Religion as alienation, and humanism

Overview

Calling religion world-evading, feuerbach's account of religion and consequence of projection for Feuerbach.

What you need to know

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Questions from this subtopic

Each one with the model answer underneath.

1. 1

   What is meant by calling religion world-evading?

   Model answer

   It is the charge that religion turns attention to a life beyond this one and so discourages effort to change conditions in this one.

2. 2

   What is Feuerbach's account of religion?

   Model answer

   Feuerbach argued that God is the projection of human qualities — love, wisdom, power — magnified and worshipped, so theology is really anthropology.

3. 3

   What is the consequence of projection for Feuerbach?

   Model answer

   In worshipping the projection humanity impoverishes itself, attributing to God the goodness that belongs to human beings, so religion must be reclaimed as self-knowledge.

4. 4

   What did Marx mean by calling religion the opium of the people?

   Model answer

   Marx meant that religion consoles the oppressed and dulls the pain of exploitation, so it makes suffering bearable and thereby prevents the revolution that would end it.

5. 5

   Give the fuller context of Marx's remark.

   Model answer

   Marx also called religion the sigh of the oppressed creature and the heart of a heartless world, so his account acknowledges the real distress that produces it.

6. 6

   What is alienation in Marx's sense?

   Model answer

   Alienation is the condition of being estranged from one's work, one's product, other people and one's own nature, which Marx traced to the economic system.

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