Morality depends on God’s command Essay

Humans, from the cradle to the grave, are taught to respect society and its many pre-existing intricate systems, often with no rhyme nor reason.   How can one really know what, and if, social systems are beneficial to them, when one is forced to live under the watchful eye of the society who created these systems, and wish them to continue?   Questioning society is something that is reserved for those who wish for better systems than the ones they were given, ones that will serve to improve the human condition.   However, society often neglects these difficult questions, accepting instead easy answers, commonly accepted and passed down through the generations.   Within the confines of a questionable society arises humans who dedicate their lives to the searching for answers to these questions, in hopes of providing humankind with a better understanding of its place.   Philosophers are the title bestowed upon these individuals, and one such philosopher who searched for truth , was Karl Marx. Karl Marx was a philosopher who interpreted the world, and through his interpretations, he succeeded in changing it.   Whether or not it was for the better or the worse, remains discussion amongst many scholars.   Among his many philosophical observations were; religion is a type of illusion, that history itself is linear and progressive.   He also supported women’s liberation and stated that an important goal of improving the human condition to be achieved by creating a new type of society for everyone.   A new society for everyone would mean the abolition of the old.   It was this revolutionary nature of his philosophy which created a fear among those few who were, and those who still are, in power.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Marx was a fervent supporter of social criticism, and he believed that the criticism of religion was the premise of all criticism.   In his view, he found it to be a type of illusion.   Marx borrowed his religious philosophies from Feuerbach who wrote that man makes religion, not vice-versa, and in creating God in his own image, had â€Å"alienated himself from himself† (Marx, 1978/1848, p. 53).   This meant that man had created a greater being in contrast to himself, reducing himself to a despicable creature who needed both the dogma of the church and the laws of government to guide and control him. Marx agreed with this philosophy and described religion as the, â€Å"sigh of the oppressed creature, the sentiment of a heartless world, the soul of soulless conditions,† adding that religion was â€Å"the opium of the people† (1978/1848, p. 54). Marx believed that the human condition causes people to create illusions, religion being one, which create a false happiness.   He called for people to abandon their illusions and demand for their real happiness.   The criticism of religion created an awareness as to its illusory nature, and Marx felt strongly that man should be able to create an illusion-free existence, relying instead on his reason. To Marx, religion prohibits man from realizing himself as the center of his existence, an in place, creates an environment in which religious belief dictates his action.   Men can never be free, as long as they accept their existence as subservient beings, indebted to a omnipotent supreme being.   Religion is a tradition which has survived the ages, though constantly changing to suit the times.   Events such as the Reformation, or the Great Schism, only serve to support this, for religion, like all things man-made, is only used if it is a useful part of society.   Marx believed that if religion were abolished human beings would overcome their self-inflicted alienation.   The abandonment of this illusion, in Marx’s view, could be one of many crucial steps mankind towards advancement. Marx believed that humans could find meaning in history, which he believed to be linear and progressive.   He saw history as the unfolding of class struggles, between the owners of the productive forces, bourgeoisie, and the workers, proletariat.   With his conception of history, Marx used scientific observation to show how history was really the â€Å"history of production†.   He set human existence as being the first premise in history.   Humans must live to create history, so he showed how humans survive, by producing useful things out of natural material. Through this he showed how man is the producer, and by using natural materials, he created a new â€Å"man-made† nature over the original.   This â€Å"material† conception of history is based on Hegel’s conception of history, along with Feurerbach’s criticism of it, but whereas Hegel claims man to be a self-alienating spirit, Feurerbach claims man to be self-alienating in its own, and the â€Å"spirit† Hegel speaks of, is actually the thought process taking place in the mind.   Marx argued that this human thought was determined by social and economic forces, particularly those related to the means of production. He explains that the ruling class of each historic period, is the class that controls the material force of society, and their ideas prevail.   The â€Å"goals† or â€Å"ideals† of each earlier generation, he points out, are only formed by the later generations based the influence the prior generations had.   This led Marx to develop a method of analysis called Dialectical Materialism, in which the clash of historical forces leads to changes in society. He also declared that all history is the history of class struggles, whether it be the slave-master relationship of earlier ages, or the employee-employer relationship of today.   Marx expressed history as the process of human self-development, and criticized the common economic system of Capitalism.   