Karl Marx: The Role Of Alienation In A Capitalist Society

In a capitalist society, in brief, alienation is found in the process of making which is part of creating oneself, but instead of being fully acknowledged, in exchange of work a wage is received merely because of the fact that each individual needs to survive(Tucker, 1978: 72). The following essay will look at the central concept, alienation, as part of Marx’s critical analysis of capitalist society as well as its possible overcoming. This will be explained through the position of the worker and the product within the process of labour and what the relation is between them. Further by looking at the product of labour in a capitalist society and how alienation plays a role in all of this.

Smith expresses a concept of political economy

Man constantly seeks to produce and his need for money becomes greater after all it is therefore the true need produced by a capitalist society; it is also the ultimate need. It is therefore a social force enforced on man to have a need for money(1978:93). The problem arises that man is so caught up in the need to produce and end up becoming alienated to his lifestyle, his hygiene as an example, Marx speaks of man not only losing his human needs but his animal needs as well(1978:94). The active role of alienation forces workers and their needs to be manipulated, their lives are thus driven by what the political economy seeks which will be discussed later. Thus the less you express yourself and think of yourself the more alienated you become, further, there is a lack of interest in self entertainment, there is time and money to spend on something other than the means to survive; workers become disconnected from the world(1978:95-96). Going back to money, what is it, what is its significance? There are two things mentioned in the text, firstly, “money is the alienated ability of mankind”-one is not acknowledged when without money you not as popular or privileged enough to do much- without money you have no power but once you have money you are able to do much more. Money thus becomes a guarantee of things(1978:103-105)Also as mentioned previously, wage is

In fact private property appears to be the cause of alienated labour but later it appears to be a consequence(1978:79). People become so alienated in capitalism for all they ultimately seek is enough capital to survive and they would work as hard as they can to achieve this. As capitalism develops, science and technology takes over the means of production and may take over the labour, yet the worker is left with continually seeking to work to survive. The problem thus is not the need to increase production, for high production is a good thing, but the problem is that through the working system of the capitalists, individuals or workers are alienated from the capacities of being people. They lose their sense of knowing their worth and self-creativity and become enslaved to their own creation but no one or “individual” can be pinpointed for doing this compulsion, they think it is a natural process(1978:306). The consequence of society makes us alienated of what we do and “man treats his labour as an activity performed in service, under the dominion, which is capital, the pressure and the bondage of