Scholar's Paper Example: Walling 6-13-03

Joe Walling

6-13-03

Final Paper

PLENEURETHICS VS. COMMUNISM

Communism

Communism was primarily founded by Karl Marx. Communists strictly believe that God is a Supreme Being, a Creator, a Ruler, and does not and can not, and must not exist. God is considered a hindrance to a scientific, materialistic, and socialistic outlook. For Marx, man is God, and man created God in his own image. Man created religion in order to worship himself. Atheism is the foundation of Marx's thought and life, and atheism today is still the foundation of the Marxist/Leninist worldview. Marxism is atheism in theory and in practice. The elimination of religion is the theory of atheism in practice. Marx's search for "scientific truths" to support his atheism led him to the conclusions that shaped his communist theory. As he moved from his idealistic basis for his atheism in to the "socio-economic" realm, he reached the conclusion that religion is merely an anti-depressant for the oppressed working class.

"Religion," said Marx, is the sigh of the oppressed creature, the sentiment of a heartless world, as it is the spirit of the spiritless conditions. It is the opium of the people."(1) Eventually, when the whole world has embraced communism, no one will be oppressed, and therefore no one will cling to the unscientific fairy tales of religion. Marx explains, "Communism is that stage of historical development which makes all existing religions superfluous and supersedes them." (2)

Lenin is another major contributor to communism. He believed that the idea of "God" encourages the working class to drown its poor economic plight of slavery and misery "in sort of spiritual booze" of some mythical heaven. The idea of "God" encourages the working class to drown its economic troubles in a sort of "spiritual booze" of some imaginary heaven. Those who believe in this theory are harming the working class and cause them to forfeit their only chance of creating a true heaven on earth: global Communism.

Engels, a fellow atheist of Marx, states that they want to destroy everything that claims to be supernatural and superhuman because of the untruth and lying in the "pretension" of the human and the natural to be superhuman and supernatural. Engels states, "All religion is nothing but the fantastic reflection in men's minds of those external forces which control their daily life, a reflection in which the terrestrial forces assume the form of supernatural forces."(3)

Philosophy

Humanism's atheism is foundational not only to its theology but also to its philosophy, which is naturalistic. Humanist philosophy is that matter is ultimate reality. They trust the scientific method as the only sure method of arriving at knowledge. If something cannot be observed, tested, and experimented on, it cannot exist. Only what can be tested is meaningful; that which can't, is unreal. Since God is not laboratory tested, the supernatural does not exist. Because nothing exists that cannot be observed and tested, ideas, imagination, and rationality are all viewed by Humanists as side affects of the physical brain. Humanist philosophy believes matter is all that exists. They disregard and rule out all forms of the supernatural that regards nature as the "totality" of being and as a constant changing system of events existing independently of any mind or consciousness. Naturalists are unwilling to believe in a universe that includes too much design, because this design could be "construed" as evidence for a Designer. Naturalistic Humanism is the denial of the supernatural, and it is a complete philosophy.

For Marx, the “ideal” is nothing else than the material world reflected by the human mind, and translated into forms of thought. Lenin, like Marx, “believes the existence of the mind is shown to be dependent upon that of the body, in that the mind is declared to be secondary, a function of the brain, or a reflection of the outer world.” In this way, Marxists try to avoid the whole problem of perceiving thought as material, since no one can claim to have seen a thought or an idea, therefore maintaining a strict materialistic worldview.

The dialectical process was not created by the Marxist philosophy. But the Marxists used the ideas, which were based on an idealistic foundation, and configured them to fit into a materialistic method of reality. “Dialects see change or process due to conflict or struggle as the only constant—bearing in mind that this change and conflict always lead to more advanced levels.”(4) Marxists believe the proof for dialects is all around us. Matter can only be understood when one understands that it is constantly going through an eternal process (Theory of evolution). Engels lists three basic laws of the dialect: the law of the unity and struggle of opposites, the law of the transition from quantitative to qualitative change, and the law of the negation of negation. (5)

Ethics

Marxists' ethics proceed out of Marxists' theology, philosophy, biology, economics, and history. According to the Marxist dialect everything in the universe, including society, is in a state of constant change. This change in society is a move toward the elimination of all social and economic class distinctions because evolution encourages more advanced civilizations. The next social advance in history will be the move from capitalism to socialism. This will certainly result in a change in society's ideas about morals. The dialectical view of history dictates the conflict between the working class and the bourgeoisie. Marxist/Leninists believe that the morality of these two classes is totally different, and when the working class family (proletariat) finally destroys the bourgeoisie, a new morality will reign - a new morality for the new man.

