August - 2015 Odisha Review

Marx and Vivekananda on Socialism

Souribandhu Kar

Some great men shake the world; others shape The salient characteristics of this age have
the world. Rarely do personalities emerge who been brought out by C.L. Wayper thus : The
shake and shape the world. Marx was universal age was one of great physical and technological
and he effected human progress everywhere. achievements. Marx was almost lyrical in his
Vivekananda burst on the world s Parliament of enthusiasm for its technical perfection ...... He
Religion at Chicago and addressed his message writes in communist Manifesto, ..... subjection
of humanism. Both Marx and Vivekananda was of nature s forces to man, machinery, application
lover of humanity and opposed to social injustice. of chemistry to industry and agriculture, steam
Let us have a closer look on the social justice as navigates, railways, electric telegraphs, clearing
explained by Marx and Vivekananda. of whole continents for cultivation, canalization
of rivers, whole populations conjured out of the
Karl Marx and Swami Vivekananda were ground..... what earlier century had even a
two outstanding personalities who influenced presentiment that such productive forces
human thought in a very significant manner during slumbered in the lap of social labour? It was an
the 19th Century. Marx was born in 1818 and age that was becoming increasingly rationalist and
died in 1883; Vivekananda, born in 1863, died materialist, an age which, at once valued technical
in 1902. Though they were contemporaries for achievement and confidently anticipated that such
20 years, they did not know each other personally achievement would become bigger and better. It
nor did they directly influence each other. was an age in which the products of technical
achievements were very unevenly spread; an age
To understand their viewpoint, we have of growing wealth for many and, so it seemed, of
to analyze the time in which they lived. The increasing misery for more. It was an age in which
nineteenth century was critical period in the history religion was no longer exercising its former appeal
of human civilization, when four powerful strands and the world had grown colder in consequences.
had coalesced producing a profound impact on It was an age in which civilization was not as
the course of humanity s onward march. These impressive as technical achievement ...... An age
were capitalism, science and technology, then, of achievement and suffering, of strident
industrialization and imperialism. Every corner of scientific assurance and fading religious faith, of
the world was affected by its irresistible impact. apparent fulfillment and of a great and growing

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emptiness, an age of which it could be said, as appeared on the scene and which found him the
Milton said of his time:16 The hungry sheep lookup most effective representative and exponent.
and are not fed this was the age in which Marx
lived. Indian s religion, culture, philosophy,
social system, in short, everything, become
At the beginning of 19th century, Germany objects of challenge. Sardar K.M.Panicker
or rather Russia was in a state of turmoil. The described the 19th century as one of the three
slogan of French Revolution was liberty, equality determining periods in Indian History. The issue
and fraternity. This became wildfire all over raised in this period was the confrontation of the
Europe. The Nepoleonic wars had created and superior, expanding and highly dynamic
strengthened sentiments of patriotism and civilizations, with an old static and , as it appeared,
nationalism in every part of Europe. The powers decaying culture..... The Hindu society was thus
of hereditary monarch were declined. The confronted with a dynamic civilization, which was
Industrial and mercantile middleclass gained convinced not only of its own incomparable moral
strength. A new class of proletariat arose out of greatness, economic strength, technological and
Industrialism. This has disrupted and displaced scientific superiority but was moved by a firm
the centuries old feudal relationship. The university belief that the form of life it represented was the
of Bonn and Berlin became the nerve centre for final one to which all others must conform. This
secular and scientific learning and this has given was in someway a graver challenge than the two
rise to new class of scholars, philosophers, writers previous ones. If she failed, to meet it, the danger
and scientist. Peoples feelings and ideas were was not that Hinduism might disappear, as in the
reflected on various publication of periodicals. 14th century, but that Indians, as people might,
Revolutionary and seditious propaganda gained for all times, fall back in the race for progress and
momentum. It was in this period of ferment, be reduced to a position of a semi-civilized,
challenges, revolt, repression and eager ineffective people with no contribution to make
expectations of a radically new world that Karl to the world. The philosophies of ancient India
Marx was born in Trier in 1818. might be studies by the curious and the scholarly
as the ideas of ancient Egyptians are studies
The social, political, economic, religious today . He continues: In the last quarter of the
and psychological situation in India was in all 19th century, this dangerous tendency was
round ferment at the time of Swami Vivekananda. checked by the emergence of an outstanding all-
India lay prostrate at the feet of the foreign India leader Swami Vivekananda.
conqueror. As Swami Ranganathananda has put So, both Marx and Vivekananda were
it, His (Swami Vivekananda s) life coincided with towering personalities, inspired by a burning
the most dynamic period of modern transition in passion and steeled by firm determination to
India, which resulted from the contact of the age- transform the society around them. They exerted
old Indian culture and tradition with the youthful a direct impact on the contemporary society.
cultures of the modern west. Out of that ferment
arose modern Indian renaissance which had The sharp distinction between the Marxist
already proceeded with uncertain steps for more idea of world transformation and that of the
than half a century by the time Vivekananda Hindus has been brought out by Dr.

