russell on marx

 Is Communism a religion?

Bertrand Russell on why he held Communism "religious".

"Bolshevism is not merely a political doctrine; it is also a religion, with elaborate dogmas and inspired scriptures. When Lenin wishes to prove some proposition, he does so, if possible, by quoting texts from Marx and Engels.

A full-fledged Communist is not merely a man who believes that land and capital should be held in common, and their produce distributed as nearly equally as possible. He is a man who entertains a number of elaborate and dogmatic beliefs—such as philosophic materialism, for example—which may be true, but are not, to a scientific temper, capable of being known to be true with any certainty. This habit, of militant certainty about objectively doubtful matters, is one from which, since the Renaissance, the world has been gradually emerging, into that temper of constructive and fruitful scepticism which constitutes the scientific outlook.

I believe the scientific outlook to be immeasurably important to the human race. If a more just economic system were only attainable by closing men's minds against free inquiry, and plunging them back into the intellectual prison of the middle ages, I should consider the price too high."

— Bertrand Russell, The Practice and Theory of Bolshevism, (September 1920), Preface, p. xiii

Background: The Practice and Theory of Bolshevism, first published in 1920, is Bertrand Russell's critique of the Communist system he witnessed in the Soviet Union. Russell, an early proponent of certain and broad Communist ideals, believed that the future happiness of humanity depended upon restructuring the way production and business were run. The Bolsheviks, however, according to Russell, pursued these goals with a murderous and cruel dogmatic manner, rather than with a free, peaceful and idealistic hope that nurtured and specifically targeted the individual, and not necessarily reduced itself to the collective's needs and wants. Russell was also staunchly opposed to the way that Bolshevism, in his view, can be understood as a religion, with practices and beliefs that could brook no doubt. This, he determined, for example, was no better than the revealed and stagnant dogma of Catholic Church, which he strongly opposed.

Image: Detail of a photograph of Karl Marx in Algiers, late April 1882. Karl Marx (5 May 1818 – 14 March 1883) was a German philosopher, economist, sociologist, and revolutionary socialist. Marx's work in economics laid the basis for much of the current understanding of labour and its relation to capital, and subsequent economic thought. He is one of the founders of sociology and social science. Marx has been described as one of the most influential figures in human history. Many intellectuals, labour unions and political parties worldwide have been influenced by Marx's ideas, with many variations on his groundwork. He published numerous books during his lifetime, the most notable being The Communist Manifesto (1848) and Das Kapital (1867–1894).