"The bourgeosis is not a human being with individual traits, but a social abstraction, a creature devoid of virtue or free will and without the right to live." (6)

Marxists remain hopeful that the new man created by a classless society will discover a new, higher morality. Garaudy believes, "It helps us understand that man is a creator, that he is his own creator, and it provides us with the means of overcoming alienation, which is the opposite of creation-of overcoming it for all of us: it enables us, that is, to base an indivisibly social and personal ethic not simply on its theoretical justification but on its practical realization: an ethic whose ultimate end creates the conditions which will make it possible for every man to become effectively a man, that is to say a creator." (7) So, for some Marxists, man's becoming a creator will be the next moral good after a classless society is achieved.

Politics

Marxists believes socialist democracy is a better form of government. No political system is acceptable. Marxism perceives the state itself as a "vehicle" for maintaining class antagonism. The aim of Marxist politics is to create a society in which the state is an outdated, unnecessary institution. Because Marxism seeks to abolish all class distinctions and the state is simply a tool for enforcing those distinctions, the Marxist believes the state will naturally shrink away as mankind evolves into a classless society.

Marxist/Leninists believe the proletariat must take hold of political power to bring about socialism and set the stage for the abolition of classes and eventually the state. Democracy for the Marxist is not the cause that much of the Western world thinks it is. It is a means to an end, a necessary tool for maintaining the early stages of socialism. Democracy has no value at all as an end in itself. Democracy is useful in establishing the dictatorship; but it is this dictatorship, in the excuse of a democracy, that is a crucial part of Marxist political development.

Marxists believe that the establishment of a new world order, world communism, and the withering away of the state are inevitable steps in mankind's biological and social evolutionary development. Just as man is evolving biologically, so society is evolving socially, economically, and politically. The new world order is an evolutionary progress over nations, states, tribes and other race and class distinctions. This has been the goal of all Marxist/Leninists since the beginning of Marxism. For Marxists, world community is not enough. It must be a world community based on communism. Only communism puts the means of production in the hands of the people, abolishes classes, the state, and leads man into a world of cooperation.

Theology of Pleneurethics

Richard Bangs Collier, the creator of Pleneurethics, believes that the "Inner Being" is not a God. It is a substantial amount of inspirational strength, but not in a hostile way. It is a secure place, but not an overlooking offensive power. It will not move a rocky mountain, but can contain enormous amounts of personal struggle and fright. It's not a power that will protect one's body from injury, but can temporarily calm the outer being when certain death from destruction is about to happen. Pleneurethics is a system leading to the development of an orderly mind, operating with ease, receiving a full explanation by the Inner Being and with a responsive neural system and soma at command. Mind and body are partly secondary to a utilizing society which Pleneurethics calls the Inner Being or Inner Individual. Therefore, people are not humbled before a mysterious outer god, but to an Inner Individual instead. Pleneurethics is then, more than just a special operation for the creation, preservation, and constructive utilization of neural sufficiency.

The church, by its own nature, becomes a plague on earth because in its modern form, the church is beyond the will of the people. The church is autocratic, dictatorial, and intransigent. It breaks the will of the humble upon its firm and inflexible outdated self-supporting doctrine. The church destroys the integrity of those who are converted by their worldly purpose, and divides human personality on an unrealistic basis.

Pleneurethics does not debate with the state, as the church has done in the past, and even continues to do so now. Pleneurethics works with, but below, the state and does not harm, obstruct, or attempt to challenge the state. Pleneurethics recognizes the fact that nations must have government, cities must have government, good families are governed, and each individual must govern himself, all in agreement with all the laws both natural and civil.

