As the famed revolutionary career began, Marx articulated what would become the founding notion of his theory: “‘Man makes religion, religion does not make man’”. Although at the time the concept itself was not groundbreaking, the context in which it was said began the greatest change of social development the world had ever experienced. In effect, Marx solicited the uprising of any oppressed group of people by allowing them to take ownership of their lives. He freed them from the compulsion to accept the yolk of divinely ordained circumstances by being the occasion to their triumph over oppression. “Religion,” wrote Marx, “is the heart of a heartless world…” Religion is not itself evil; it is only in the heartless world that it is the greatest catalyst of oppression.
Although the author initially excerpts the most famous (or perhaps infamous) quote of Marx, he resolves that it must be understood in its complete context: “Religious suffering is, at one and the same time, the expression of real suffering and a protest against real suffering. Religion is the sigh of the oppressed creature, the heart of a heartless world, and the soul of soulless conditions. It is the opium of the people.”
Most crucial to appreciating Marx’s depth is recognizing his sensitivity to religion’s essence. Religion is a response to an overwhelming circumstance. Dominated by the upper class, the Bourgeoisie faces an inescapable dilemma of conforming to the will of their superiors. Without the means to protest their oppressors, this group of people embraces religion as a way of coping with their suffering. Thus, Marx called religion a “reflection,” “reflex,” and “superstructure” of the real world. In any society, the group that is treated secondarily can utilize religious perspective to justify the unfairness of their circumstances. From the outset, this group hasn't had a chance to create an ideology of self-creation, since it is stifled by the reality of its situation as second class citizens. Marx did not have a disdain for religion. Yet, he disliked the fact that religious perspective caused people to accept their downtrodden situations. Thusly, “he was not an anti-theist, but a critic of the reactionary social role that religion plays in supporting an exploitative social system”. It is religion’s functionality as a scape-goat from confronting reality that deems it negative.
Furthermore, Marx explains how the specifics aspects of religion promote an illusion of light in the dark work. As heaven—a realm independent and superior to the earth—is central to the Christian consciousness, Marx believed that it is a “duplicate world… the sort of duplicate to be found in a mirror which inverts the object it is reflection”. When one attaches himself to the notion of heaven, he can recreate his experiences on earth to reflect his self-imposed imaginary reality. Thus, Marx explains, “the sufferings of earth are reversed in the expectation of heavenly bliss; or, human suffering is said to be ultimately caused by God’s punishment of sin, whereas in reality that suffering results from the oppression and exploitation of human beings.” Through a subtle but definitive thrust, Marx dilutes the foundation on which religion stands, highlighting its reliance upon an illusory reality. Man needs religion in order to cope with his horrendous conditions. Marx believed that, while “religion may be illusory and self-defeating response to human problems…it is not an accidental nor pointless illusion”. In this way, religion is the heart of the world—heartless or not—since “the proletariat takes religious opium in response to actual pain”.
In an ostensibly contradictory manner, the author writes that “capitalist society, as a two-class system of an exploiting and an oppressed class, has social alienation in its very heart”. Evidently, the source of tension exists at the very core of society. So close is it to the core, that one can consider it to be at the heart. Tautological with religion, Marx conceives of the heart of a heartless society as religion, rendering it incompatible with reality as it is. Encouraging the oppressed to recognize their circumstances, Marx believed that religion must be acknowledged as a root of alienation, rather than one of hope.
Although the author initially excerpts the most famous (or perhaps infamous) quote of Marx, he resolves that it must be understood in its complete context: “Religious suffering is, at one and the same time, the expression of real suffering and a protest against real suffering. Religion is the sigh of the oppressed creature, the heart of a heartless world, and the soul of soulless conditions. It is the opium of the people.”
Most crucial to appreciating Marx’s depth is recognizing his sensitivity to religion’s essence. Religion is a response to an overwhelming circumstance. Dominated by the upper class, the Bourgeoisie faces an inescapable dilemma of conforming to the will of their superiors. Without the means to protest their oppressors, this group of people embraces religion as a way of coping with their suffering. Thus, Marx called religion a “reflection,” “reflex,” and “superstructure” of the real world. In any society, the group that is treated secondarily can utilize religious perspective to justify the unfairness of their circumstances. From the outset, this group hasn't had a chance to create an ideology of self-creation, since it is stifled by the reality of its situation as second class citizens. Marx did not have a disdain for religion. Yet, he disliked the fact that religious perspective caused people to accept their downtrodden situations. Thusly, “he was not an anti-theist, but a critic of the reactionary social role that religion plays in supporting an exploitative social system”. It is religion’s functionality as a scape-goat from confronting reality that deems it negative.
Furthermore, Marx explains how the specifics aspects of religion promote an illusion of light in the dark work. As heaven—a realm independent and superior to the earth—is central to the Christian consciousness, Marx believed that it is a “duplicate world… the sort of duplicate to be found in a mirror which inverts the object it is reflection”. When one attaches himself to the notion of heaven, he can recreate his experiences on earth to reflect his self-imposed imaginary reality. Thus, Marx explains, “the sufferings of earth are reversed in the expectation of heavenly bliss; or, human suffering is said to be ultimately caused by God’s punishment of sin, whereas in reality that suffering results from the oppression and exploitation of human beings.” Through a subtle but definitive thrust, Marx dilutes the foundation on which religion stands, highlighting its reliance upon an illusory reality. Man needs religion in order to cope with his horrendous conditions. Marx believed that, while “religion may be illusory and self-defeating response to human problems…it is not an accidental nor pointless illusion”. In this way, religion is the heart of the world—heartless or not—since “the proletariat takes religious opium in response to actual pain”.
In an ostensibly contradictory manner, the author writes that “capitalist society, as a two-class system of an exploiting and an oppressed class, has social alienation in its very heart”. Evidently, the source of tension exists at the very core of society. So close is it to the core, that one can consider it to be at the heart. Tautological with religion, Marx conceives of the heart of a heartless society as religion, rendering it incompatible with reality as it is. Encouraging the oppressed to recognize their circumstances, Marx believed that religion must be acknowledged as a root of alienation, rather than one of hope.
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