Lamanov
12th June 2005, 14:59
Friedrich Engels - History (the role of Religion) in the English middle-class, 1892 English Version Introduction
[Original text can be found here.] (http://www.marxists.org/archive/marx/works/1880/soc-utop/int-hist.htm)
Summary attempt:
Europe emerged from the middle ages carrying with it the the newborn rising middle-class of the towns as the main progressive element of the society which counterposed the existence of feudalism. In that time, the greatest feudal lord was the Roman Catholic Church itslef, holding the 1/3 of the Catholic World land, which as the spiritual guard of the old society held all aspects of life subdued to its reign, including the science, which, infact, trapped by religious intrests was no science at all. Only social element where science could furnish again was the progressive part of society: ever developing middle-class.
But this did not happen all at once. Infact, it took 2 uprisings against the old order before even the progressive layers could free itself from the religious illusions (in the form of the 3rd - the Great French Revolution).
The 1st: Protestant Reformation in Germany, with its leader - Martin Luther, and the two insurrections, one of lower nobility in 1523, and of the peasantry in the Great Peasants' War in 1525. But here, it failed, and Lutheranism became a tool for the princes an the lower nobility.
The 2nd: where Calvinism played a great role in Belgium, Scotland - and England - in the period of the short lived republic where the 'plebian' (middle-class) adopted it as its tool and religious belief. But this uprising against the old order turned other way into a reaction with a great compromise between the ex-feudal landowners and the rising bourgeosie class. Old feudal class pretty much destroyed itself durring the War of the Roses to the point where their succesors, far from the orginal lines of the families, were something of a new breed, more with the burgoise habbits than feudal. This ex-feudal class found itself very close to the financial and industrial capitalists, and under the same intrests of superiority over the masses (on one side, and on the other, seized catholic land) they so stubbornly held to Calvinism and strengthened their religious identity.
Further on, the rise of materialism in England only contributed to this, because this new doctrine presented itself as thought only fit for scholars, in contrast to uneducated masses (including the bourgeosie), for whom only religion is good enough.
In France, however, materialism was a driving force for the rising elements of society. There, it aquired a revolutionary character, as gave birth to the 3rd uprising, the Great French Revolution. In France, there was no compromise with the old order, and pre-revolutionary society was erased to the ground.
But the intensity of the revolution was what feared the English bourgeois. To him, the reign of terror in Paris was the sign of what happens when the religion is lost to the people. Now he held to it all the faster.
Industrial revolution in England brought about a new shift in power. In time, manufacturing industrial capital pushed into the background the land and financial aristocracy. This created a new relations between the classes [Repeal of the Corn Laws]. It also created a numerous class of the working people, at first ally of the bourgeosie but soon its rival.
While in Europe constant shift of the revolutionary uprising and counter-revolution shook the continent exposing the incompatability of the bourgeosie to hold on to power, in England the upper class called upon the evangelization of the lower orders [revivalism, Salvation Army etc.].
So the British society was tied with a religious rope around it, holding down the class antagonisms. As the middle-class refered to aristocracy as "our old nobility", so the working class looked to the middle-class as "their betters". While in Europe, under the threat of the proletarian revolution and the workig class infested with socialism, bourgeosie is turning to religion as the main tool for the pacification of society, English bourgeois says: "Why, you fools, I could have told you that 200 years ago".
I will finish this summary in Engels' words:
"However, I am afraid neither the religious stolidity of the British, nor the post festum conversion of the Continental bourgeois will stem the rising Proletarian tide. Tradition is a great retarding force, is the vis inertiae of history, but, being merely passive, is sure to be broken down; and thus religion will be no lasting safeguard to capitalist society."
"But the triumph of the European working-class does not depend upon England alone. It can only be secured by the cooperation of, at least, England, France, and Germany. In both the latter countries, the working-class movement is well ahead of England."
[Original text can be found here.] (http://www.marxists.org/archive/marx/works/1880/soc-utop/int-hist.htm)
Summary attempt:
Europe emerged from the middle ages carrying with it the the newborn rising middle-class of the towns as the main progressive element of the society which counterposed the existence of feudalism. In that time, the greatest feudal lord was the Roman Catholic Church itslef, holding the 1/3 of the Catholic World land, which as the spiritual guard of the old society held all aspects of life subdued to its reign, including the science, which, infact, trapped by religious intrests was no science at all. Only social element where science could furnish again was the progressive part of society: ever developing middle-class.
But this did not happen all at once. Infact, it took 2 uprisings against the old order before even the progressive layers could free itself from the religious illusions (in the form of the 3rd - the Great French Revolution).
The 1st: Protestant Reformation in Germany, with its leader - Martin Luther, and the two insurrections, one of lower nobility in 1523, and of the peasantry in the Great Peasants' War in 1525. But here, it failed, and Lutheranism became a tool for the princes an the lower nobility.
The 2nd: where Calvinism played a great role in Belgium, Scotland - and England - in the period of the short lived republic where the 'plebian' (middle-class) adopted it as its tool and religious belief. But this uprising against the old order turned other way into a reaction with a great compromise between the ex-feudal landowners and the rising bourgeosie class. Old feudal class pretty much destroyed itself durring the War of the Roses to the point where their succesors, far from the orginal lines of the families, were something of a new breed, more with the burgoise habbits than feudal. This ex-feudal class found itself very close to the financial and industrial capitalists, and under the same intrests of superiority over the masses (on one side, and on the other, seized catholic land) they so stubbornly held to Calvinism and strengthened their religious identity.
Further on, the rise of materialism in England only contributed to this, because this new doctrine presented itself as thought only fit for scholars, in contrast to uneducated masses (including the bourgeosie), for whom only religion is good enough.
In France, however, materialism was a driving force for the rising elements of society. There, it aquired a revolutionary character, as gave birth to the 3rd uprising, the Great French Revolution. In France, there was no compromise with the old order, and pre-revolutionary society was erased to the ground.
But the intensity of the revolution was what feared the English bourgeois. To him, the reign of terror in Paris was the sign of what happens when the religion is lost to the people. Now he held to it all the faster.
Industrial revolution in England brought about a new shift in power. In time, manufacturing industrial capital pushed into the background the land and financial aristocracy. This created a new relations between the classes [Repeal of the Corn Laws]. It also created a numerous class of the working people, at first ally of the bourgeosie but soon its rival.
While in Europe constant shift of the revolutionary uprising and counter-revolution shook the continent exposing the incompatability of the bourgeosie to hold on to power, in England the upper class called upon the evangelization of the lower orders [revivalism, Salvation Army etc.].
So the British society was tied with a religious rope around it, holding down the class antagonisms. As the middle-class refered to aristocracy as "our old nobility", so the working class looked to the middle-class as "their betters". While in Europe, under the threat of the proletarian revolution and the workig class infested with socialism, bourgeosie is turning to religion as the main tool for the pacification of society, English bourgeois says: "Why, you fools, I could have told you that 200 years ago".
I will finish this summary in Engels' words:
"However, I am afraid neither the religious stolidity of the British, nor the post festum conversion of the Continental bourgeois will stem the rising Proletarian tide. Tradition is a great retarding force, is the vis inertiae of history, but, being merely passive, is sure to be broken down; and thus religion will be no lasting safeguard to capitalist society."
"But the triumph of the European working-class does not depend upon England alone. It can only be secured by the cooperation of, at least, England, France, and Germany. In both the latter countries, the working-class movement is well ahead of England."