A Philosophical Critique Of Karl Marx’s Conception Of Religion

A Philosophical Critique Of Karl Marx’s Conception Of Religion

Table Of Contents

Title runner——– i

instrument——– ii

fidelity——– iii

Acknowledgements——- iv

Table of Contents——- vi

Abstract——– viii

CHAPTER ONE preface

Background to the Study—— 1

Statement of the Problem—— 2

Purpose of the Study—— 2

Significance of the Study—— 3

compass of the Study——- 3

system of the Study——- 4

Literature Review——- 4

Endnotes——– 6

CHAPTER TWO memoir of Karl Marx

A detail History of Karl Marx—– 8

Influences on Karl Marx—— 10

The workshop of Karl Marx—— 13

Endnotes——– 16

CHAPTER THREE Karl Marx’s generality of Religion

General generalities of Religion—– 18

Religion as Opium of the People—– 22

The Notion of Man as God to his fellow Man 23

Endnotes——– 26

CHAPTER FOUR A notice of Marx’s generality of Religion

The Effect of Religion in an Ideal State—- 28

The Positive Aspects of Religion in a State 30

The Negative Aspects of Religion in a State—- 32

Endnotes——– 34

Chapter Five Conclusion

Conclusion——– 36

Endnotes——– 39

Bibliography——- 40

Abstract

Religion is a queried notion because different persons have different view of what it is. Religion is abecedarian because no society can live without it as part of their culture, it’s also part of mortal nature. This exploration tried to dissect the meaning of religion, its positive and negative aspects in a society and also an attempt was made to dissect its significance in an ideal society.

This exploration was carried out by first, looking at the background, purpose, significant, purpose of religion. The styles used were literal, explanatory and critical styles, and analysis.

We examined the colorful generalities of religion by different scholars, especially Karl Marx’s conception of religion which is the main purpose for this exploration. We also bandied how a true nature of religion ought to be and eventually, a conclusion was drawn.

Chapter One

Preface

Background To The Study

The history of religion can be traced to the ancient world. It can be traced to some persuasions similar as orphism, Hinduism, Buddhism, Taoism, African Traditional persuasions and so on. Religion, no mistrustfulness is a base of societal order. It’s a belief in a supernatural being which can impact one’s geste . Religion enables us to play some places in the society which includes shaping the life style of the existent that will make people live in concinnity. Religion also functions as an account of the prodigies or mystifications in nature. Religion is important because it gives the existent that knowledge of living a moral life in the society. Religion is one of the key of morality which teaches us to separate what’s right from what’s wrong. It’s a source of moral obligation which makes people to recommend that “ you must live a moral life because God has commanded you to do so ”.1

Having said that, religion in the period of Karl Marx was a tool of exploitation. At that time, the important and rich( bourgeoisie) used religion as a tool to exploit their workers or lower privileged( riffraff), hence religion came the tool by which the bourgeoisie satisfied their egoistic desire through the labour of their workers. No wonder Karl Marx defined religion as “ an opium of the people ”.2 The issue of exploitation started with the origin of religion and not with Karl Marx.

Statement Of The Problem

The issue to be addressed is that of religion. Religion as formerly said over is a source of moral obligation. But it seems that this description of religion is different from what Marx defined religion to be. Marx defined religion as a form of social knowledge.3 Religion is used to oppress and pacify people. He believed that religion exists because of the profitable exploitation that live in the commercial system. In the commercial system, the millions who are always the maturity( riffraff) are exploited by the nonage( bourgeoisie). This leads to the problem of conflicts. This raises questions about the part of religion in suppressing people’s genuine agitations. It’s this issue that this exploration sets out to deal with. The question really is, how can the link between man and God be compromised in order to serve the interest of domination and oppression by the bourgeoisie given the fact that “ religion from the theological viewpoint can be seen as the link between man and God ”.4

Purpose Of The Study

Religion is concerned about the morality of mortal conduct, and both presuppose mortal freedom and responsibility. Religion moment has come a practice that leaves so important to be asked by people. Speaking from the Christian perspective, it’s clear from what the new generational churches of moment practice, that there’s the problem of some so- called men of God, going about establishing churches with the end of deceiving and exploiting people to enrich themselves. For this cause, this design is necessary in order to expose any false religious practices that may have informed Karl Marx’s notion of religion. Again, this design is important for the purpose of transubstantiating religion by giving it a sincere conception where morality stands as its base.

Significance Of The Study

Religion is similar a prominent point in mortal society that it can not be simply ignored.5 So, the significance of this exploration is to draw attention to the fact that it’s only where religion is rehearsed with sincerity or authentically that bone can talk about the moral life of the existent in a given society A mortal being can noway be complete without the spiritual good which is an essential part of his mortal person.

Again, this exploration is important because it tends to show that in a particular society where true religion is rehearsed, morality is held in high regard unlike in a society where people are treated unjustly.

Compass Of The Study

Religion is important. But one can not say for sure that it has all the answers to mortal predicaments. Unnaturally, this exploration shall be centred on Karl Marx notion of religion. Marx saw religion as the base of all social immoralities.6

still, the notion of religion by different scholars in different ages shall be bandied also where necessary.

System Of The Study

A system is a particular way of doing commodity.7 One of the styles to be used in this exploration is literal analysis. This will help to dissect the development of religion from the literal period to this period. We shall also use explanatory system. This will help to bring into view man’s notion of religion. Eventually, we shall borrow the critical system to enable usx-ray the positive and negative aspect of Marx’s notion of religion. To this end, we shall calculate on library and internet for handbooks, journals, papers and applicable class notes.

Literature Review

The first book to be reviewed is The Philosophical Journey An Interactive Approach, 8 written byW.F. Lawhead. In the sixth chapter of this book, both Marx and Hegel said that the dialectics is a literal process in which different opposing forces resolve their pressure by bringing into being a new stage of history.

Another book to be reviewed is A Philosophical Look at Religion, written byJ. Omoregbe.9 Chapter one of this book discusses different propositions of persuasions similar as the views of Sigmund Freud, Emile Durkheim among others. This book will help in agitating a general conception of religion and also in assessing Marx’s propositions of religion and making a notice of it.

Coming to be reviewed is the journal composition, The Marxist proposition on Revolution and Violence, byA. Schaff in Journal of the History of Ideas.10 Then,A. Schaff stresses the revolutions of the plebeians( workers) saying that the being social and political system is to be changed by a revolution and that a social revolution is to be linked with an defeat of that being social system by violence.

Another book to be reviewed is The passage of Discovery, written byW.F. Lawhead.11 In chapter twenty five of this book, the author wrote on the influence of Feuerbach’s notion of religion had on Karl Marx. For Feuerbach, religion is created by humanity through an unconscious process of protuberance. This will help form a notice on Marx’s notion of religion.

The final book to be reviewed then’s “ Freud and Marx on Religion and Morals ”, byR. Osborn in the Rational Animal.12 In this book, Osborn stressed the donation of Marxism is to stress the social applicability of morality, the fact that one society is innocently better than another to the extent that it provides a terrain in which men can approach their full mortal elevation. It’s applicable to my work in that it’ll help in exposing Marx’s notion of religion and its goods.