Research methodology Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Research methodology - Essay Example It will be argued in the following that this is the guiding thread for his critique of religion. His critique of religion, it will be argued is a critique of metaphysics. His aim in the critique is to refute the idea that history is marked by spiritual progress, and in turn, replace this with a progress defined by a 'class struggle', and in particular, the material relations surrounding the means of production. Thus, the relationship between his critique of religion and his political economy, is the replacement of spiritual progress with that of the class struggle. Concerning the issue of research methodology, the following analysis will pay careful attention to what is employed by Marx. His approach on this issue, includes textual interpretation. That is, he provides analysis of key texts like the philosopher, Georg Hegel. Second, his methodology in the following is historical interpretation. In particular, he focuses on economic history but also social history. â€Å"The German Id eology† is his most decisive criticism of religion. ... Thus, the reformation can be regarded as a change of consciousness that emancipates the individual consciousness from the determination of the consciousness by the church. In turn, this change of consciousness or of thinking, helps to shape and change history itself. By contrast, Marx outlines the material conditions which determine the social relations manifest in any given culture, and further, these material conditions are the cause of forms of consciousness. Consciousness in this sense, includes also the various forms of belief systems which religion consists of. He describes the ‘priority’ of material conditions against consciousness as a determinant for human behavior and of politics, therefore, in the following: â€Å"Men distinguish themselves by consciousness, by religion or anything else you like . . . they . . . distinguish themselves from animals as soon as they begin to produce their means of subsistence . . . by producing their means of subsistence men are indirectly producing their actual material life† [Marx, 1997: 341]. Marx's critique of Hegel is central to his critique of religion. It will therefore require some analysis to demonstrate Marx's 'materialistic' interpretation of history over and against Hegel's spiritual reading of history. Marx views Hegel's philosophy, along with religion, as essentially a â€Å"mystical† position [Marx, 1970, p. 27]. By ‘mystical’, it is implied in terms of an argument which is beyond the bounds of reason, and by ‘reason’, it is implied in the material or physical sense of the term. Or, it is implied in terms of something which can be verified empirically or through sense experience. In other words, and in keeping with what was said above, it can be said that the person which Hegel is describing is