对"五种社会形态理论"一个主要依据的质疑--重释《政治经济学批判〈序言〉》的一段著名论述

马克思在《政治经济学批判<序言>》中有一段著名的论述,即"大体说来,亚细亚的、古代的、封建的和现代资产阶级的生产方式可以看作是社会经济形态演进的几个时代"。当前我国流行的"五种社会形态理论"把这一论述理解为人类社会的发展表现为亚细亚社会、古代社会、封建社会和资本主义社会的依次更替,并把这种理解作为它的一个主要依据。我们认为,这种理解不符合马克思的原意,因为它与马克思在同一时期写作的《政治经济学批判(1857-1858年草稿)》中的大量论述存在明显矛盾,从《政治经济学批判(1857-1858年草稿)》的内容来看,马克思并没提出过"五种社会形态理论",而只提出过"三大社会形态理论"。

Questioning the Theoretical Basis for "Five Types of Social Formation"--Reinterpreting a Well-known Quotation from "The Preface to The Critique of Political Economy"

In "The Preface to The Critique of Political Economy" Marx wrote a famous passage: " In broad outlines Asiatic, ancient, feudal and modern bourgeois modes of production can be designated as progressive epochs in the economic formation of society". The theory of "five types of social formation" that is prevalent in our country understands the passage as meaning that the development of human society displays the successive replacement of Asiatic society, ancient society, feudal society and capitalist society, and takes this understanding as it' s a main basis. This thesis points out that the understanding is not in keeping with what Marx meant, because it is in contradiction with many expositions in The Grundrisse Marx wrote at same time. By reinterpreting the passage in "The Preface" on The Grundrisse, this thesis shows that Marx never put forward the theory of " five types of social formation" , but merely the theory of " three great social formations".