Another characteristic feature of ideological thinking is the claim to absolute truthful claims and an absolute monopoly on the truth. Certain concepts and views are postulated to be absolutely valid, they can not be criticized, corrected, revised. They have significance for all people, and in many cases affiliation with them is also associated with the complicity in the promised "near happy future", the "kingdom of liberty" or the hilarious expectations of salvation and heavenly life. Such absolutized claims, perceived as true and eternal, give assurance to the group or class. They also have the function of a cement joint. However, their stigmatization in modern society leads to severe consequences for scientific progress.
In connection with the claim to the absolute monopoly on the truth is also the question of who can interpret it, update it, give basic lines and directions. Naturally, this is the full monopoly of a supreme, public elite, senior echelon. This may also be the Pope, the Ecumenical Council of Churches, or some party congress. Finally, totalitarianism is the other basic characteristic of ideological thinking. A totalitarian ideology is not satisfied with only partial aspects; it refers to the whole, as a cancer, it encompasses every cell of the public body, since its myth is totalitarian. It encompasses, explains, purpose and manipulates the whole reality. Totalitarian ideologies do not know the compromise, they can not and can not have consensus, but only victory or destruction.
If, on the basis of what has been said so far, some synthesized conclusions have to be made about what is totally ideological, from the epistemological point of view, the following four points can be mentioned: Fundamental concepts of ideology can not be subjected to objective rational criticism. These can be both postulates of faith and natural-scientific theories, and most of all together; For the ideological, the alternative is unfamiliar; does not allow the possibility of verification both in the theoretical-cognitive plan and in a socio-functional pragmatic model; Ideological thinking is related to the inability to modify, reform, and self-regulate. These points also apply to ideological or politicized religious consciousness.
Parallelism. In the face of communist ideology Nikolay Aleksandrovich Berdjaev gives us a perfect example of the reincarnation of ideology in religion. In his work, The Kingdom of Spirit and the Kingdom of Caesar, he writes:
"The reason for the exceptional dynamism and activity of Marxism-Communism is the fact that it carries in itself all the features of religion. Scientific theory and political practice could never play such a role. The following religious features of Marxism can be identified:
- a strictly dogmatic system, despite its practical flexibility;
- the division of orthodoxy and heresy;
- invariability of the philosophy of science; the Sacred Scripture of Marx, Engels, Lenin, and Stalin can be interpreted only, but not questioned; / the dogmas - the seven Ecumenical Councils /
- dividing the world into two parts - of believers - true and unbelievers - false;
- a hierarchically organized Communist church with a directive from above -
- transferring the conscience of the higher body of the Communist Party, the council;
- the anonymity of social sin;
- totalitarianism, only for religions;
- fanaticism of believers; excommunication and shooting of heretics;
recognition of the original sin (exploitation).
Marxism as a religion is a secularized form of the idea of predestination. Pseudo-religious character also carries the division of history into two parts - until ... and after ...
At the root of Marxist religion lies a secularized unconscious chaIiasm.
Marxism-communism can acquire the dimensions of a religious sect, for which the main thing is not the well-being of the workers, but the confession of true faith.
The most inconceivable in Marxism is its infinite optimism with regard to the historical necessity, the infinite faith in the benevolent and rational nature of the historical process.
Marxist historical optimism is a sectarian form of Messianic faith.
As a comparative analysis of everything, the following conclusions can be drawn, based on the existing parallelism between ideology and religion.