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Marx believed he had unlocked the secrets of the universe in the form of "scientific laws."  Among these laws were the following:

Marx believed he had unlocked the secrets of the universe in the form of "scientific laws."  Among these laws were the following:

1) [[Atheism]]: the denial of the existence of [[God]]. Marx referred to [[religion]] as "the opium of the masses."  According to [[atheist]] [[humanism]], the universe came into being by accident. Marx's system requires this presupposition because it means that standards of value and [[morality]] are changeable rather than fixed, relative rather than absolute. As a consequence, men—specifically the ruling classes—are free to determine their own rules.

# [[Atheism]]: the denial of the existence of [[God]]. Marx referred to [[religion]] as "the opium of the masses."  According to [[atheist]] [[humanism]], the universe came into being by accident. Marx's system requires this presupposition because it means that standards of value and [[morality]] are changeable rather than fixed, relative rather than absolute. As a consequence, men—specifically the ruling classes—are free to determine their own rules.

2) [[Materialism]]: Marx believed that "there is nothing in the world apart from [[matter]] in motion." Thus men's thoughts and [[emotion]]s, seen as by-products of matter in motion, may properly be scientifically controlled by those who seek to further human "progress".  

# [[Materialism]]: Marx believed that "there is nothing in the world apart from [[matter]] in motion." Thus men's thoughts and [[emotion]]s, seen as by-products of matter in motion, may properly be scientifically controlled by those who seek to further human "progress".  

3) [[Class Struggle]]:  The dialectical struggle between a new working class (the "[[proletariat]]") and the supposed old capitalist ruling class (the "[[bourgeoisie]]") results in the creation of a new kind of human being - a new man - and in turn produces the inevitable triumph of the new class, which then establishes its dominion over the whole earth. The victory of the proletariat is supposed to lead to a "classless society". This is the Marxist equivalent of [[salvation]]. In the absence of absolute values, it becomes an end that justifies almost any means.

# [[Class Struggle]]:  The dialectical struggle between a new working class (the "[[proletariat]]") and the supposed old capitalist ruling class (the "[[bourgeoisie]]") results in the creation of a new kind of human being - a new man - and in turn produces the inevitable triumph of the new class, which then establishes its dominion over the whole earth. The victory of the proletariat is supposed to lead to a "classless society". This is the Marxist equivalent of [[salvation]]. In the absence of absolute values, it becomes an end that justifies almost any means.

==Notes==

==Notes==