marxism + beliefs in society Flashcards
1
Q
KARL MARX: on religion
A
- “religion is the opium of the people” - dulls the pain of exploitation caused by capitalism
- justifies suffering through hopes of rewards in the afterlife - if obedient
- belief in supernatural power that men have no control over
- it gives support to the current social order - it is the way God intended it to be - it legitimises inequality
CRITICISM: functionalists argue marxism ignores the positive benefits of society, such as stability and shared values
2
Q
KARL MARX: the communist utopia
A
- MARX believed that religion would eventually disappear
- the social conditions that create the need for it would eventually be overturned
- truley liberated individuals have no need for religion
CRITICISM: religion has survived in communist countries e.g. USSR and communist poland
3
Q
ALTHUSSER: religion as an ideological apparatus
A
religion is used by the ruling class as a way of preserving their ideas/interests by:
- legitimising power + privilege e.g. divine right of kings justifies power of monarchs
- discourages people from attempting to change their situation e.g. hindu caste system
- inequalities can’t be challenged by the proletariat without challenge to God
- religion is a mechanism of social control - keeps people in their place
CRITICISM: feminists argue that religion preserves male, patriarchal power and not capitalism
4
Q
ANTONIO GRAMSCI: counter-hegemony
A
- believed in the same way religion could be useful for building the bourgeoisie hegemony, it could also be useful in creating a counter-hegemony
- religious leaders could build a counter-hegemony, popularising ideas that ran counter to those of the ruling class, to help build protest + rebellion
e.g. martin luther king, malcom x
