Religion has been viewed as concerning the supernatural world with its entities and its relationship with the natural world. On the other hand, science has based its explanations on the natural world without appealing to supernatural entities and non-natural forces. The distinction between religion and science is based on naturalist’s principles, namely methodological naturalism, where limited scientific inquiry to natural entities and laws is commonly preferred, and philosophical naturalism, involving the principle that rejects the supernatural. However, there have been studies on relationships between science and different religions trying to merge them. Two philosophers and their theories about science and religion are discussed to display the differences. Science advocates for equality and religion, championing knowledge and morality.
Karl Marx, a German philosopher, is credited for the Marxism theory. Marxism philosophy was a scientific socialism since it offered an economic interpretation of history using the scientific methodology of dialectical materialism. Marxism explained the true causes of exploitation and further offered the scientific remedy of revolution and proletariat to cure the social ills of exploitation (Knafo & Teschke, 2020). This encompassed the struggle in society and the reasons behind class division. Socialism has been divided into evolutionary socialism, which wants to attain socialism through peaceful means, and revolutionary socialism, which is based upon violence and authoritarianism of the waged people.
The basic principles of Marxism are historical materialism, the theory of surplus value, revolution, class struggle, communism, dialectical materialism, and the dictatorship of the waged people. Dialectical materialism is a scientific methodology for understanding and interpreting history. In this, progress is described to occur through contradictions which further induce changes in progress and eventual development. Marx based the forces of production and relations of production as the main components of production. Therefore, changes in the mode of production results in a change in the superstructure, that is morals, religion, society, and values.
Historical materialism involves the economic interpretation of world history defined by four stages. Primitive communism is the earliest part where the community owned the means of production limited to self-consumption with no classes, properties, or states (Choat, 2018). Secondly, surplus production resulted in the emergence of private property and private ownership. Subsequently property-owning class exploits the propertyless class resulting in a slavery system. The third stage is feudalism (Astarita, 2018), whereby technological development targeting means of production further corresponds to changes in relations of production and the superstructure, with the feudal lords thriving on peasants’ labor getting a considerable share of the produce.
Capitalism is the fourth stage and is characterized by technological development accompanied by the mismatch between forces of production and relations of production. This is accompanied by the desire to maximize profits resulting in to increase in working hours and a reduction in wages. The theory of surplus value describes the manipulation in the capitalist society. Whereas the product’s value is determined by the amount of labor consumed in production, the wage in capitalism does not reciprocate. Class struggle has been described to exist in society, with all historical ages experiencing dislike between dominant and dependent classes due to the exploitation of the well-off. The property-owning class enjoys the product, while the exploited class, mainly the wage group, is just given enough for survival.
Revolution is another principle and has been described as a result of the class struggle. It is a short and swift affair that occurs due to the incompatibility between forces of production and the relations of production. Revolution thereby capitalizes on the mismatch where forces of production have matured and are not replicated in relation to production. The dictatorship of the waged people follows with the attempt to restore a classless society. State apparatus created to oppress the waged people will be directed to the oppressors (Boer, 2019). Communism finally emerges as a result of a rational social system that is free from contradictions and antagonisms. The resulting society is converted into the working class with no private property ownership and peaceful coexistence.
Spinoza, a Dutch philosopher, is credited with the theory of knowledge and moral philosophy. Spinoza described true knowledge as a source of liberation from the limits and imperfections of human existence (Renz & Hutchins, 2021). As a reward for the improved rational ability to check and control emotions and urges and a direct experience of the core of all reality. Spinoza’s ethic is based on five parts: God or nature, which he states to define reality. Second, the human mind is how it amends to the limited and unlimited essence and the existence of God.
Consequently, human minds are strengthened and thus know what they are and how they exist as thinking beings. In return, they deal with the effects thirdly and fourthly their strengths. The final part is to deal with the accompanying freedom.
Spinoza describes two ways of obtaining knowledge. Firstly, the geometric method, where the ultimate conclusion is used to build new knowledge from the already existing. This is evident in how he starts with God, the one substance that is everything. Secondly, perspectivism allows knowing how knowledge functions which also points to God, just like every other way of knowing. Three kinds of knowledge have been described, the first being on humans’ perspective on reality which is imagination, prejudice, superstition, miracles, prophesy, and revelation (Renz & Hutchins, 2021). All these are the primary source of rational enslavement and falsity. The second kind of knowledge focuses on overcoming falsity. This occurs by forming of notions that express the properties of all things and include intellection, common notions, and reason. The third kind of knowledge is intuition, love, and blessedness, which knows the core of each and everything in a way God causes himself to exist. It also endows us with a perceived finite form for all eternity.
Four principles encompass moral philosophy; substance monism, where Spinoza argues that there can only be one substance, God, and everything else is a mode of God, absolute and perfect. Necessitarianism argues that God could not produce things in another way than they have been produced. Conatus doctrine principle describes the nature of man of following things that promote his existence. The fourth principle is activity and passivity, which are treated as matters of degree, with God being active to the highest degree and humans partly active and passive.
Metaphysical reviews are based on ethics, a monistic substance describing all reality as one substance. Spinoza also identifies God with nature and defines the system of modes. First, the infinite and external modes follow from the divine nature of one or another of God’s attributes. The second involves the temporal and finite modes which inhabit the universe. In all, God’s existence is crucial to the existence of nature.
Based on Marxism philosophy and Spinoza’s philosophies, a preference for religion over science is inevitable. Marxism’s view of society was structured into two classes, one being exploitative over the majority working group. Consequently, they are left believing that it would result in a revolution. He champions human freedom through the satisfaction of human needs, securing possession, and removal of alienation. His definition of the class structure today is more complex as the elites are critical of the capitalist system. Marxism, however, can be used to interpret and change the world. Spinoza’s moral philosophy defines the essence of man to persevere in his existence, basically through the history of their relations. In context, joy and satisfaction are pursued over things likely to result in sadness. In addition, one ought to pick the battles wisely, explicating the virtue of avoiding danger and overcoming it.
In conclusion, Marxism constitutes the foundation of scientific and revolutionary socialism. More to class struggle, conflict, and the violent revolution, it also advocates for freedom and humanism. Spinoza, on the other hand, describes moral judgment grounded in desires or beliefs and advocates for obedience to the law even when considered irrational and a hindrance to personal good, for the alternative would be far worse.
Works Cited
Astarita, Carlos. “Karl Marx and the transition from feudalism to capitalism.” International Critical Thought 8.2 (2018): 249-263. Web.
Boer, Roland. “Marx’s ambivalence: state, proletarian dictatorship and commune.” International Critical Thought 9.1 (2019): 109-127. Web.
Choat, Simon. “Science, agency and ontology: A historical-materialist response to new materialism.” Political Studies 66.4 (2018): 1027-1042. Web.
Knafo, Samuel, and Benno Teschke. “Political Marxism and the Rules of Reproduction of Capitalism: A Historicist Critique.” Historical Materialism 29.3 (2020): 54-83.
Renz, Ursula, and Barnaby R. Hutchins. “Spinoza on human and divine knowledge.” A companion to Spinoza (2021): 251-264. Web.