MARX AND FEUERBACH’S HUMANISM: the Anthropological Source of Atheism

Résumé

This work examines Karl Marx and Ludwig Feuer- bach’s humanism to demonstrate the anthropological source of atheism in the contemporary world. With phenomenological and transcendental approaches proper to the study of philosophical anthropology in the background, the work employs the use of critical and conceptual analysis of Marx and Feuerbach’s humanism to uncover the anthropocentric nature of modern anthropology. The question is: is modern anthropocentrism atheistic by necessity or by accident? Marx absolute humanism sets man at the summit of the cosmos, and man becomes the supreme being. Marx became an atheist for his passion for man; safeguarded with atheism for the greatness of man. He even destroyed religion for man’s greatness. Based upon a dialectical-materialistic understanding of humanity’s place in nature, Marx proposes that religion is the opium of the people, thus Marx advocates atheism, rather than religious belief. Feuerbach, on his own part, began his philosophy of religion with human nature as a starting point. He thought that the main work of modern philosophers from historical thesis is to humanize God while deifying man. To execute this project, atheism became not only a starting point but necessary. In order to open the way for a naturalistic humanism, the God of Christianity and the Absolute Spirit of Hegel has to be eliminated. Like humanists, both thinkers viewed religion broadly, as both a psychological (Feuerbach) and social (Marx). Finally, the study finds that the orientation of the modern philosophies of consciousness to atheism culminated in Marx’ and Feuerbach’s anthropology, which have significantly contributed to the progressive ungodding of people.