The notion that man makes religion and that religion does not make man has formed the foundation of irreligious criticism. A widely held concept is that religion is for persons that have not discovered themselves or have lost themselves for a second or subsequent time. Religion originates from state and society and can be said to correspond to an inverted cognizance of humanity due to the fact that state and society are similarly inverted. Religion is the universal known and held theory of all humanity in all aspects. The fight against religion is, therefore seen as a fight against the whole of humanity.
Religious suffering or oppression is the expression of real pain and is also viewed as a protest against real pain. It is the opium of the people. Putting an end to religion can result in real happiness to civilization. However, denunciation of religion leads to man losing his path and therefore beginning to reason, act, and shape his reality in a manner similar to one who has thrown away his illusions and recovered his sanity or intellect.
Philosophy uncovers self-disillusionment in its profane form when the religious side of man has been uncovered. Hence, attacks against the earth, religion, legislation and intellect amount to criticism of haven. Germany stands to redeem herself from the middle ages only if she emancipates herself from the partial victories over the middle ages. The emancipation of Germans is the emancipation of man. Philosophy can be the only head of this emancipation while the proletariat forms the heart. Philosophy cannot in itself realize itself without transcendence of the proletariat. Proletariat gets to transcend himself by the realization of philosophy.