THE CLASSICAL MARXIST CRITIQUES OF RELIGION: MARX, ENGELS, LENIN, KAUTSKY

THE CLASSICAL MARXIST CRITIQUES OF RELIGION: MARX, ENGELS, LENIN, KAUTSKY

THE CLASSICAL MARXIST CRITIQUES OF RELIGION: MARX, ENGELS, LENIN, KAUTSKY by DELOS B. MCKOWN MARTINUS NIJHOFF /THE HAGUE/1975

To Anna Louise who, in wifely ways, worked as hard as I to complete this book 1975 by Martinus Nijhoff, The Hague, Netherlallds All rights reserved, including the right to translate or to reproduce this book or parts thereof in any form ISBN-13: 978-90-247-/656-2 e-isbn-13: 978-94-010-1606-3 DOl: /0.1007/978-94-010-/606-3

TABLE OF CONTENTS Acknowledgements List of Symbols. Introduction 1 CHAPTER 1: MARX'S CRITIQUE OF RELIGION 6 Religion and the Unity of Marx's Thought 6 The Beginning and End of Critisism. 13 From Natural Religion to the Religion of Civil Society 21 The Substance and Functions of Religion 42 CHAPTER 2: ENGELS' CRITIQUE OF RELIGION 61 Engels' Role in the Critisism of Religion. 61 From the Inception of Religion to its Transcendence. 65 The Masks and Disguises of Religion. 86 The Unity of Engels' Critique of Religion. 90 CHAPTER 3: LENIN'S CRITIQUE OF RELIGION. 94 The Origins, Development, Substance, and Functions of Religion. 94 Religion and the Unity of Marx, Engels, and Lenin. 108 Shamefaced Idealism, God-Building, and the Disadvantages of Improved Religion 114 CHAPTER 4: KAUTSKY'S CRITIQUE OF RELIGION. 122 Toward a Developed Materialist Theory of Religion. 122 Religion from Biblical Times to the Twentieth Century 137 The Substance and Functions of Religion 148 Kautsky: Stalwart Marxist or Renegade?. 153 CONCLUSION 158 Bibliography 163 VII IX

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS As is normal in carrying out a work of this kind, numerous individuals gave aid in varying ways and degrees. I should like to acknowledge the assistance of those who gave most benefically and unstintingly of their time, talents, and criticisms. The first is Dr. Donald C. Hodges of the Philosophy Department of The Florida State University who, after reading the entire manuscript, made numerous suggestions that have enhanced its worth. The second is Dr. Chester W. Hartwig of the Sociology Department of Auburn University who also read the entire manuscript and who proved to be an unfailing source of insight during several long and probing conversations. The third is Mr. Oyde I. Wolverton of the Foreign Languages Department of Auburn University who, when needed, placed his expert knowledge of German at my disposal. Should error be found in this work, no blame can be attributed to the aforementioned friends and counselors, for, in the last analysis, all responsibility is mine alone. I am also especially indebted to Ms. Sandra Kent for her yeoman work in typing the first draft of the manuscript and to Ms. Hildegard Wolverton for her superb services in typing and in helping to correct the final draft. Finally, I wish to express appreciation for being granted permission to quote from the following sources: From The Elementary Forms of the Religious Life by Emile Durkheim, translated by J. W. Swain, copyrighted 1915 by George Allen and Unwin Ltd., also published subsequently by Macmillan Publishing Co., Inc., New York. From Lenin: The Man, the Theorist, the Leader edited by Leonard Schapiro and Peter Reddaway, copyrighted 1967 by Leonard Schapiro

VIII ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS and Peter Reddaway. Exerpted and reprinted by permission of Praeger Publishers, Inc., New York. From The Life and Death of Lenin by Robert Payne, copyrighted 1964 by Robert Payne and published by Simon and Schuster, Inc., New York. From Marxism and Ethics by Eugene Kamenka, copyrighted 1969 by Eugene Kamenka and published by Macmillan and Co. Ltd. With permission of Macmillan, London and Basingstoke, and S1. Martin's Press, Inc., New York. From The Rise of Anthropological Theory: A History of Theories of Culture by Marvin L. Harris, copyrighted 1968 by Thomas Y. Crowell Company, Inc. With permission of the publishers.

LIST OF SYMBOLS A-D DN OJ LCW MEB MEC MER MESC MESW MEW MO WYM Engels, Anti-Diihring. Engels, Dialectics of Nature. Marx-Engels, The German Ideology. Lenin, Collected Works. Marx-Engels, On Britain. Marx-Engels, On Colonialism. Marx-Engels, On Religion. Marx-Engels, Selected Correspondence. Marx-Engels, Selected Works. Marx-Engels, Werke. Kautsky, Materialistische Geschichtsauffassung. Marx, Writings of the Young Marx on Philosophy and Society.