Karl Marx and the Social Doctrine of the Church
Marx’s Materialist Philosophy and Critique of Society
Karl Marx sought the causes of social problems and proposed methods to overcome social inequality. A materialist philosopher, Marx believed that matter constituted the only reality. He assigned a leading role to the state, believing it necessary for the collective interest to prevail over individual interests.
Marx held a critical view of society, believing that history was marked by a class struggle between the owners of the means of production (the capitalist bourgeoisie) and the workers (the oppressed proletariat). This struggle intensified in industrial capitalist society, where work was seen as an instrument of exploitation by the bourgeoisie, rather than as natural and essential to human beings.
Marx’s Proposed Solution: Class Struggle and Communism
Marx’s proposed solution was the proletariat’s rebellion against the capitalist oppressors and the establishment of a dictatorship with total control over the means of production and the state, thus eliminating private property. This stage was envisioned as transitional, preparing for the arrival of communism, a classless society free from class struggle.
In this communist state, humanity would live in equality, peace, and freedom, rendering the state unnecessary. This implies that scientific socialism historically supported violence as a means to an end.
The Social Doctrine of the Church’s Response to Social Crisis
In response to the crisis of society caused by secular, materialist, and rationalist thought, the Church addressed society and its rulers with social reforms. The Social Doctrine began with Pope Leo XIII’s encyclical Rerum Novarum (1891), which outlined the Church’s position, condemning both liberalism and socialism.
The encyclical proposed a just social order guaranteed by the state, ensuring the common good. It emphasized the dignity of human labor, advocating for conditions that serve the human person, with capital serving humanity, not vice-versa.
Other important social encyclicals include:
- Quadragesimo Anno by Pope Pius XI (1931), addressing the relationship between capital and labor, calling for remedies to the abuses of capitalism and encouraging Catholic engagement in social problems.
- Centesimus Annus by Pope John Paul II (1991), written in the context of the end of the Cold War.
Nationalism and its Manifestations
Nationalism, a feeling of belonging to a particular nation, developed in the wake of the Napoleonic invasions of Europe. Nationalists extolled patriotic values based on shared race, religion, customs, and history. This movement sought to identify a single state with one nation, as seen in the unification of Italy and Germany.
Fascism in Italy
Fascism, developed in Italy from 1919 by Benito Mussolini, subordinated individual freedoms and rights to the Corporate State and exalted the personality cult of Il Duce, proclaiming his infallibility and total power.
Nazism in Germany
Nazism developed in Germany parallel to Italian Fascism, led by Adolf Hitler. This system was based on extreme nationalism, a personality cult, and the exaltation of a charismatic and infallible leader. The political system rested on a single party controlling all power, with freedoms of expression restricted and propaganda manipulated by the government.
Distinct from Italian Fascism, Nazism embraced xenophobia and racism, emphasizing Aryan racial superiority and promoting hatred and contempt for foreigners, particularly Jews, leading to systematic extermination.
Analysis of Political Forces
Inorganic Political Forces
The People: Human persons within a political society, forming natural or voluntary groups for better human relations. Power is diluted within this group.
Social Classes: Variously conceptualized, with Marx distinguishing between the proletariat and the capitalist class. He viewed the proletariat as exploited by the capitalist class, who owned the means of production. Social classes play a significant role in the political process.
Public Opinion (Vox Populi): The primary inorganic political force. It is the manifestation of individual wills asserting or denying something, expressing thoughts on a controversial issue, and taking a position. Opinion becomes public when the subject is of general interest, synthesizing the views of social groups.
Public opinion allows the governed to express their views on acts of power, influencing and correcting authority towards the common good. It can be defined as the expression of individual wills within a society, forming a collective awareness of public issues, characterized by both rational and irrational elements.
Public opinion can be positive (supporting authority) or negative (questioning authority). It is characterized by:
- Originating from the public.
- Lacking organization or structure.
- Existing at global, national, or local levels.
- Being concrete (a clamoring mass) or indefinite (the subject of public opinion).
- Focusing on problems of interest.
- Being formed not by expertise but by the mass’s understanding.
- Being shaped by ideas and opinions circulating within society, simplified by individuals, forming public moods.