Page 91 - 《社会》2026年第3期

社会·2026·3

meaning of the Zeitgeist. Marx keenly observed that the Hegelian conception of
spiritual history， which connected classical antiquity with modernity through
Stoicism and subsequently through the idealism of Christianity， both produced and
reflected a spiritual condition in which reason in modern society had become highly
developed， while will， or vital power， had become extremely enfeebled. In
contrast， by creatively reviving the figure and thought of Epicurus within the
Western spiritual tradition， Marx established the spiritual character of his later
materialist sociology. Unlike any previous form of materialism， the embryonic
materialist thought developed by the young Marx signified an attitude of confronting
oneself realistically and sincerely. He broke through all imaginative and theoretical
illusions， reflected upon his own subjective state， and simultaneously took a firm
hold of himself， thereby cultivating， in social action， a spiritual disposition to face
and resist the oppressive conditions of social existence. This was articulated by the
young Marx through the historical鄄philosophical metaphor of the opposition between
Roman character and Jewishness. This offers important insights for contemporary
Chinese sociology：not only is the pursuit of the Zeitgeist a prerequisite for
sociological research， but exploring the profound implications of the spirit of the age
for transformative change is also closely connected to comprehending the origins of
civilization.
Keywords：Zeitgeist， Roman character， atomism， self鄄consciousness， materialism

一、 导言

我们将马克思视为西方现代社会学的重要奠基人， 通常是从他在
1843—1844 年完成的《黑格尔法哲学批判》《论犹太人问题》以及《〈黑
格尔法哲学批判〉导言》（下文简称《导言》）等文献开始讲起的。 它们初
步呈现了马克思社会观的形成过程：首先，《黑格尔法哲学批判》颠倒了
黑格尔法哲学里市民社会与国家的位置，指出国家乃唯灵论的虚构，市
民社会才是真实的存在；《论犹太人问题》 则通过揭示犹太民族在基督
教国家中的处境， 道出犹太人的生活象征着现代普遍的私人状态之观
点，从而还原了市民社会赤裸裸的真相，即金钱替代了上帝，主宰着市
民社会里“一切人反对一切人的战争”；最后，《导言》呼唤人类从市民
社会以及由这“黑暗的自然基础”产生的国家之中彻底解放出来，通过

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