Impact Of Karl Marx's View On Religion

Karl Marx (1818 - 1883) Karl Heinrich Marx was born on 5 May 1818 in Trier in western German, the son of a successful Jewish lawyer. Marx studied law in Bonn and Berlin, but was also introduced to the ideas of Hegel and Feuerbach. In 1841, he received a doctorate in philosophy from the University of Jena. http://www.bbc.co.uk/history/historic_figures/marx_karl.shtml [Accessed 28 Jul 2015].

Karl Marx’s view of society was based around the economy. All other social structures according to Marx, such as religion, family values, and politics stem from the base, the economy. Religion played no part at all in Marx’s sociological views. He is known as an atheist. He believed that religion was nothing more than a burden on society. “The

He chose to view religion as a negative thing unlike Durkheim who viewed it in a positive way. Marx believed that “humanity makes religion; religion does not make humanity.” (Kessler. A, 2001). Karl Marx states that opium and religion can be an effect on human suffering by removing the incentive to do whatever is necessary to overcome it. Hamilton points out that “religion offers compensation for the hardship of this life in some future life, but it makes such compensation conditional upon acceptance of the injustices of this life.” Religion, to Marx, does not have the power to lead to social change. (Kessler. A, 2001). Max Webber attempted to demonstrate that religious beliefs were not mechanically connected to the economic structure of society, it shapes individuals behavior and actions in everyday life. Overall, it can be seen that the three main sociology writers differ greatly when it comes to ideas regarding religion.

His interpretation of religion is more to do with psychological functions for the individual than anything else, in a sense that religion is a psychological need for the individual to deal with certain situations. For example situations which provoke anxiety, uncertainty and threatens social life may result in the individual to turn to religion. In Malinowski’s view, religion acts upon life-crisis which prevents anxiety. As a result, Malinowski agrees with the fact that religion acts as a conservative force as it maintains stability by helping people to deal with anxiety, thereby stopping social disruption.

his religion. Marx writes, "The more man puts into God the less he retains in

Now Marx himself was a Jew and a brief history of his past will help shed some light into his remarks on the Jewish Question. Born in 1818 in the ancient city of Trier, Karl Marx descended from three centuries of rabbis on both sides of his family, including the illustrious Heschel and Katzenelenbogen families (Fischman, p.759). His father, Heschel ha-Levi Marx, changed his name to Heinrich upon his conversion to Christianity about a year before Karl was born, and his baptism was a matter of economics, not faith: citied earlier, the Prussian government had begun to enforce its requirement that all lawyers be Christians (Fischman, p.759). The Jewish faith held little attraction for him and he was also a follower of Deism, "the faiths of Newton,

Generally, Marx’s position on religion is drawn up in an entirely negative manner. In his writings, he expresses his belief that religion is a set of doctrines intended to stabilize, while at the same time bring into servitude the working class people. In addition to that, he argues that the society’s inclination towards religious excitement serves to represent a reaction to disaffection. Also, Marx contends that, since religion causes human beings to feel delusive happiness it makes an erroneous mental representation in as well as of itself. Indeed to him, it is an instrument utilized to sustain cultural systems together with ideologies that in most cases encourages oppression in the society (Parsons 38-46).

argued from various perspectives or disciplines that man is a by nature a religious being. Karl

Religion emerges from the human susceptibility for protection and use it as a tool for liberation from the bitter realities and perplexities of the world. “Religious ideas are teachings and pronouncements about facts and states of external (or internal) reality that convey something one has not discovered for oneself and which assert the right to be believed” (Freud 88). We must object to religious claims because there is no proof to substantiate them and merely ideas we follow for generations. Religious ideas are beyond the control of reasoning, as if we don’t validate our beliefs and behave that our beliefs have a substantial basis of support. Religious ideas are teachings, not the thought that

What does Karl Marx have to say about religion? Do you agree? Why or why not?

Following the Industrial Revolution in 19th century Europe, change was in full swing and religion began to have different meanings for different people. The upper-class citizens used Religion, namely Christianity, and the power that it possessed in an attempt to keep their high status in society, while the lower class turned to faith so that their lives could possibly improve. Instead of religion being the cornerstone of faith and worship amongst all people, it was being used for power and money by the upper class. Even worse, religious leaders were using the upper class people as well, gaining money and authority from their endorsement. A man by the name of Karl Marx saw

Karl Marx was born on May 5, 1818 in Trier in the kingdom of Prussia. His parents were Heinrich Marx and Henrietta Pressburg, he had no siblings. While his father was a Jew turned Lutheran, Marx himself did not believe in religion and declared himself atheist. In Trier he attended the Friedrich Wilhelm Gymnasium for five years and graduated at the age of Seventeen. In 1835 Marx enrolled in Bonn University to study law but soon realized that he was more interested in philosophy, expecially the work of G.W.F. Hegel.

My interpretation of the Karl Marx claim that Religion was the “opiate of the masses” is that of comfort and need. In my opinion, religion was created for that purpose, to help people accept and cope with death, unexplainable occurrences, to give solace and guidance. Opium, during the 19th century was given for a multitude of reasons, pain management, “women troubles”, colicky babies, and depression to name a few, therefore, comfort, yet often times people became addicted to opium, which created the need and/or yearning for it. I agree with Marx, in that I believe religion was created by man to control the masses, however, I do not believe spirituality or faith have anything to do with religion. In the instance of pork, prior to refrigeration

Karl Marx was born on May 5, 1818 in Trier Rheinish Prussia (Germany). Although his family was

A religion can be seen as a unified system of beliefs and practices which are relative to sacred things and beliefs (Giddens 1972, p.224). It can shape ones thoughts and feelings and gives people a sense of hope and something to believe in. All three main sociologist writers Karl Marx, Max Weber and Emile Durkheim offer different perspectives on religion and how important it is to society. Some of the theorists chose to have a positive view whilst others argue the unimportance of religion. This essay attempts to discover which theorist has the most accurate perspective of religion in modern times. This is done by firstly explaining the basic ideas regarding to religion put forward by Marx, Weber and Durkheim. Then both Marx's and