THE MYTH OF THE MARXIST DIALECTIC
79
way been preparing and which combines the different resources of
both sides instead of merely substituting one thing for another.
But conversion to the belief
in
a divine power does not have
always an energizing effect. It was
in
vain that Marx tried to bar
out Providence: "History does nothing," he insisted; "it 'possesses
no colossal riches'; it 'fights no fight.' It is rather man-real, living
man-who acts, possesses and fights in everything. It is by no means
'History' which uses man as a means to carry out its ends as if it
were a person apart; rather History is nothing but the activity of man
in pursuit of his ends." But as long as he keeps talking as if the pro–
letariat were the chosen instrument of a Dialectic, as if its victory
were predetermined, he does assume an extra-human power. History
may be merely the affairs of men; but simply by using
this
abstract
collective word and by using it so very often, by always talking of
human doings
in
terms of a capitalized
"Geschichte,,
Marx has
made it extremely easy to imagine that there is an entity called
History which is doing things and which will make the human story
come out right, no matter what you do or what your opponent does.
Certainly Marx tries to convince us that every man is an agent
in the historical progress, certainly he preaches action; but, as the
history of Christianity shows, the doctrine of salvation by works
passes all too readily and rapidly into the doctrine of salvation by
grace. All too naturally, by identifying himself with the antithesis
of the Dialectic, that is, by professing a religious faith, ·the Marxist
puts himself into the state of mind of a man going upstairs on an
escalator. The Marxist Will which once resolved to change the world
has been transformed into the invisible power which provides the
motive force that runs the escalator; and if you simply take your
stand on the bottom step, the escalator will get you to the top, that
is,
to the blessed condition of the synthesis. The only other situation
conceivable is that of a man who tries to walk down the same esca–
lator and who either is able to make no progress or goes backwards.
Though there is
in
Marxism a strong element of morality which makes
the escalator too mechanical a simile-since the man who is on the
way up knows with certainty that he is a noble fellow, though he
may not exert himself to move a step, while the man who has had
~he
misfortune to move against the upcoming stairway, though
he may be full of the most admirable intentions, is doomed, like the
damned of Pastor Krummacher, not merely to be carried rear-end
foremost toward the synthesis, but into inevitable ignominy and
torment. So the German Social-Democrats of the Second Interna–
tional, assuming that the advent of socialism was sure, were found
supporting an imperialist war which was to deprive the working class
