Since Marx accepted atheism as the foundation of his theory, it was inevitable that he would be wrong about human nature. And that, indeed, is one of the most significant errors of Marxism. Marx did not believe that man was created in the image of God. Given his acceptance of Darwinian theory, he believed that man was nothing but an animal. Animals have no free will, and the more intelligent can be “trained” or “educated” to behave in specific ways.
Humans, being pure animals, will thus respond, not by free will, but to whatever external stimuli they are subjected to.
For example, put an apple tree in a good environment—good soil, water, sunshine, etc.—and it will produce good apples. A bad environment will yield bad apples. Humans are the same. Set them in the “right” environment, and they will respond correctly. A “bad” environment leads to improper, evil actions. Poverty causes crime. Guns are the evil. Not human will. Let’s examine this element of Marxist philosophy.
3. Human nature is infinitely malleable. Marx believed that, since nothing eternal or absolute exists, human nature (which thus also has nothing of the eternal or absolute inherent within it) could be changed to produce something else—by education or, more often, by force. Again, man is not created in God’s image with free will; as an animal, he will respond only to whatever outward sensations he comes into contact with. However, they may do. Humans, thus, can be “trained,” like animals, to behave in specific ways. This can be done through education or, since that generally didn’t work in communist societies, by coercion. You can certainly get people to behave in your desired manner if you put a gun to their head. But you haven’t truly changed them, or their nature, in that way. This is one reason the Soviet Union lost its empire, and its satellites broke from it as soon as they had the opportunity. They were never “converted” to communism because true “conversion” can never be accomplished by force.
It thus became clear in the 20th century that compulsion would never transform human nature. Marx believed in “acquired characteristics” that can be passed on from generation to generation. But this has been proven scientifically invalid, physically, mentally, and morally. Each generation must be taught anew—the greatest failure of the United States. Humans can, of course, be taught to act differently and should be. Every great teacher in human history was a...teacher: Moses, Jesus, Socrates, Confucius. But they understood that humans could be transformed only if their heart changes, and force will never accomplish that successfully.
Humans, with their God-given free will, can reach excellence only if a great vision of excellence, virtue, and nobility is constantly laid before them: a holy God who exalts and rewards virtuous behavior. Atheism inspires no one to do anything worthwhile because it has no absolute moral values of excellence and virtue to appeal to, to elevate, and lift humanity. The fact that all agree that something “noble” and “excellent” exists implies an absolute standard (God) against which human actions can and should be judged. The atheistic philosophies of “live and let live,” “every man does that which is right in his own eyes,” “might make right,” and “man is the measure of all things” never has or will uplift humanity. It is pure selfishness and degrades, debases, and destroys everything excellent that is worth striving for. And Marxism is atheism, and since atheism’s moral nihilism cannot elevate, inspire, and ennoble man’s heart, then Marxists used force and oppression to attempt to modify the behavior of its subjects. It failed miserably. Those who resisted were killed; they were all going to die someday anyway (Stalin). For the Utopia of tomorrow, many must die today. That has been the theme of Marxism/communism over the last 100 years.
But this “human malleability” is a critical component of Marxism. A combination of coercion and (re-)education can create beings purged of acquisitiveness (the source of private property) and thereby produce a willingness to adhere to collective equality rather than individual rights and freedoms, which always yield inequality. The private and individual should be banished from life. This is the reason why Democrats are so obsessed with identity politics and globalism. The “collective” must reign. It is inherent in their Marxist philosophy.
Marxism tries to transform man into something he is not and never can be without constant force being applied. Thus, violence becomes the most common method of government in communist societies. People must be compelled to relinquish what they own and become what they are not. The government must have total, limitless authority because people will not freely do it.
Private property has always existed because of human nature. Acquisitiveness is inborn—look at the thieves in America who loot stores during riots. They want to “acquire” things. But—and this is crucial—while acquisitiveness is inborn, respect for the acquisitions (property) of others is a learned trait. This is known from child psychology. Babies are adorable but also the most selfish of all creatures. They want what they want RIGHT NOW. Respect for others must be taught. Obviously, many in America remain infantile and have never learned that lesson. And they are not learning it because the Democratic Party is teaching them Marxism.
A free society rests on respect for property rights—an “unalienable right” in the founding philosophy of America. The Democratic Party has now rejected this for an impossible-to-achieve Marxist egalitarianism. Or impossible to achieve except by force and totalitarian government. “You can’t make an omelet without breaking eggs,” Stalin said. Well, not only are human beings not eggs, but no omelet was ever created by the “breaking” of untold millions of these human “eggs.”
Marxism doesn’t work. It CAN’T work because it contradicts too much of reality.
Check my substack mklewis929.substack.com for recent articles on the believability of polls, a podcast on Rising Barbarism: Why?, my series on Psalms 119, and other things. Follow me on Twitter: @thailandmkl. Read my western novels, Whitewater, River Bend, Return to River Bend, and Allie’s Dilemma all available on Amazon.
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