In most perspectives, Karl Marx is one of the infamous ‘bad guys’ of history. Realistically, however, his ideals seem to be simply good intentions gone bad. Most of us, though raised in a capitalistic society, have pondered the dichotomies of rich and poor, privileged and disadvantaged. Marx attempted to be the healing balm on these often problematic distinctions, but unfortunately, it went very, very wrong.
Though there are many economic and philosophical speculations on where Marx went wrong, one ideal in particular sticks out to me :
“Religion is the sigh of the oppressed creature, the heart of a heartless
world, just as it is the spirit of a spiritless situation. It is the opium of the people.
The abolition of religion as the illusory happiness of the people is required for their
real happiness. The demand to give up the illusion about its condition is the demand
to give up a condition which needs illusions.”
-Karl Marx, Critique of Hegel’s Philosophy of Right
Apparently, Marx pegged religion as an expression of oppression rather than an expression of the need of redemption from human depravity. Thus, he tried to build a society based solely upon the “here and now” and he denied the soul of the very people upon whom he built a society. But Marx failed to recognize an essential reality:
The nature of a society will never be anything but the nature of its people.
So, even in politics, we must not neglect the soul. For a temporary happiness will never quench the reality that we have to hope in something. As for me, I cannot put my hope in man alone. Brooke Fraser paraphrases a statement by C.S. Lewis well:
“If I find in myself desires that nothing in this world can satisfy, then I can only conclude that I was not made for you.” -C.S. Lewis Song, quoting Mere Christianity.
If we want to redeem our society, we must first redeem ourselves. Clearly, we are unable to do so ... so for now, we wait, we hope, we keep watch. For there is a King who has made my heart new, and He is coming to make all things new.
“Show me your ways, O LORD,
teach me your paths;
guide me in your truth and teach me,
for you are God my Savior,
and my hope is in you all day long.” -Psalm 25:4-5
I comment on William's blog, "The Maker and Marx."
ReplyDeleteI agree with you. 'Marxism', as defined in his works, probably would have worked out well if he had took into consideration the nature/soul of humanity, as you said. I personally have never viewed socialism, as per its core definition (at least the originally constructed one derived from Marx' work), as a bad approach to governing. I would have agreed with his words if he had at least acknowledged what religion's purpose was; it certainly isn't a form of oppression, except when handled to benefit one's own ideals.
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