World Religions

Introduction to World Religions Study Guide During the American Revolution, the French Revolution, and other liberal revolutions, rebels believed they had the right to overthrow a tyrannical government. Thomas Jefferson took the ideas of Locke and incorporated them into the Declaration of Independence with the phrase, “Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.” The opposing idea to Liberalism was classical conservatism. Liberal democracies found themselves on the winning side in both World Wars. The term “Liberalism” is still used today, though it has undergone a change. Liberalism has had many ideological challenges from opponents, such as fascism and communism. In Europe and North America, the idea of classical Liberalism was less popular than social democracy and social Liberalism. During the era of the New Deal programs of Democratic President Franklin D. Roosevelt, Liberalism became associated with social welfare and state politics. In Europe, Liberalism is more commonly associated with a commitment to limited government and a more laissez-faire economic policy. 9.3 Marxism In the mid to late 19 th century, two German philosophers, Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels, pioneered a new socioeconomic inquiry based on a materialist interpretation of historical development. They critiqued capitalism. Marxism encompasses an economic theory, a sociological theory, a philosophical method, and a revolutionary view of social change. While there is no one definitive Marxist theory, Marxist analysis has been applied to a variety of different subjects and has been modified during the course of its development. Sometimes, there are even contradictory theories that fall under the rubric of Marxism. Marxism is based on a materialistic understanding of societal development. This takes into account a society providing for the material needs of its people. The form of economic organization or mode of production is understood to be the basis from which the majority of other social phenomena arise; this included social relations, political and legal systems, morality, and ideology. As technology evolves, the schism between the classes widens. Social organizations become inefficient and stifle further progress. These inefficiencies lead to class struggle. Marxist states that class conflict arises within capitalism due to the intensifying contradictions between highly productive mechanized and socialized production performed by the proletariat, and the private ownership and private appropriation of the surplus product in the form of surplus value (profit) by a small minority of private owners called the bourgeoisie. As the contraction becomes more apparent to the proletariat, social unrest begins as the two become antagonistic towards each other, which can culminate in a social revolution. The long-term outcome of this revolution will be the establishment of socialism. Socialism is a socioeconomic system based on cooperative ownership of the means of production, distribution based on one’s contribution, and production organized directly for use. Marx hypothesized that as production forces and technology combined to advance, socialism would eventually give way to communism. Marxism has various off-shoots. Different schools of thought place more or less emphasis on classical Marxism, while rejecting other aspects of Marxism. Some aspects focus on the Marxist ©2017 Achieve Test Prep Page 89 of 96