God and the State

Description

Exploring the deeper concepts that were behind events such as the Franco-Prussian war and the resistance to imperialism that Europe has experienced in the late 19th century was among the most significant goals that Mikhail Bakunin had when he wrote God and the State in 1871. This remarkable work explores concepts regarding religion, the origins of the Bible, materialism and idealism, as well as a host of other philosophical and historical problems that many have attempted to solve over the centuries.

While a member of higher society in Russia, Bakunin shaped his idea of the world based on the inequalities he saw between the lower classes and the lifestyle of Russian noblemen. He often looked down at wealth, glory and fame, and actually ended up among the first people who encouraged the Russian people to lead themselves on their way to freedom from traditions, prejudices, discrimination and poverty.

A visionary in his own right, Bakunin did not place much value on structure, and this can be seen clearly from his work. God and the State is filled with footnotes and fragments that sometimes don’t add up, yet give the reader a sense of putting together a complex puzzle that, eventually, would reveal many basic truths about the human condition that still apply to the world and society as it is viewed today.

God and the State brings together scientific concepts of the time with ideas associated to traditions and religious beliefs that most people in Russia would hardly be willing to openly challenge during Bakunin’s lifetime. An invaluable work from a philosophical standpoint, God and the State challenges the reader to think more deeply on concepts revolving around God and human society, as well as indoctrination, tradition and development, while also talking about the creative nature of man, which prompts him toward action, change and the act of taking his destiny into his own hands.
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