Marx & religion

Marx's theories about religion

Category:

Education

Tags:

• Marx
• communism
• communist
• religion
• atheism
• atheist
• dialectical
• materialism
• thesis
• antithesis
• Hegel
• synthesis

[kmb117]

Seems like this explanation is missing some information; It is not completely true that Marx felt that religion was created by the ruling class. Rather, religion is a result of humanities material existence. It is a manifestation of what is wrong with our lives. Therefore, it is not a creation of the oppressor, rather a creation of the oppressed, as a palliative for being exploited. Religion, therefore, will be shed when our material existence no longer requires it.

[headlessprofessor]

@kmb117

You have given a cery clear and humanistic spin on Marx, comparable to Erich Fromm.

[epsilon8998]

Was a good video until about 6:40 when he started babelling about the typical tripe of how "communism didn't work". The soviet union was never communist. It was state capitalist with some socialist influences, but it never overcame the fatal flaws of the imperial western design that it was mimicing the whole time.

[headlessprofessor]

@epsilon8998

I have heard this explanation before, that the Soviet Union failed, not because it was too communist, but because it was not communist enough. There is a political party here of that orientation: Partido del Trabajo, and I must admit that they are more sincere and consistent than the other leftist parties: PRI, PRD, Covergenia, PVEM.

[77Merav]

And what a bout radical ideology like the Nazism, where it's stand according to Marx ? Marxism turn to some Kind of religion- opium to the intellectuals... isnt that mean that the Marxism himself( the intellectuals) turn to be the exploited class?

[headlessprofessor]

Responding to 77Merav, I would agree that both Nazism and Marxism have elements of a religion. My video on religion defines it as a system of doctrines, ethics, rituals, myths, and symbols. Both Marxism and Nazism would qualify, if you see their ideologies as doctrines. Both Marxism and Nazism even had apocalyptic aspects. You are right that both turned out to exploit (or at least oppress) intellectuals.

[JayPhilosopher]

I do not believe Marx ever talked about "perfect" societies.He did talk about societies that were not based on exploitation.

[etlamortavous]

@watermelonygoodness i was thinking the same thing.

[watermelonygoodness]

Sounds like William Lane Craig.

[TheUnknownVisiterX]

Jesus is Lord! He was always and will always be.

[TheRICOROBINSON]

sounds like one big circle 

[cris750]

@KumarZimmerman08 You are describing STATE CAPITALISM! not communism!

[KumarZimmerman08]

Our governments are communist. that's what the worlds moving towards. no borders. no religion. just slaves and their masters.

[TheCommunard]

@kmb117 In individual cases I think that one can find spiritual fulfilment, but as a social phenomena, religion does play this role in relation to capitalism.

This is not why religion arises, but how it functions in capitalism. Before protestantism arose, belief and spirituality had little to do with Christianity, which was about works and the sacraments. In the western sense, capitalism certainly gave room for Luther's interpretation. Not to say that religion cannot be directly spiritual.

[kmb117]

@TheCommunard Interesting explanation. However, I think it doesn't encompass the totality of the religious experience. Plus, religion is synonymous with humanity throughout recorded history. Capitalism however, is not. Religion cannot be explained through it's associate with capitalism.

[TheCommunard]

@kmb117 The opiate in fact acts as filling the gap in spiritual fulfilment created by humanity's alienation from labour. Labour is both subject and object, but as capitalism makes the subject into capital, and humanity into the object, humanity becomes an 'appendage of the machine' alienating their species being (self awareness of humanity). The spiritual fulfilment which labour could provide in the act of creation through labour is destroyed by alienation, and religion acts as a filler.