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From The Enlighteners: Marx's Contribution To The Enlightenment

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The scientific revolution in early modern Europe marked a catalyst for the Enlightenment, which challenged the Aristolean-Christian worldview that prevailed at the time. While the latter explained universal phenomena as having a sense of divination with all beings having a purpose, the former explained the universe as “a mechanical system composed of matter in motion that obeyed natural laws” (Seidman 11). The new views of the Enlightment challenged previously conceived ideals of a universe under a sense of spiritual control by examining the world through a scientific lens, bringing forth the idea that science results in social progress. The Enlighteners challenged the inequalities and intolerance brought forth by the social hierachy of the …show more content…

As influenced by the beliefs of the enlighteners, Marx wanted to replace the culture of religious control in Germany with a secular-humanistic one. Marx believed that human destiny lies within human control, not through any religious or natural forces, and in turn, humans are driven to act in ways that fulfill their self interests. This led to Marx's theory that humans produce commodities in order to fulfill our needs, which in turn creates capitalistic societies. In observing the effects of capitalism, Marx drew the conclusion that it created a system in which opportunities were not equal and often exploitative among differing classes. It was Marx's idea that developing theories and ideals that challenged these class systems are what would lead to positive social change, as the theories would appeal to those who were socially oppressed. Marx believed that once those oppressed by capitalism became more aware of its effects on them personally and began to act in their own best interests, a shift in capitalism's structural and, therefore, social effects would result. It was Marx's thought that a revolution led by the oppressed working class would result in moves away from a capitalistic society toward a communist one in which an even distribution of wealth and resources were at the

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