He claimed that Capitalism must be abandoned in favor of a better economic system.   He also felt this would happen, for he believed man to be capable of such a development. What, according to Marx, is the good life? Why is it unattainable under capitalism? Critically analyze Marxs views. Marx believed that the important goal of improving the human condition to create the good life was to be achieved by creating a new type of society for everyone.   Marx claimed that in a Capitalist society, which still remains the most common economic system, the struggle between the working class, or proletariat, and the ruling business class, or bourgeoisie, would eventually end in the formation of a new society, a classless society.   â€Å"Society can no longer live under this bourgoeisie, in other words, its existence is no longer compatible with society,† sated Marx his work, Manifesto of the Communist Party (1978/1848, p. 483).  Ã‚   To Marx, the good life was impossible under a capitalist system. Marx points out how human history has delivered its share of class struggles turned to revolutions, and the bourgeoisie society will be no different.   In his writings, he often uses the French Revolution as an example, citing the uprising of the bourgeoisie against the former feudal society.   The one constant in the history of man has been the fact that some men have what other men wish too have, but do not.   This puts man in competition with each other, and this leads to struggle amongst man, rather than cooperation amongst man.   This consequently leads men to feel separated from others, by the share fact that they become opposing forces. Marx applied this idea of alienation to private property, which he said causes humans to work only for themselves, not for the good of their species.   Because Capitalism has its roots in private ownership, he felt that it created an environment, ripe for greed and avarice to develop.   This prevents man from focusing on cooperating, and maximizing their potential.   Marx felt that it must be abandoned for the good of the species, and man’s continuing development towards enlightenment.   The economic system he proposed was a socialist one, or communism.   He called for a communist society to overcome the dehumanizing effect of private property. Marx’s proposed communist society would be one that would provide for all.   Many believe his view on the possibility of communism succeeding was pure idealism, but he believed that it was crucial for man.   By creating a society where man could work together towards a common goal, it would be able to achieve many more important results.   Marx believed that this could help create a classless society in which all men are provided for, and free to endeavor as they please.   Certainly, in its pure form, communism seems that it would be able to thrive.   However, since its inception, it has developed a negative connotation in many countries, especially in the United States, which fought a â€Å"Cold War† with the hated â€Å"commies.†Ã‚   The failure of the Soviet Union, the Communist leader in the world, led many to believe that it was a system doomed to failure.   Despite that, communism and Marx’s beliefs in it, were all part of his plan of lib erating man, and women as well.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Amongst the many little-known facts about the philosophies of Karl Marx, was his support for women’s liberation in a time when they did not share the privileges of men.   He believed that this would encourage greater equality within societies, therefore making life better for the society as a whole.   More than a century ago, many years before women were allowed to vote in the United States, Marx wrote of his views towards women’s rights.   In the modern bourgeoisie society, Marx explained in so many words, that women in a capitalist system were nothing more to men than another instrument of production. Men, who controlled the world as wells as it’s productive forces, also controlled women.   Because the instruments of production are to be exploited, women are exploited.   With the abolition of the bourgeoisie society, women would be free from every form of prostitution, public or private.   For the Communists, there was, â€Å"no need to introduce community of women; it has always existed almost from time immemorial† (1978/1848, p. 488)   But traditional capitalistic values make this fact all but impossible to notice, and for Marx, women’s equality was another step towards human enlightenment and the good life.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The philosophies of Karl Marx continue to draw varied opinions.   For many years, people who were believed to be communist were persecuted, many in spite of their actual innocence.   In the United States, propaganda and political movements against Marxist philosophies, created fear in and ignorance in millions.   Perhaps, it is the revolutionary nature of Marxist philosophy that has many men of power frightened.   Perhaps, an educated and motivated working class, with nothing too lose but their shackles, is something which causes fear in those who have everything too lose.   Anyone with common sense would be able to see the benefits of helping our fellow man, and the benefits of pooling our collective talents towards a common goal.   But as long as people continue to accept their oppression, the goal of enlightenment grows more distant.   â€Å"WORKING MEN OF ALL COUNTRIES, UNITE!† (1978/1848, p. 500). Works Cited: Marx, K. (1978/1848). Communist Manifesto. The Marx-Engels Reader. Trans. Tucker, R. C., Second Edition. New York:   W. W. Norton.