God and the State

[DasFapital]

I am finishing up Bakunin's God and the State and found it to be interesting the way he connects church power to state and capitalist power. I especially like his concept of making the scientific way of thinking a guiding force of the people but not making the scientists the gods of society. However, I feel at times he is too idealistic in his thinking, which is ironic because he spends a good deal of time criticizing idealists. What are some of your guys' views on his ideas?

[Tim Cornelis]

I assume you mean Bakunin's?

I haven't read it, primarily because I expect it to be outdated. Is this correct?

[DasFapital]

oops. I did mean bakunin. I wouldn't consider it to be necessarily outdated but just very rooted in its time, so its first chapters primarily deal with the then recent war between France and the Prussians. The main problem is that large parts of it are missing or incomplete, to it can be kind of hard to follow at times.

[Raúl Duke]

I think it's out-dated, but I haven't read it so I can't be certain.

Society is becoming more and more increasingly secular then it was in the past.

[DasFapital]

The parts that are still relevant about the development of religion have been rehashed countless times but it does illustrate the link between nationalism, capitalism and organized religion.

[Book O'Dead]

Engels on Bakunin:

http://www.marxist.com/engels-on-bakunin-letter-cuno-january-24-1872.htm

[x359594]

...I expect it to be outdated. Is this correct?

The over-arching theory of the state is still valid. So is the taxonomy of class society (if not derived from Marx, certainly indebted to him.) The psychology of religoinists also holds up.

[o well this is ok I guess]

I assume you mean Bakunin's?

I haven't read it, primarily because I expect it to be outdated. Is this correct? "Arguments are not old or young, they are good and bad; that's all."