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Radhakrishnan. In its concern for the poor and adequate to the real needs of mankind and to the
the lowly, in its demand for a more equitable exigencies of production by modern technical
distribution of wealth an opportunity, in its means. The demand of socialism is a moral
insistence on rational equality, it gives us a social demand. This theory appeals by its very simplicity,
message with which all idealists are in agreement. and its plausibility is increased by the facts that
But our sympathy for the social programme does economic phenomena are of great importance in
not necessarily commit us to the Marxist life and history The emphasis on the importance
philosophy of life, its authentic conception of of economic conditions is correct; the suggestion
ultimate reality, its naturalistic view of a man and that they are exclusively determinant of history is
its disregard of the sacredness of personality . incorrect . If economic forces condition historic
evolution, it does not follow that other forces do
The chief elements of the Marxian
not. The forces of economic necessity and
creed , says Radhakrishnan, are the theory of
religious idealism may interact and mould the
value which describes the methods by which the
future history.
workers are exploited by the capitalists, the
hypothesis of dialectical materialism, the economic Swami Vivekananda s philosophy is
interpretation of history, the class theory of based on Vedanta. The Vedantic approach is very
progress and a defense of revolution as the comprehensive and takes into account the fact
method by which the workers are to attain that truth, though essentially one, is perceived
power. differently. There are three board different levels
of perception dvaita, visishta duaita and
The cornerstone on which the entire
Marxist philosophy is built up is dialectical Advaita. Vikekananda s philosophy is
materialism . The materialism that Marx diametrically opposed to that of Marx. Marx
expounded is known as dialectical materialism, believes the fundamental reality consists of matter,
because in it, materialism and dialectics are whereas according to Vivekananda, it is spirit.
indissolubly interconnected. Marxist dialectics A.V. Rathna Reddy says in his book,
examines the world in constant motion, change The political philosophy of Vivekananda' that the
and development. Swami believed that the social evolution is not
Marx applied the dialectics to the material different from the evolution of the universe. The
development of society. The human society too law of universe operates in society also. As the
has evolved from primitive communism, through universe is not static but dynamic, no institution in
slavery and feudalism, into capitalism through their society is sacred and eternal. The social evolution
process of dialectics, which Marx describes by is based on the principle of rise and fall.
the term Class Struggle . Under capitalism there
The Swamiji s concept of process of
are two classes, the capitalists and the working
social evolution is that materialism and spirituality
class. Class war between these two is inevitable
prevail alternatively in society. Civilization means
and inherent. Out of that will emerge a new
manifestation of spirituality. When people are
synthesis-socialism.
enmeshed in materialism, in sensuous pleasure,
Dr. Radhakrishnan points out, The their creativity does not manifest, their latest
socialist programme of the Marxist is more capacities lie in the dormant condition and thus

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takes place a gradual degradation of culture. But and priestcraft in India and all these made him to
when spirituality ascends, the dormant creativity look up the philosophy of socialism as a probable
is let loose, leaving its stamp everywhere, in arts ray of hope, if not as permanent sunshine. He had
and crafts, in thoughts and deeds, in organization. explained say he turned towards socialism.
In this period, the barrier of privileges breaks
down as no one claims exclusive powers and The other systems have been tried and
greater harmony and peace exists in society. found wanting. Let this be tried if for nothing
else, for the novelty of the thing. A distribution of
Swamiji does not believe in conflict or pain and pleasure is better than always the same
class war as the mechanism for social evolution. persons having pains and pleasures. His attitude
He said, you must take care not to setup class to socialism, as he summed up, I am a socialist,
strife between the poor peasants, the laboring not because it is a perfect system, but because I
people and the wealthy classes . Swamiji believes believe that half a loaf is better than no bread."
that economic advancement is a necessary Whereas Marx gave unqualified support to
precondition to spiritual fulfillment, as much for socialism.
individual as for the society.
While Marx s socialism was essentially
Swami Tapasyananda in his book
materialistic in concept, Vivekananda never
Legacy of Swami Vivekananda , says: what he
subscribed to such a brand. As V.K.R.V.Rao puts
longed for was not an endless pursuit, as in many
it, the engine of social changes must have its
so called advanced countries of today, of higher
proper fuel; and this according to Vivekananda,
and higher standards of living and sophistication
could only come from spirituality and the Vedanta,
of life pattern, but the provision of the minimum
requirements for healthy and contended life, which which proclaimed the innate divinity in man and
along can provide man with the leisure and reserve the sameness it gave all men as the basis for social
of mental energy required for the pursuit of spiritual ethics of non-exploitation and universal human
values. welfare.

