在海德格爾存在論中扮演關鍵性角色的此在概念,在康德、黑格爾哲學中實為一定的存在——定在。青年馬克思在早期文獻中,多用定在、社會定在和定在方式等概念,而在1845—1847年歷史唯物主義創立時期,如同不再使用異化、類本質等概念一樣,馬克思刻意回避使用了社會定在等帶有思辨哲學色彩的話語。然而,他卻用一定的、歷史的、具體的現實社會生活情境來表征歷史唯物主義的特殊質性。一直到1848年之后,馬克思在《共產黨宣言》和《資本論》等經濟學手稿中重新恢復使用社會定在、定在方式等概念。可以說,并不是抽象的社會存在決定社會意識,而是社會定在規制人的全部觀念,這才是歷史唯物主義最重要的科學原則。

The crucial concept of Dasein(being there)in Heidegger’s ontology is actually the Daseinin the sense of"existence"of the philosophy of Kant and Hegel.In his early writings,the young Marx frequently used such concepts as Dasein(existence),gesellschaftliche Dasein(social existence),and Existenzweise(the mode of existence),but during the period 1845-1847,when historical materialism was formulated,he deliberately avoided using terms tinged with the hue of speculative philosophy,including gesellschaftliche Dasein,just as he no longer used the concepts of Entfremdung(alienation) and Gattungswesen(species-being).However,he made use of certain concrete historical realities in social life to represent the special qualities of historical materialism.It was not until 1848 that he returned to using the concepts of gesellschaftliche Dasein,Existenzweise,etc.in such economic manuscripts as The Com munist Manifesto and Capital.One could say that it is not abstract social existence that determines social consciousness;rather,social existence regulates all human concepts.It is this that is the most important principle of historical materialism.