SOCIOLOGY
Bruna de Castro
Third Assignment
VSFS 2022-2023
, B.Wurts
The “class struggle” for Karl Marx is one of the engines of history,
since – from his point of view - they have always altered social reality in
society. It should be noted that the division of classes is given by the
position that each individual occupies in the process of production. The
recognition of the exploitation suffered by the proletariat and caused by the
bourgeoisie was the main starting point of the Marxist analysis of society.
This view of history is called "Historical Materialism", where material
relations are the determining factor for the occurrence of changes in the
social context.
‘The philosophers have only interpreted the world... the point is to
change’ 1
Marx declared ‘Religion is the opiate of the masses’2; he argues that
religion is a belief system that enables the ruling class to maintain power in
the present by promising the working class that things will be better in the
hereafter. He believes that religion is the sign of the oppressed creature, he
recognizes in religion an active moral agency. Despite the religion installed
on him by his dad, Marx became convinced that secularization (decline in
the social significance of religion) will liberate people from mystical forms
of social oppression.
‘The foundation of irreligious criticism is this: man makes religion;
religion does not make a man. Religion is, in fact, the self-consciousness and
self-esteem of man who has either not yet gained himself or has lost himself
again.’3
For Marx, any institution that serves capitalist interests, including
religion, has to be contested and ultimately done away with. The
replacement will be a humanist society based on socialism and
communism. When a society is riven by inequality, injustice is perpetuated
1
Thorpe C, Yuill C, Hobbs M, et al. (2019) The sociology book. New York, NY: DK Publishing pg 25
2
Raines, J. (2002). Marx On Religion (1st ed.). Temple University Press. Pg 5
3
Marx.K.(n.d) A contribution to the Critique of Hegel’s Philosophy of Right pg.131
1
Bruna de Castro
Third Assignment
VSFS 2022-2023
, B.Wurts
The “class struggle” for Karl Marx is one of the engines of history,
since – from his point of view - they have always altered social reality in
society. It should be noted that the division of classes is given by the
position that each individual occupies in the process of production. The
recognition of the exploitation suffered by the proletariat and caused by the
bourgeoisie was the main starting point of the Marxist analysis of society.
This view of history is called "Historical Materialism", where material
relations are the determining factor for the occurrence of changes in the
social context.
‘The philosophers have only interpreted the world... the point is to
change’ 1
Marx declared ‘Religion is the opiate of the masses’2; he argues that
religion is a belief system that enables the ruling class to maintain power in
the present by promising the working class that things will be better in the
hereafter. He believes that religion is the sign of the oppressed creature, he
recognizes in religion an active moral agency. Despite the religion installed
on him by his dad, Marx became convinced that secularization (decline in
the social significance of religion) will liberate people from mystical forms
of social oppression.
‘The foundation of irreligious criticism is this: man makes religion;
religion does not make a man. Religion is, in fact, the self-consciousness and
self-esteem of man who has either not yet gained himself or has lost himself
again.’3
For Marx, any institution that serves capitalist interests, including
religion, has to be contested and ultimately done away with. The
replacement will be a humanist society based on socialism and
communism. When a society is riven by inequality, injustice is perpetuated
1
Thorpe C, Yuill C, Hobbs M, et al. (2019) The sociology book. New York, NY: DK Publishing pg 25
2
Raines, J. (2002). Marx On Religion (1st ed.). Temple University Press. Pg 5
3
Marx.K.(n.d) A contribution to the Critique of Hegel’s Philosophy of Right pg.131
1
