JACQljES MARITAIN
the infamies committed on earth, and therewith justify the
continuance of these infamies. The social principles of
Christianity explain that the contemptible practices of the
oppressors against the oppressed are either just punish–
ments for original sins and other sins, or trials which the
Lord in his infinite wisdom has ordained for the redeemed.
The social principles of Christianity preach cowardice,
self-contempt, abasement, submission, humility, in short all
the qualities of the canaille; and the proletariat, which will
not allow itself to be treated as canaille, needs courage,
self-respect, pride and sense of personal dignity even more
than its bread. The social principles of Christianity are
mealy mouthed; those of the proletariat are revolution–
ary."
(Gesamtausgabe,
Abt. I, Bd. 6, p: 278)
227
There is rhetoric in this, and a certain failure to appreciate
the
positive accomplishments of the Christian heretical movements.
But here as elsewhere, Marx is concerned to defend human per-
8Onality-its dignity and independence-against vulgar material–
istic views, on the one hand, and authoritarian spiritualistic views,
on the other. For Marx, man is not born with a "soul" or "human
personality." He achieves it. Marx's social philosophy is an
attempt to discover, and to help to bring into existence, the social,
cultural and educational conditions under which all men and
women may develop significant human personalities. M. Maritain's
belief in a "personality" which can exist independently of physical,
biological, historical and cultural conditions is a consequence of
a bad psychology and still worse metaphysics.
M. Maritain is right in asserting that Marx's critique of re–
ligion is the basis of Marx's entire philosophical approach. He is
wrong in identifying that critique of religion with atheism. H'e
fails to understand in what way Marx's critique of religion is the
basis of all his other critiques. There is one clue to Marx's anti–
religious position which M. Maritain, together with others of even
greater acuity of social perception, has not read propertly. We
mow that Marx was continuously charging that avowed atheists like
Bruno Bauer and Max Stirner had not liberated themselves from
religious dogmas. He takes Feuerbach to task for the same reason
although he regarded him more highly than any of the
Y
oung–
Hegelians.
Why?
