Karl Marx’s work on religion is an important part of critical theory. He saw religion as a social institution contingent upon the material and economic conditions of a society. To Marx, religion is the opium of the masses. He believed religion created an illusory happiness and distracted from the real social and economic issues. Marx supposed that after these social issues are solved the need for religion stops. This religious critique grounds his broader critique of capitalist society and its deep-seated socioeconomic inequalities.
Explore the complex relationship between Karl Marx and religion with our curated selection of books and other resources. Marx famously described religion as the "opium of the people," arguing that it serves as a means to cope with the hardships of life under capitalism. Dive into Marx's critical analysis of religion and its role in shaping society's ideologies.