Philosophy of Pleneurethics

The aim for Pleneurethics is to master the mind so that it becomes a powerful and reliable tool, useful for its highest ethical purpose. Pleneurethics is not negative or critical of human on earth. Bangs does not believe that life is nothing but suffering, pain, imperfection, emptiness, unhappiness, greed, and a desire for pleasure. Pleneurethics does not support the presence of an everlasting God. He also does not believe that the idea of "me" or "mine" is unwanted in itself. "Belief in self can just as easily lead to high ethical responsibility with true humility and real charity." (8) Pleneurethics is only concerned with things of this world.

Pleneurethics sees no clear evidence for life as it is known on earth after death. May it be rebirth through reincarnation, heaven or hell. Pleneurethics does not deny the possibility of rebirth through reincarnation although technical defects are seen in the logic of reincarnation. Pleneurethics is concerned with the total being of Man.

The guideline for Pleneurethics is "Do not increase the survival problems of others, but act so as to reduce them instead." (27) Therefore, act constructively and not destructively. Consider the needs of others, and act responsible to eliminate future needs.

Ethics in Pleneurethics

There is no conversion in Pleneurethics. Turning one over to some god in a non-existing heaven is not tolerated. No one is asked to self-surrender or self-sacrifice in the study of Pleneurethics. No one can run away their responsibility for their destiny. Pleneurethics improves the mind by energizing, expanding, restructuring, and polishing it. Yet, a mortal mind cannot exist without a mortal body.

The ethics of Pleneurethics are not slanted to support itself. It offers a complete guide to moral conduct. It will rise above the imbalanced ethics of church and controlling religion. The ethics of Pleneurethics is based on rational consciousness, not mystery. It places moral responsibility on the individuals themselves.

In Pleneurethics, anything of nature that a person really wants to do is worthwhile. All responsibilities that reflect the true being of the person are admirable. One may find fulfillment in a task that may be simple or difficult as long as it fits into one's inner nature. Any task that one may find pleasant is in harmony with one's basic nature.

Politics of Pleneurethics

Pleneurethics sees the need for some form of government over groups of people as long as people cannot control themselves. Churches and states come and go because they are manmade to fit into special social and regional occasions. Pleneurethics does not accommodate to special occasions or adjust to any particular era. It is interested in popular thought and current events.

For Pleneurethics, there is no division between it and the state. Church and state have always been enemies. Their attempt for control of the people regularly contradicts one another. This "divergency" of purpose can and may lead to terrible turmoil among people. Pleneurethics stands strong for the moral life free from crime and ethic. There are no costly offices in Pleneurethics. Pleneurethics teaches that one's government is truly one's government. All governmental workers are held to be honest and capable until proven otherwise. It seeks to inform, make possible, and encourage individual man. If this happens, then the state must be good. The form of government is not nearly as important as the ethical stature of those in high office.

BIBLIOGRAPHY

Oxford University Press. Oxford Family Encyclopedia: First Edition. Copyright George Philip Limited. New York: 1997

Richard Bangs Collier. Pleneurethics: A New Concept of Healing. Vol. 4. Published by The Pleneurethics Society. Copyright 1968: Tacoma, Washington.

David A. Noebal. Understanding the Times. Harvest House Publishers. Copyright Summit House Publishers Ministries. Eugene, Oregon: 1991

FOOTNOTES

1. Marx and Engels, Karl Marx-Fredrick Engels: Collected Works, 40 volumes (New York: International Publishers, 1976), vol. 3, p.175.

2. Marx and Engels, Collected Works, vol. 6, p. 103

3. David A. Noebel, Understanding the Times, (Oregon: Harvest House Publishers, 1991), p. 72.

4. David A. Noebel, Understanding the Times, p. 140

5. David A Noebel, Understanding the Times, p. 142

6. David A Noebel, Understanding the Times, p. 224

7. Kurt Baier, "Comment by Kurt Baier on Schneider Article," in Humanist Ethics, ed. Storer, pp. 194-195

8. Richard Bangs Collier, Pleneurethics: A New Concept of Healing, (Washington: The Pleneurethics Society Publishers, 1968), p.16

9. Richard Bangs Collier, Pleneurethics: A New Concept of Healing, p. 27