Rauschenbusch and Marxism: theological intersections

Rauschenbusch & Marx

Socialism as a Rival Ideology of Modernism and Industrialization: Insights from Karl Marx and Walter Rauschenbusch

Nineteenth century is a period marked in history as one of the most important "transition periods" that led to the eventual development of the modernist ideology and dominance of the capitalist economic system. Simultaneous with the development of modernism and dominance of capitalism are new ideologies that highlighted principles and concepts contrasting the perceived negative effects of modernism and capitalism.

In the midst of modernism's popularity in the Western world, the ideology of socialism gradually gained prominence as an alternative to capitalism and modernism. It is through socialism that theorists Karl Marx and Walter Rauschenbusch gained popularity and recognition as developers of new Socialist ideas, which provided a new perspective in discussing, analyzing and interpreting the rapidly changing face of human society, from being an industrialized to capitalist and eventually, modern society.

This paper looks into the ideas of Marx and Rauschenbusch as they promoted the ideology of Socialism in the 19th century. This paper posits that both Marx and Rauschenbusch promoted the idea that there must be a return to collective organization -- establishment of 'communes' -- in order for human society to fully recognize its potential as motivators and movers of the modern development occurring in the society. For Marx, this re-establishment of communes and socialist society is important in the achievement of one's rationalization, while Rauschenbusch saw socialism as a means to achieve the much-coveted salvation in the midst of increased development, changes and modernism in his society.

In discussing his views about modernism and capitalism, Rauschenbusch focused his analysis on the seemingly increased significance and role of the working class in the new social order that was modernism. In his assessment of the new transition to a modern capitalist economy, Rauschenbusch criticized the new "industrial system" as a detriment to humanity, bringing out the 'worse' in living conditions among humans. In describing this sorry state of human society, he had this to say:

One of the gravest accusations against our industrial system is that it does not produce in the common man the pride and joy of good work. In many cases the surroundings are ugly, depressing, and coarsening. Much of the stuff manufactured is dishonest in quality...There is little opportunity for a man to put his personal stamp on his work.

In this passage, it was apparent how Rauschebusch was addressing the issue of alienation and lack of rationalization and self-development among the workers. This observation was indeed a popular one during the Industrialization, as society was slowly learning its benefits as well as its negative effects. If anything, the Industrial Revolution highlighted both development and stagnation in human society: as what happened during the industrialization, societies developed economically, but there was a corresponding decrease or stagnation in the social conditions of human societies. This was the important negative effect that Rauschebusch focused on: the increased stagnation and demoralization of humanity, most especially embodied by the working class or workers of the modern society during this period.

In relation to this description of the nature of the industrialized society, Rauschenbusch further demonstrated how a move towards socialism would help alleviate this seemingly worse condition of human society in the 19th century. For the clergyman, socialism would return humanity to not only an egalitarian state, but towards a social state that will bring about not just social progress, but more importantly, strengthen human morality and morale.

Take, as an example, Rauschenbausch's assertion of achieving equality. Equality in the socialist context, and as explicated by the author, does not only mean achieving equal status among people financially, but will also include the ability of people to 'free' themselves of the "spiritual straight jacket," wherein despite changes in financial status, equality would remain an elusive concept if people would still hold discrimination and prejudice against specific peoples in the society.

Thus, Rauschenbusch asserted the importance of socialism in making possible this mission of bringing back the morale and morality of human society, and to help develop equality as the ultimate goal and rationale in reinforcing the ideology and social order of socialism. His proposition to adopt socialism as the social order was supported by the fact that in the socialist setting, the working class, which makes up the bulk of the population during his time, would benefit most as the 'riches' of the country will spread among the people rather than concentrated to the wealthy or elite class. However bleak the picture of industrialization was demonstrated in his discussion in the "The Social Gospel," Rauschenbusch still believed that perhaps, industrialization was the catalyst that would prompt the development and "beginning of a progress in the intellectual, social and moral life" -- ideally embodied by the socialist society.

In Rauschenbusch's discussion and analysis, the working class became significant because they were the direct 'oppressed' individuals in the industrialization happening in his society during the 19th century. Like Rauschenbusch, the increased development and shift in social structure of the society was what prompted Karl Marx to develop his own thesis regarding capitalism and modernism, subsisting also to the belief that a socialist society is the best remedy to the worsening condition of human society under the capitalist economic society.

In arguing his point, Marx demonstrated also the plight of the working class, whom he called the proletarians. For him, and just like Rauschenbusch, he considered the working class the most oppressed in the industrialized society, as they become direct victims of the new technologies of industrialization, which were used by the elite class to prolong and assert their power and control over the working class and capitalist society in general. While demoralization was described by Rauschenbusch as a 'spiritual straight jacket,' Marx termed this feeling of demoralization as "alienated labor." Alienated labor occurs, according to Marx, when "the worker sinks to the level of a commodity...a restoration of monopoly in a more terrible form...the whole of society divide into the classes of property owners and propertyless workers..."

In this passage, Marx demonstrated the relationship between economic health, socio-political status, and demoralization within the concept of alienated labor. The feeling of demoralization signifies that lack or absence of rationalization within the individual is happening. When the worker experiences an absence of rationalization in his life, it can be construed that s/he also lacks the political power and control not only over himself/herself, but s/he also lacks the power to govern his/her everyday activities as an individual and member of the society. Ultimately but not exclusively, this lack of power to govern over everyday activities are motivated by the lack of financial power, which means the individual is not able to financially support himself/herself, a reality that was most reflective in the experience of the working class (especially during the 19th century).