Liu Tongfang；Dialectical Relationship between “The Anatomy of Man” and “The Anatomy of the Ape”
Release time: 2024-06-13
Abstract:In the Introduction to the Critique of Political Economy, Marx vividly proposed the classic assertion that “The anatomy of man is a key to the anatomy of the ape”. Marx’s method of “thinking from the back” regards capitalist society as the research subject and reference coordinate, and carries out external reflection on pre-capitalist society. In terms of the specific speaking context and core interpretation framework of the text, Marx used this external reflection method to analyze capitalist society and strive to grasp the internal relation in the evolution and changes of human society’s historical forms. This method inherently contains the idea of "understanding the past through the present", as well as the dialectical implication that “the anatomy of man” cannot replace “the anatomy of the ape” and that “the anatomy of the ape” and “the anatomy of man” cannot be mutually negated. Marx’s method of “the anatomy of man is a key to the anatomy of the ape” provides the scientific epistemological guidance for tracing back to historical origins and seeking historical laws.
From：STUDIES ON MARXISM，No.3，March 2023
Editor：Jian
ACADEMY OF MARXISM CHINESE ACADEMY OF SOCIAL SCIENCES