Marx Alienation Essay

Marx first discussed his alienation theory in the Economic and Philosophic Manuscripts of 1844[1], mainly talking about the types of human relations that are not controlled by their participants and the consequent results. This theory represents his research findings of bourgeois economics theory, which is central to all of Marx’s earlier philosophical writings and as a social phenomenon still informs his later work.

Alienation means separation of people from things that naturally belong to them and at the same time the natural belongings even in turn antagonize their supposed owners. It results from the socially stratified society where workers are changed into a mechanistic part and alienated from their humanity.

To Marx, there are four forms of alienation that occur to the worker under the capitalist mode of production. The first one is alienation of the worker from the work, the product of his labor. In the capitalist system, it is the Capitalist, not the consumers or the manual and intellectual workers that determines the design of the product. Thus the workers are deprived of both control over the design and production and the products they themselves make, only getting salaries instead of profits they deserve. In addition, workers are likely to become relatively poorer as their productive capacity increases. The second form of alienation is alienation of the worker from working, the producing process. Unlike the manual workshop where workers specialize in one type of productive labor, industrial world reduces workers to instruments, or objects. Workers are responsible for only one step of production, and thus cannot productively apply every aspect of his or her human nature. Another alienation is alienation of the worker ...

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...erable human condition. “As the proletarian working-class become a sufficiently developed political force, they will effect a revolution and re-orient the relations of production to the means of production — from a capitalist mode of production to a communist mode of production.”[2] There is a long way to go. However, because a communist mode of production is more suitable to meet human’s innate needs and develop their personal abilities, we are sure that it will come true and alienation will be eliminated then.

Marx’s theory of alienation reflexes the current situation of workers in an era of capitalism that may be improved one day with the revolution of means of production. It is of great philosophic significance that influences the perspective of another two great philosophers - Hegel and Ludwig and is widely considered as the key to explain and solve alienation.