Karl Marx was born on May 5, 1818. Both his uncle and grandfather were famous rabbis in their city. But in 1817, Marx's father converted to Protestantism. The reason behind this conversion was that there was actually a series of laws unveiled by the new King of Prussia (1816) which made the legal practice illegal for Jews. Karl Marx was hence christened in 1824.He enjoyed the teachings of Baron Ludwig von Westphalen, a friend of Marx's father, whose daughter, Jenny, became his future wife.
[...] To understand the status of religion, we can take the example of atheism as Marx sees it. Marx distinguishes two forms of atheism. First, the theoretical atheism delivers a ruling on the existence in its entirety and claims that it is made so that a thing called "God" can not exist. This form of atheism in Marx's conception is the same as theoretical level as theism; that is to say, it gives the status of a worldview. The Soviet atheism is another example: according to the Soviet design the only thing that is for real is the matter, as conceived by classical physics. [...]
[...] The criticism of religion in the broader context of the critique of ideology In fact the study of religion, which in the earlier works of the young Marx occupies a considerable place. To consider the Marxist conception of religion, we must define the notion of ideology as Marx understands it and highlight the main features of religion, which are precisely based on the concept of ideology. Religion and ideology An ideology, as Mark sees it, is a thought that is conditioned by the material interests of the ruling class. [...]
[...] The man revered as the deity as being entirely independent and autonomous. Only through disillusionment, he could recognize that all these lie in him and thus amount to an ultimate level of existence. But Marx, who initially adhered to the concepts of Hegel and Feuerbach, considered these systems purely theoretical without necessary connection to practice. Marx therefore felt the explanation of religion by the mind and studied in this context about the productive action. His thought is built on a scientific basis. [...]
[...] In fact, we must first explain the origins and foundations of religious criticism in Marx and then consider the concept of religion in the broader conception of ideology and give examples of critical religion. I. The origins of the Marxist critique of religion To understand the religious conception of Marx, we must first look at the inspiration and the foundation of his theory. Inspiration: The philosophy of Hegel and Feuerbach The thought of Karl Marx, is part of a broader intellectual context. [...]
[...] Religion according to Marx is one of those ideologies which is trying to hide the social reality. In a strict sense, the critique of Marx is therefore not about the belief in God itself, but on the fact that some men justify their actions by a belief in God, instead of using concrete and rational arguments. Some acts are thus legitimized and seem to enjoy divine confirmation. Religion as a protest Through the study of ideology arises one of the primary functions of religion: the protest. [...]
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