Marx's Critique of Kantian Ethical Thought in His Doctoral Thesis

In Marx’s view, Kantian moral autonomy could not really solve the conflict and confrontation between individuals as well as the individual and the society, as a result of the initial development of capitalism. As the greatest enlightenment thinker in ancient times, Epicurean philosophy represented the development of ancient Greek philosophy from entity spirit to subject spirit. Returning to ancient Greek philosophy, Marx tried to find a way to lead a “good” life under the predicament of human existence in capitalism. In his doctoral thesis, Marx responded to and tried to advance Kantian ethical thinking on a number of ethical propositions by discussing Epicurean physics and ethics, showing his efforts to transcend mechanical view of nature and engage in religious criticism. In the dissertation period, Marx has a preliminary realization that the abstract self-consciousness must break its pure subjectivity and grow into practical power and individual moral behavior is influenced by natural and social conditions. The individuals must participate in community life, in which they complete their ethical life.