Marx theorized in On the Jewish Question that the state evolves from feudalism to a perfect state of liberty and equality. In such a society, the state fulfills all of the previous roles of religion, specifically, as Marx (1844) puts it the “practical need”. In this evolutionary theory America is a symbol of the most advanced existing state, although deficient in key areas from what Marx would consider a perfected state. Although religion and the state were separate, America retained religion for the individual. Though dominated by Christians, Marx concluded that America was “Jewish” because of the manner in which “practical need” was being accomplished.

The evolution of the state initiates in feudalism. Under feudalism, as noted by Marx (1844), every facet of life is controlled politically. A separation of the state and civil society does not exist. The purpose of this organization was to serve the bourgeois.

The “Christian-state” evolves out of feudalism according to Marx. The introduction of religion provides stability and legal code to govern the masses. The convergence of state and religion can be used by the bourgeois to give the appearance divine legitimacy. The “Christian-state” provides privileges to Christians while politically disenfranchising everyone else. The element of religion also unites the masses and creates the beginning of civil society, though religion is still unquestionably political (Marx, 1844).

Marx (1844) believed that man is emancipated first politically and finally humanly. Political emancipation abolishes state religion and with all the privileges it bestows. Religion still exists, but is transferred from the political realm to the social realm. Political emancipation is the catalyst to “civic rights” as Marx puts it, or as we may call them today “civil rights”. Everyone is entitled to the same liberties and securities regardless of religious preference.

In the United States the state had no sponsored religion, thus political emancipation had occurred by Marx’s (1844) standard.

Religion, in the “civil society”, proliferated in numbers of adherents and diversity of beliefs in the United States. Marx (1844) argued that the “endless fragmentation” of religion was evidence that political emancipation had occurred. He reminds readers in “On the Jewish Question” that political emancipation does not abolish religion.

Marx (1844) viewed the United States furthest along in his theory of political evolution. Even so, he found deficiencies to criticize.

Marx (1844) argued that the value of religion to the politically emancipated individual was utilitarian, or in Marx’s words to provide “practical need”. He argued that the United States had experienced such a utilitarian phenomenon in what he termed a Jewish manner.

Jews, Marx (1844) argues, have been politically disenfranchised, particularly by the Christian-state. Even so, the Jew has been able to accumulate power through monetary means. And Marx reasons, that though in theory political power trumps financial power, in practice the opposite is true.

Marx (1844) reasons that because the United States is a capitalist society, the individual obtains power through money just as the Jew has. Though political equality exists, disparity, even to the point of bourgeois emerges in capitalism. Christians in the United States had adopted this monetary form of religion and thus Christianity became

The god of this utilitarian religion, according to Marx (1844), is money. Money provides a universal value system just as religion does. In Marx’s view money has become a god. All other “gods” are placed as second priority to the god of money.

The United States had yet to accomplish the final stage, though Marx (1844) believed it would. In this final stage, also known as human emancipation, the state becomes atheist. That is not to say that religion is illegal, but that the state takes an official position of atheism. In addition, property held by the individual is abolished.

The state has assumed all the roles previously fulfilled by religion. Specifically, the state defines the laws and codes of conduct that provide civil society with stability.

Marx (1844) viewed America as the symbol of the state which had progressed farthest along in his theory of the political evolution. It symbolized the abandonment of the Christian-state. Although America may have been the most evolved Marx still found deficiencies. Specifically that in America a disparity exists because of capitalism. Power, according to Marx, comes from money. It could be reasoned that the nature of man to centralize power to himself for his own interests. If money is the ultimate power, trumping politics and orthodox religion, it may be argued that man will ferociously seek after money. He will seek to centralize money and property to himself because they are the vehicles of power. Marx viewed this compared this monetary utilitarianism to the Jew who had obtained his power in the same way. Thus to Marx, America was “Jewish”.

Marx, Karl. (1844) On the Jewish Question. Retreived September 10, 2003, from the University of Colorado: http://csf.colorado.edu/psn/marx/archive/1844-JQ/