人类解放的物质基础

【导读】

本文摘自马克思和恩格斯的《德意志意识形态》，这部著作写于1845年9月至1846年8月，写作的直接原因是为了反驳鲍威尔和施蒂娜在《维干德季刊》上发表的几篇文章。由于各种原因，这部著作在马克思生前一直未能发表。

【箴言】

人为了能够“创造历史”，必须能够生活。而为了生活，首先就需要吃喝住穿以及很多其他的东西。

没有蒸汽机和珍妮走锭精纺机就不能消灭奴隶制；没有改良的农业就不能消灭农奴制；当人还不能使自己的吃喝住穿在质和量的方面得到充分保证的时候，人就根本不能获得解放。

【正文】

因为我们谈论的德国人还没有任何前提，所以我们必须首先确定一个前提，这个前提是人类生存的第一个前提，也是一切历史的第一个前提，这个前提是：人为了能够“创造历史”，必须能够生活。而为了生活，首先就需要吃喝住穿以及很多其他的东西。因此第一个历史活动就是生产满足这些需要的物质资料，即生产物质生活本身，这种历史活动是全部历史的基本条件，人单是为了能够生活就必须每日每时去完成它，现在是这样，几千年前也是这样。即使感性世界在圣布鲁诺那里被归结为像一根棍子那样微不足道的东西，它仍然必须以生产这根棍子的活动为前提。因此任何历史观必须首先注意上述基本事实的全部意义和全部范围，并给予应有的重视。大家知道，德国人从来没有这样做过，所以他们从来没有为历史提供世俗的基础，因而也从来没有过一个历史学家。……

当然，哲学家是聪明的，我们不用花费精力去启发他们而使他们懂得：如果他们把哲学、神学、实体和一切废话都简化为“自我意识”，如果他们把“人”从这些词句的统治下解放出来，那么“人”的“解放”也并没有前进一步，实际上，人也从来没有受过这些词句的奴役；而只有在现实世界中，并使用现实的手段，才能实现真正的解放。没有蒸汽机和珍妮走锭精纺机就不能消灭奴隶制；没有改良的农业就不能消灭农奴制；当人还不能使自己的吃喝住穿在质和量的方面得到充分保证的时候，人就根本不能获得解放。“解放”是一种历史活动，不是思想活动，“解放”是由历史的关系，是由工业状况、商业状况、农业状况和交往状况促成的。

英文鉴赏

Since we are dealing with the Germans, who are devoid of premises, we must begin by stating the first premise of all human existence and, therefore, of all history, the premise, namely, that men must be in a position to live in order to be able to “make history.” But life involves before everything else eating and drinking, a habitation, clothing and many other things.The first historical act is thus the production of the means to satisfy these needs, the production of material life itself. And indeed this is an historical act, a fundamental condition of all history, which today, as thousands of years ago, must daily and hourly be fulfilled merely in order to sustain human life. Even when the sensuous world is reduced to a minimum, to a stick as with Saint Bruno [Bauer], it presupposes the action of producing the stick.(1)Therefore in any interpretation of history one has first of all to observe this fundamental fact in all its significance and all its implications and to accord it its due importance. It is well known that the Germans have never done this, and they have never, therefore, had an earthly basis for history and consequently never an historian.……

We shall, of course, not take the trouble to enlighten our wise philosophers by explaining to them that the “liberation” of man is not advanced a single step by reducing philosophy, theology, substance and all the trash to “self-consciousness” and by liberating man from the domination of these phrases, which have never held him in thrall. Nor will we explain to them that it is only possible to achieve real liberation in the real world and by employing real means, that slavery cannot be abolished without the steam-engine and the mule and spinning-jenny, serfdom cannot be abolished without improved agriculture, and that, in general, people cannot be liberated as long as they are unable to obtain food and drink, housing and clothing in adequate quality and quantity.“Liberation” is an historical and not a mental act, and it is brought about by historical conditions, the development of industry, commerce, agriculture, the conditions of intercourse.