissertationen
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