Marxist theories of religion Flashcards
how do marxist see society?
see society divided into two classes.
the bourgeoisie and the proletariat
what is an ideology according to Marx?
what can it lead to?
is a belief system that distorts peoples perception of reality
a false conssciousness
How does Marx view religion?
religion operates as an ideological weapon to legitimate the suffering of the exploited. their suffering is virtuous and will be favoured in the afterlife
what is a false consciousness?
a distorted view of reality that prevents the poor from uprising.
how does lenin describe religion?
as ‘spiritual gin’- intoxicates the mass manipulating them to keep them in their place by creating a mystical fog.
how does religion alienate individuals?
Marx sees religion as a product of alienation.
what is alienation?
under capitalism people become alienated because they do not own what they created. reaches its peak as they do repetitive tasks.
what does Marx say about religion?
‘is the opium for the people’- it dulls the pain of exploitation, it masks the underlying problem of exploitation.
why is religion a product of alienation?
it arises from the suffering of the people. fails to deal with the cause.
evaluation
ignores positive functions of religion- Malinowski and its psychological functions.
does not necessarily function effectively as an ideology to control the population
