Marxism and religion: Criticism of the Marxist conception of religion

Autor se u članku bavi fenomenom religije. Između brojnih pokušaja filozofije i drugih društvenih znanosti tijekom povijesti da odgovore na brojna pitanja koja sa sobom nosi fenomen religije, autor je odabrao marksističko-liberalnu teoriju i njezin pokušaj da ospori objektivnu vrijednost religije, tumačeći njezinu pojavu i ulogu u društvu socijalno-političkim prilikama. Nakon kratkoga povijesnog pregleda filozofskih mišljenja autor se posebno bavi kritikom demistifikatora religije krajem XVIII. i početkom XIX. stoljeća. Zatim iznosi mišljenja glavnih protagonista demistifikacijske teorije o religiji, Feuerbacha, Marxa, Engelsa i Lenjina, koji religiju smatraju iluzijom, otuđenjem, opijumom za narod itd. Prema Marxu religija je pretpostavka svake druge kritike, a budući da je religija kao nadogradnja zapravo otuđenje, ona u komunizmu treba nestati itd. Nakon što je iznio marksističko-liberalni nauk o religiji, autor se kritički osvrće na njegove teorije, na pojam otuđenja, nadogradnje, porijeklo i nestanak religije u komunizmu, ističući da su one ideološki opterećene, pojmovi neodređeni, hipoteze nedostatno potkrijepljene, a metode skučene, uopćavanja i zaključivanja proizvoljna, a teorije u raskoraku s činjenicama i poviješću.In the article the author deals with the phenomenon of religion. Among the numerous attempts of philosophy and other social sciences throughout history to answer the numerous questions that arise from the phenomenon of religion, the author has chosen the Marxist-liberal theory and its attempt to deny the objective value of religion, interpreting its phenomenon and role in society by the socio-political conditions. After a brief historical review of philosophical thoughts, the author is especially concerned with the bearers of the theory of demystification of religion at the end of 18th and the beginning of 19th century. Then, he presents the opinions of the main protagonists of that theory, Feuerbach, Marx, Engels, Lenin, who consider religion an illusion, alienation, opium of the people, etc. According to Marx, religion is the perquisite for any other criticism, and since religion, being an upgrading, is actually alienation, in communism it should disappear, etc. After he has presented the Marxist-liberal teaching on religion, the author takes a critical approach to its theories, to the concept of alienation, upgrading, the origin and disappearance of religion in communism, pointing out that these theories are ideologically loaded, terms undefined, hypotheses insufficiently supported, methods tight, generalizations and conclusions arbitrary, and theories in disagreement with facts and history