Abstract: In the modern setting of social development the fundamental function of culture is becoming prominent.At the time of mass consumption,culture penetrates into economic and political activities of the society.Then,how should culture be properly defined? How to understand the complicated relation between culture and society? How to tackle the dynamic function of culture in social reforms? How to interpret the practical significance of mass culture and political practice? All these questions present important theoretical issues that await Marxist theorists who are concerned with the reality of social reforms.Thus,the exploration into construction and perfection of Marxist theory of culture points to the basic direction in the development of Marxism in the modern era.This paper aims at analyzing "cultural materialism" proposed by Raymond Williams,a British leftist theorist,and discussing its theoretical construction and significance.The author holds that not only is cultural materialism a response to the practical issues in social development of the modern time,but it has also profoundly expanded Marxist theory of culture to a certain extent.

Key words: Williams, cultural materialism, economic base and superstructure, determinism, the society as a whole

摘要： 在当代社会的发展格局中,文化愈发凸现出其固有的基础性作用。尤其是在文化进入大众消费时代之后,文化更是普遍地渗透在社会的经济政治活动之中。如何正确地定义"文化"?如何认识文化与社会之间的复杂关系?如何把握文化在当代社会变革中的能动作用?如何理解大众文化与政治实践的现实意义?这些都是摆在始终关注现实变革的马克思主义理论家面前的重要理论课题。于是乎,怎样去建构和完善马克思主义的文化理论就成为了当代马克思主义发展的一个基本方向。本文将通过具体探讨英国新左派理论家雷蒙·威廉斯的"文化唯物主义",对于这种旨在调整和完善历史唯物主义的理论建构及其意义进行一番梳理。"文化唯物主义"不仅回应了当代社会发展的现实问题,而且在一定程度上也拓宽和深化了马克思主义的文化理论。

关键词: 威廉斯, 文化唯物主义, 经济基础与上层建筑, 决定论, 社会总体