Who Is The Economic And Philosophical Manuscripts Of 1844 By Karl Marx?

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Karl Marx viewed society as a complex entity shaped by historical forces and characterized by the struggle between classes. He analyzed the capitalist mode of production, criticizing it for exploiting workers and generating social inequality.
In "The Economic and Philosophical Manuscripts of 1844," Marx wrote about the alienation of labor under capitalism, arguing that workers were reduced to mere instruments of production, and stripped of their creativity and autonomy. One way in which workers are alienated from the products of their labor is that they do not own or control the means of production, such as the factories or machinery they work with. Instead, these means of production are owned by the capitalist class, who extract profits from …show more content…

Workers are also alienated from other workers under capitalism. The division of labor and the competitive nature of capitalism means that workers are pitted against each other for jobs and wages. This can lead to feelings of isolation and distrust among workers, who are frequently unable to collaborate and develop meaningful relationships with their colleagues. Ultimately, workers are alienated from their humanity under capitalism. Marx argued labor was a fundamentally human activity and that work should be fulfilling and meaningful. However, under capitalism, work is reduced to a means of earning a wage, and workers are often forced to perform repetitive and menial tasks that offer little satisfaction or sense of purpose. This can lead to feelings of emptiness and despair, as workers are denied the opportunity to express their creativity and fulfill their human potential. This is evident in today's economy, where workers in precarious employment are often denied benefits and job security and are forced to work long hours for low wages. As Marx wrote, "The worker becomes all the poorer the more wealth he produces, the more his production increases in …show more content…

Marx argued society is divided into different classes based on their relationship to the means of production and that this leads to a fundamental conflict between the ruling class (the bourgeoisie) and the working class (the proletariat). In Standing's article, he introduces the concept of the "precariat," which he defines as a class of people who lack stable employment and income security and who are therefore in a precarious position in society. Marx also argued the ruling class sought to maintain its power and control over society through various means, including ideology and coercion. Standing similarly argues the precariat is subjected to various forms of insecurity and uncertainty by the ruling class, which seeks to maintain its dominance in the economy and society. For example, Standing writes, "The precariat is a new class, not just in terms of its insecurity and vulnerability, but also in its growing heterogeneity, fragmentation, and internal division” (standing). This idea of fragmentation and division within the precariat can be seen as similar to Marx's concept of false consciousness, in which the ruling class manipulates the working class into believing their interests are aligned with the ruling class, rather than with each other. Furthermore, Marx argued the conflict