Capitalism, Marxism, and Christian Morality by Nathan Moon

Paul T. Heyne was a lecturer in economics at the University of Washington in Seattle, United States. Heyne promoted economics through his interests with religion, social issues, justice and free market economies and provides us with an excellent quote: “The gap in our economy is between what we have and what we think we ought to have—and that is a moral problem, not an economic one.” I ask: does a moral problem exist?

To answer this we must question the morality of self-love as it appears in the capitalist structure proposed by Adam Smith. We must also question whether Karl Marx was concerned with human reason or Christian morality. I simply propose that from their very genesis Marxist and capitalist theory were fundamentally flawed, and that Christianity alone accounts for the morality behind human self-interests, class struggle, and social revolutions inherent to the two economic systems proffered by Smith and Marx. For as Jesus said, “Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself.”[1] As we will see, what Jesus says in the Book of Matthew concerns the distinction between what is right and wrong behavior as it relates to human nature. But first we take a brief look at Western society, where the economy is capitalistic—a class system based of the idea of self-interest—and where it is flawed.

According to Adam Smith, humans have the “propensity to truck, barter, and exchange one thing for another.”[2] This class-based, market-structure is essential for Capitalism to work, as Adam Smith goes on to state, “In almost every other race of animals each individual, when it is grown up to maturity, is entirely independent, and in its natural state has occasion for the assistance of no other living creature. But man has almost constant occasion for the help of his brethren, and it is in vain for him to expect it from their benevolence only.”[3] As we see, Smith reasons that humans work out of their own self-interest according to their own personal gain. However, Smith also stated that, “How selfish soever man may be supposed, there are evidently some principles in his nature, which interest him in the fortunes of others, and render their happiness necessary to him, though he derives nothing from it, except the pleasure of seeing it.”[4] Despite Smiths acknowledgement of human sympathy, no regard of God is prevalent, just human reason. If we maintain that from its genesis, capitalism is flawed because it leaves God out of the equation, we conclude that all morality is out of the question.

With this determined we direct our attention to another question, as follows: if both Marxism and Christianity promote benevolence, opposed to self-interest which is a cornerstone of capitalism, and focus on a classless structure (community), then where is the difference?

As Marx would put it, capitalism is fundamentally flawed at its base structure because, “The bourgeoisie cannot exist without constantly revolutionizing the instruments of production, and thereby the relations of production, and with them the whole relations of society.”[5] This is where there is accordance between the two: as there begins to exist in capitalistic society a system of those who have, and those who have not. But take this into consideration: according to Marx, there are tiers of historical development. It is determined by Marx that all religions are included in these stages, and that the history of history itself is the history of class struggle. Capitalism and Christianity, then, are mere phases. Therefore, if Marxism were to end class struggle—end historical progress—then Marxism would inevitably supersede all religions and forms of economy. Likewise, when Marx famously proposed, “Religion is the opiate of the masses,” he meant that man creates labor and religion as a distraction, and thus alienates himself from the real benefits of life, which is enjoying the fruits of one’s labor. This (religion) is dangerous for humans, because they can never strive for anything other than what they are currently used to, or “fed.” This can be explained by using evidence from Marx’s 1844 manuscripts[6]:

All these consequences are contained in this characteristic, that the worker is related to the product of labor as to an alien object. For it is clear that, according to this premise, the more the worker exerts himself in his work, the more powerful the alien, objective world becomes which he brings into being over against himself, the poorer he and his inner world become, and the less they belong to him. It is the same in religion. The more man puts into God, the less he retains within himself. The worker places his life in the object; but now it no longer belongs to him, but to the object. The greater his activity, therefore, the fewer objects the worker possesses.

Essentially, Marx needs the abolishment of religion and private property in order to restore the worker’s quality of life and overall sense of worth, and to propel humankind into the future. This is, however, merely a different way of attaining wealth; it is a different form of avarice. Thus, it is no different from capitalism in that it is simply more concerned with an economic problem than a moral one. Therefore, due to the absence of Christ-like morality, Marx’s system is flawed. Christianity offers a greater sense of human worth because it accounts for the morality behind human actions, rather than the economics.

So, in order for us to understand what one role of religion takes in society, allow me to start with God’s creation of man, which introduces an important pillar of Christian thought—community. Pastor John V. Halvorson takes a look at the present state of man’s condition in our modern age[7] and states: “Because man transcends himself in his freedom [granted by God], he is ultimately spirit or self rather than mind; at the same time man is a creature who is made for community […] in our encounters with each other we become the person God wants us to become.” This leads us to believe that we exist as neighbors and not “animals” living off their basic instincts. Therefore, according to Pastor Halvorson, we are called by God to act dependent of one another, as “brothers and sisters in Christ” because to be independent, then, is to act out of self-interest, which ultimately means to rebel from God.

But we do rebel from God and act selfishly, which brings us to question what morality is. If any of us understand, morality is the principles concerning the distinction between right and wrong or good and bad behavior. Jesus gives us two principles. Jesus said, “Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself.”[8] Achieving success is first loving God and then loving your neighbor, not promoting competition and avarice. This is a similar premise as Marx’s conclusion, but is more humane because, simply, there is no need for violent, coercive revolution.

Now we see how capitalism strained God’s word, and twisted it for its own devices—capital. Rather love “thy neighbor as thyself” we instead love them for our own benefit of gaining material wealth. We also see how Marx neglected Biblical evidence and, like Smith, similarly proposed to structure off of mere human capabilities and interests. However, the best thing we can do is to turn our eyes to the Lord, for where Marxism really seeks to benefit the workers and poor of a community, and to obtain what is “rightfully theirs”, Christianity offers the foundation Marxism or any state economy needs to succeed while also achieving more. Where capitalism extols self-interest and competition, Christianity simply rejects it.

There is undoubtedly a question of moral conduct in human society, namely market-based economies and what comes after—Marxism. On one hand, humans have the propensity to exchange for their own benefit; on the other, they have the propensity to do good for their fellow brothers and sisters in Christ for His glory. It is agreeable to re-assess our current system and where we are headed, and ask ourselves if the poor, working classes are really benefiting from anything at all and then ask ourselves what it is we can do to help out of love. That is the spirit of Christianity.

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[1] Matt. 22:37-39 (KJV)

[2] Adam Smith, The Wealth of Nations (Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 1976), p. 17.

[3] Smith, The Wealth of Nations, p. 18.

[4] Adam Smith, The Theory of Moral Sentiments (London: A. Miller, 1759), I.I.1

[5] Karl Marx, The Communist Manifesto (New York, London: W.W. Norton & Company, Inc., 1988), p. 58.

[6] Karl Marx, Economic and Philosophical Manuscripts 1844 (Moscow: Progress Publishers, 1959), p. 29.

[7] John V. Halvorson, The Ages in Tension (Minneapolis: Augsburg Publishing House, 1970), p. 21.

[8] Matt. 22:37-39 (KJV)