An environment neither of extreme Swami Vivekananda believed religion

enjoyment nor of base indulgence and misery can (and not politics) as the path of change whereas
generate vairagya or revulsion and non- Marx believed that religion was the opiate of
attachment to the fleeting worldly values. Only a mankind and that it must be done away within the
via media in the social and the economic situation interest of human welfare. Vivekananda s
can foster vivek discrimination-the parent of socialism was no way antithetical to religion. His
renunciation and spiritual aspiration and thus standpoint has been explained by Swami
favour the rise of impressive men of spiritual genius Gambhirananda thus; Though the people had to
who can deliver the saving gospel, the message be fed and their standard of living to be raised,
of India to the young and powerful nations of the this was not to be achieved at the cost of religion .
world .
Besides, he found no incompatibility
Swamiji witnessed terrible misery, the between social progress and spiritual
crippling poverty, the paralyzing slavery and the advancement. He wanted the masses to rise with
inhuman exploitation of the masses, the hypocrisy their spiritual intact. Can you give them(the

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masses) their lost individuality without making was reduced as a result of capitalist exploitation.
them lose their innate spiritual nature?- he used Marx also knew that of all the classes that stand
to ask. His motto was elevation of the masses face to face with the bourgeois today, the
without enfacing their religion. Vivekananda tells proletariat alone is a really revolutionary class .
us that, of all the forces that have worked, are
still working, to mould the destiny of human race, Both Marx and Vivekananda find the
non certainly is more potent than the manifestation intense concern for the welfare of the humanity
of which we call religion. Everything goes to show but both of them saw Man in different lights.
that socialism or some form of rules people will For both Marx and Vivekananda, the world was
certainly want the satisfaction of their material their arena, and humanity, the object of their
needs, less work, no oppression, no war, more service. But while Vivekananda choose Advaitya
food. What guarantee have we that this, or any Vedanta for bringing social justice to millions of
civilization, will last unless it is based on religion, Indians and humanity, Marx approached
on the goodness of the man? Religion goes to the dialectical materialism and proletariat revolution
roots of the matter. If it is right, all is right. to ameliorate the ills of mankind.
Socialism, as conceived today is a product of References :
materialism, but the present crisis is not merely in
the outside world, but also in the soul of man, 1. C.L. Waper Political Thought PP 195 196.
and it can be resolved only by religion which raises
2. Swami Ranganathananda Eternal Values for a
man to the divine state. Changing Society P IIC.
Another difference between Swami 3. K. M. Panicker The Three determining periods
Vivekananda and Marx is in their concept of of Indian History P 46.
socialism. According to Vivekananda, 'Freedom
4. A.V. Rathna Reddy Political Philosophy of
is the only condition of growth; take that off, the Swami Vivekananda P 32.
result is degeneration.' He lays emphatic stress
on the growth of the individual where as Marx 5. Tapasjandanda Legacy of Swami Vivekananda
lays the entire stress on centralized society or P 174-175.
cumulative life. But the ideal social life cannot be 6. Radha Krishnan Religion and Society , P 25.
achieved if the individual has to sacrifice his soul
or individual existence. 7. V.K.R.V. Rao, Swami Vivekananda P 198-199.

8. Swami Vivekananda Collected Works.

Probably the basic difference between the
socialism as envisaged by Marx and that by
Vivekananda, is that the latter has built his concept
on Advaita Vedanta, whereas Marx had
materialistic sustain. But both Marx and
Vivekananda has intense concern for the toiling
masses. Marx saw to what depth of degradation, Souribandhu Kar, Plot No. 5012/5853, Gajapati Nagar,
the working class, whom he called the proletariat, Bhubaneswar - 751005

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