為了正確理解當代中國諸上層建筑領域——法、政治、道德等建設的任務和目標,必須首先從社會現實的觀點去把握中國社會的特定性質和時代變遷。主觀意識的觀點僅僅局限于單純的"應當"和"外部反思",而社會現實的觀點則要求把諸上層領域的本質性歸結為特定的社會現實,歸結為具有獨特社會-歷史規定的"實在主體"。社會現實的觀點首先與黑格爾和馬克思的學說相聯系。從真正現實的觀點來看,"市民社會"以原子個人(由一千多年的基督教統治所造成)為前提;與此不同,迄今為止的中國社會乃是區別于"市民社會"的"倫理社會",而且其現代變遷并不趨向于造就原子個人一途,因而并不歸結為與政治國家相分離的市民社會。在此意義上可以說,不存在原子個人乃是理解中國社會的鑰匙,而中國社會轉型的可能性正在于它成為市民社會的不可能性。唯有立足于社會現實的觀點,才可能真正把握中國社會的實體性內容及其現代變遷,才可能正確地揭示其諸上層領域建設的現實基礎和客觀定向。

In order to correctly understand the tasks and goals of the construction of China’s contemporary superstructure,we must first and foremost comprehend from the perspective of social reality the peculiar characteristics and the change of eras of Chinese society. The perspective of social reality is closely connected with Hegel’s and Marx’s doctrines. Chinese society has hitherto been an "ethical society"in contrast to a civil society,and since its modern transitions do not go along the path of creating the atomized individual,it is not to be classified as a civil society that is separate from the political state. In this sense,it can be said that the non-existence of the atomized individual is the key to understanding Chinese society,and the possibility of China’s social transformation lies precisely in its impossibility of becoming a civil society. Only on the basis of the perspective of social reality can we truly comprehend the substantial content and modern transitions of Chinese society and correctly reveal the realistic ground and objective orientation of the construction of its superstructure.