From Great Deeds to Time Sequence as the Source of the Meaning of History: Christianity, the Enlightenment, and Marx’s Alternative Modernity

Abstract

This essay argues that linear time is not inherently colonialistic; rather, its politics emerge from its interactions with the power structures of its era. I explore the progressive roles of linear time in Christianity, the Enlightenment, and Marxism within key historical contexts, highlighting also the diversity of linear temporalities. This diversity enabled Marx to position his “Revolution” against both Christian and Enlightenment temporalities while drawing from them. Key points include:

• All three linear temporalities challenged social hierarchies—for instance, by redefining human identity on their future potential rather than birth origin.


• The Enlightenment's homogeneous time was countered by Christianity on "original sin" and Marx on capitalism. Christianity maintained grace as humanity's only salvation from cycles of “vanities”; Marx advocated for proletariat revolution to break capitalist alienation’s vicious cycles.

Building on the (dis-)continuities among these temporalities, I show how Marx initiated an alternative modernity, radically heterogenizing (the temporality of) modernity before post-structuralism. Christianity emphasized grace as humanity’s salvation from cyclical time, while Marx advocated for proletariat revolution to escape the cycles of alienation. I illustrate the (dis-)continuities among these temporalities to show how Marx initiated an alternative modernity, significantly contributing to the heterogenization of modernity before post-structuralism.