关键词: 马克思主义, 历史唯物主义, 本雅明, 经验, 青年

Abstract: Walter Benjamin, one of the major thinkers of Western Marxism, made an important contribution to historical materialism, maintaining its theoretical vitality. However, for a long time, due to the way of his theological interpretation and the theological elements in his thinking, his identity as a Marxist is obscure. This article provides an explanation of the issue from investigating the important turning point in Benjamins writings. During the period of Benjamin's intellectual journey from the beginning of his contact with historical materialism to his reinterpretation of it, his work is characterized by its intense focus on the concept of experience. His discussion about the concept of experience are the key evidence of its earliest intersection with historical materialism. Through analyzing the two early collections of his writings on experience, this paper identifies the initial occurrence of Benjamins connection with historical materialism and the perception model incubated in his theological linguistic view. This paper also finds the source of Benjamin's conception and explanation of historical materialism, thereby further reflecting upon his intellectual legacy, understanding the relationship between Benjamin and Marxism, and reconsidering his position in the theoretical spectrum of Western Marxism.

Key words: Marxism, historical materialism, Walter Benjamin, experience, youth