A form of atheist materialism applied to economics, believes history is determined by the struggle between social classes.
The name comes from Karl Marx (1818 – 1883), a German thinker born into a Jewish family that converted to Christianity when he was born. He became an atheist before college.
Marx rejected any notion of a Creator or transcendent being. The universe started and sustains itself – no outside force required. We created God and religion in our image to meet our needs. Matter is the highest reality – evolved into mankind as its most elevated form.
Since no transcendent Lawgiver exists, Marxism rejects moral absolutes. It considers mankind good, but believes in evil, described as economic inequity and the ensuing abuse of power. Human injustice results from class conflict between the haves and have-nots. Private property amplifies greed, leading to social ills, which must be corrected by revolution replacing the old economic structures with new ones. The ends justify the means as long as those promote the communist society Marxism seeks.
Human suffering will be eliminated by creating an ideal society. The new society will have no wages, money, or social classes, an eventually no state. Utopia results.
Issues include:
1) Individuals and society are more than economic – thus it’s a naïve, simplistic response to complex problems
2) The Marxist record of dismal failures speaks for itself
3) Marxism does not fulfil the human need it promises to meet. People under communism generally don’t find it liberating and satisfying but oppressive and intolerable. The ‘classless’ society had two classes: the ruling elite and the masses.
The true revolution is in the human heart, not in the streets. Utopia will result when Christ returns to rule with truth and justice.
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