Marxism

Interesting reading last night on one of the most influential thinkers of history -- Karl Marx.

The theses of Marxism appear so strange. A system that seeks to overthrow oppression via a dictatorship? Society eliminating the crime and greed of all individuals? Class struggle being THE determining factor in human history? It's hard to believe how much these ideas continue to influence the world today.

Pojman poses the question, "...could a nation's religious tradition affect its economic-political development?" (165) I would answer in the affirmative, giving no other evidence than the evening news. It also made me think of an investigation conducted by sociologist Max Weber: "…capitalism thrived in only certain parts of Europe…he concluded that religion held the key, for it was in Protestant countries that capitalism flourished, while Roman Catholic countries held on to tradition and were relatively untouched by capitalism" (Henslin 171).

I think Marx had some interesting things to say about religion. "Religion is the sigh of an oppressed culture, the sentiment of a heartless world, and the soul of soulless conditions. It is the opium of the people" (Pojman 161). Religion is indeed a painkiller for a harsh world, especially when it keeps its adherents disconnected from reality. Often the church is used to mop up the mess left by society. (Example: soup kitchens in a country where the minimum wage hasn't been raised since 1997.)

Marx wanted change and abandoned religion in the process. "The abolition of religion as the illusory happiness of men, is a demand for their real happiness" (Pojman 161). I wonder what he would have made of Christian activism that strives to make "His will done on earth as it is in heaven?"

WORKS CITED

Henslin, James M. Sociology: A Down to Earth Approach. Needham Heights, MA: Allyn & Bacon, 1995.

Pojman, Louis P. Who Are We?: Theories of Human Nature. New York, NY: Oxford, 2006.