Imago Dei as a critique of capitalism and Marxism in Nikolai Berdyaev
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Imago Dei as a critique of capitalism and Marxism in Nikolai Berdyaev Raul‑Ovidiu Bodea1
© Springer Nature B.V. 2020
Abstract This study aims at showing how at the basis of Nikolai Berdyaev’s criticism of capi‑ talism and Marxism lays the concept of Imago Dei. The Russian religious philoso‑ pher puts forward the Imago Dei as fundamental to the Christian understanding of human dignity. Berdyaev believes that in both capitalism and Marxism an objec‑ tification of the person takes place, and therefore a denial of basic human dignity. Berdyaev’s criticism of capitalism refers to its internal principles, partly building on Marx’s early criticism of capitalism. Although he shared some of the same concerns with Marx and other Marxist theorists, ultimately his was a critique from a Christian perspective that was deeply humanistic, whereas Marxism in its Hegelian orienta‑ tion had failed in achieving what Berdyaev understands as true humanism. Having confronted and engaged both systems of thought during his own life, Berdyaev’s insights are most interesting, and I argue in this paper that they are also relevant for our own reflections on these subjects today. Keywords Berdyaev · Capitalism · Marxism · Imago Dei · Objectification
Introduction Nikolai Aleksandrovich Berdyaev (1874–1948) is one of the Christian thinkers of the twentieth century who did not only reflect on his own social and political con‑ text, but actively participated in its unfolding. As a student he became active in the Marxist revolutionary circles at Moscow University, which led to several arrests and an exile from 1900 to 1903 to the northern Russian city of Vologda (Lowrie 1974, 47–66). Although he subscribed to the Marxist ideology at that time, his atti‑ tude towards Marxism was more one of sympathy than total adherence or belong‑ ing, as he himself testifies: “I never belonged, or indeed could belong, to any school * Raul‑Ovidiu Bodea [email protected] 1
Faculty of Theology and Religious Studies, KU Leuven, Naamsestraat 100A 03.14, 3000 Leuven, Belgium
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of thought” (Berdyaev [1949] 1962a, 26).1 It could be said that it was his passion for justice that attracted him to Marxism rather than the materialist or economic worldview. Also he was never fully accepted by the more orthodox Marxists of his time as one of them because of his idealist tendencies. They were ultimately right; it was idealism that captured Berdyaev’s more focused attention after abandoning Marxism, which ultimately led to his conversion to the Orthodox Christian faith. His attitude towards Idealism, but also Marxism, is very well summarized in his own words: “I tasted its poison and was enriched by its partial insights; but I did not rest there” (Berdyaev [1949] 1962a, 96). Throughout his life he held fast onto his own individuality in thought and the very idea of the uniqueness of each individual was what drove much of his philosophy. Even when he had sympathies for certain currents in philosophical thought, he always remained f
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