Both Karl Marx and Charles Darwin proved to be strong voices against the chorus in their respective fields, particularly in their quintessential works, The Communist Manifesto of Marx, and Darwin's The Descent of Man. Both writers are recognized as expert scientists, who hoped to improve understanding of the world around them through their works, albeit in ways distinct from each other. Yet one clear similarity is their repudiation of religion. Both authors suggest that religion is a concept incompatible with science. Marx is less interested in the ideas and concepts addressed by religion, but in the medium through which they are presented. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an original essay As a social construct, Marx believes that organized religion would be a remnant of the bourgeois ruling class, if it continued to exist in a communist state. If people in a communist state still needed to gather and express religious feelings, then Marx would believe that people are oppressed in their daily lives and that the revolution has failed to do what it sought. Marx then concludes that religion is incompatible with communism, which, as a scientist, he believes is the most equitable social structure. Darwin, although his ideas apparently contrast more with traditional Christian views, does not underestimate the usefulness of organized religion. He claims, especially in defense of his work, that religion and the natural sciences serve to solve distinct problems. He believes that science should answer questions within our field of understanding, so that we can better understand and interact with our environment, while religion should (and is) used for questions beyond our perception, such as death and the purpose of life. Darwin's views are superior to Marx's because they clearly define the boundaries between religion and science and more realistically recognize the limitations of both the scientific and religious worlds, compared to Marx's somewhat idealistic expectations of a communist, religion-free society. Manifesto with powerful and poetic prose: "A specter haunts Europe: the specter of communism" (Marx 71). Marx refers to his political theory of communism, which he tries to persuade the reader is necessary and inevitable, throughout the course of his text. In Hegel's Critique of the Philosophy of Right, Marx forcefully declares that “[t]he religion is the sigh of the oppressed creature, the heart of a heartless world and the soul of soulless conditions. It is the opium of the people" (Introduction Marx, 1). Marx's language expresses what might be called heresy for the time, as he dissents against one of, if not the most powerful social and economic force in the world. Marx never published this work, understandably, but he conveys a similar, if diluted, message to reach as many people as possible in the Communist Manifesto. Marx states that “man's ideas, opinions and conceptions, in a word, man's consciousness, change with every change in the conditions of his material existence, in his social relations and in his social life…” (Marx 90). Clearly, Marx believes that as the political system changes, from capitalism to communism, a change he advocates, certain ideas and feelings that were once prevalent must come to an end. However, the reader is explicitly told that those ideas are religious. : The history of all past societies has consisted of the development of class antagonisms, antagonisms that have taken different forms in different eras. But whateverform they have taken, one fact is common to all past eras, that is, the exploitation of one part of society by another. It is therefore not surprising that the social consciousness of past eras, despite all the multiplicity and variety it displays, moves within a certain commonform, or general ideas, which cannot entirely vanish except with the total disappearance of class antagonisms. (Marx 91). Simply put, Marx believes that "general ideas" in society, which tend to have religious connotation or tone, change shape as that society changes. These ideas tend to be in retaliation against the current ruling class of the time, or at least seeking salvation from the ruling class. However, with every change in society, the one constant is that a ruling class has remained. Now, with the advent of communism, a change will take place in society such that there will no longer be any "ruling class", which will consequently see the end of what is known as "organised religion". In essence, the communist society in which people will live replaces the need for organized religion as a means of expressing those ideas that backfire on the ruling class, because class distinctions have fallen away. Some may wonder whether Marx would be open to having an organized religion in a communist state even if communism is successful. Perhaps the counterargument could be made that, even if remnants of organized religion remain in a successful communist state, it is a useful place for community worship or reflection. While the sentiment seems compelling, Marx would most likely claim that the remnants of organized religion prove that a communist state is unsuccessful. As long as organized religion still exists, the people will still be oppressed and the communist revolution will have failed. Marx's argument falls apart at this juncture: although there are no apparent logical flaws, he makes the crucial mistake of presupposing the complete adherence of the people to the principles of the communist state without taking into account corruption, greed and desire. of power. Ironically, his faith in his political system is what compromises the integrity of his arguments. Marx's argument is based on the unqualified success of the communist revolution in bringing peace and prosperity to the oppressed proletariat. While this would theoretically seem like an optimal situation, subjecting these ideas to the reality of human nature reveals their inherent flaws. Some examples include an imperfect communist state, where the political system acts more like a socialist state or dictatorship. This may, especially with retrospective examples of failed communist states, prove to be a confounding variable in Marx's plan. Furthermore, Marx assumes that the people who are ushering in communism will accept losing a familiar place of worship and that they will be told to place their trust in a political system for their prosperity or security. The success of Marx's political theory depends on the overly optimistic view that people can easily abandon such deeply held religious principles. Marx behaves as an optimist in this situation, to the limit. Darwin, however, understands that relying on a single way of thinking or living to provide social structure is not practical or realistic. Darwin demonstrates this understanding in his work The Descent of Man: I am aware that the conclusions reached in this work will be denounced by some as highly irreligious; but whoever denounces them is required to show why it is more irreligious to explain the origin of man as a species distinct by descent from some inferior form, through the laws of variation and, 2001.