Abstract:

Labor, as the essential mode of existence distinguishing humans from animals, constitutes the core proposition of Marxist humanistic theory. Examining the practical dilemma of “value alienation” in labor education from this theoretical perspective, and clarifying the intrinsic connections between labor, labor education, and its ontological value, this paper draws upon core Marxist concepts concerning “human essence” “human needs” “human value” and “human development”. It proposes the inherent characteristics labor education itself should pursue—namely, its humanistic attribute, value attribute, need attribute, and developmental attribute—thus providing a frame of reference for the return of contemporary labor education to its ontological value of “cultivating human beings through labor”. Realizing the ontological value of labor education requires using Marxist humanistic theory as the overarching foundation. This necessitates driving a transformation in the goals and philosophy of labor education—shifting it from an instrumental means towards a path confirming “the species-being of humans.” It demands establishing the primacy of labor education’s “ontological value” over its “instrumental value,” thereby correcting the practical deviation of simplifying labor education into an appendage of other forms of education. Furthermore, it requires clarifying the content boundaries, shifting labor education from satisfying the “need for cultivating talents” to the “need for cultivating human beings.” Only through the coordinated advancement of these three aspects can labor education, in practice, achieve the real confirmation of human essential powers, ultimately fulfilling its logical aim: cultivating a new generation for the times through the essence of humanity.

Key words: labor education, Marxism, human science theory, ontological value