A Caricature of Marxism and Imperialist Economism: 5. “Monism And Dualism”

A Caricature of Marxism and Imperialist Economism: 5. “Monism And Dualism”

But this Kievsky argument is wrong. Imperialism is as much our “mortal” enemy as is capitalism. That is so. No Marxist will forget, however, that capitalism is progressive compared with feudalism, and that imperialism is progressive compared with pre-monopoly capitalism. Hence, it is not every struggle against imperialism that we should support. We will not support a struggle of the reactionary classes against imperialism; we will not support an uprising of the reactionary classes against imperialism and capitalism.

The demand to give up the illusions about its condition is the demand to give up a condition that needs illusions.

A Contribution to the Critique of Hegel’s Philosophy of Right: Introduction

The abolition of religion as the illusory happiness of the people is the demand for their real happiness. To call on them to give up their illusions about their condition is to call on them to give up a condition that requires illusions. The criticism of religion is, therefore, in embryo, the criticism of that vale of tears of which religion is the halo.

Critique of Hegel’s Philosophy of Right

Marx and Engel’s Collected Works Volume 3: Karl Marx, March 1843-August 1844 (PDF)