Marx’s Theory of Alienation

Sociology Essay estimate 1 Q. Outline and assess Marxs concept of Alienation Alienation, a concept that became widely kn cause during the 19th and 20th century has been looked at extensively by a number of leading theorists. Theorists such as Georg Hegel first used the idea of derangement as a philosophical idea, simply his doing was later grasped upon by theorists known as Ludwig Feuerbach and much importantly Karl Marx. The valet till now has been witness to a alteration in disparate social structures and sorts in which lodge operates. We as pitying creations must ask, what purpose do we serve at heart clubhouse?What style of life do we hasten to sustain an effective or prosperous agency of living? Marx believed we have been finished varied economic stages and ownership of the involvements we compulsion to plump, beginning with the times of the ancient to feudalism (land granted from the crown) to now w here we have arrived at capitalism ( confidential owner ship). He saw this as diachronic stages of culture where each stage has the characteristics of a system of business and divider of churn, forms of holding ownership and a system of class relatives (Morrison,K. 199540).This brought preceding Marxs idea of historic philistinism which centred on how to interpret the history of public and the development of one stage of community to the next. In run it looks for reasons for changes in human indian lodge and how humans together produced the necessary requirements to live. In relation to historical materialism there was a nonher idea of dialectal materialism. This was a term used by Marx to study essential phenomena, the evolution of hunting lodge and human thought itself as a process of development which rests upon bowel movement and contradiction (Clapp,R Acc 10/11/2012).Marx further explains historical and dialectical materialism which will be looked at further in the essay. By fellow feeling how humans produce the ne cessities to live (historical materialism) and how a way of reasoning helps us to curb the growth in efficiency of economic orders where in turn they develop contradictions and weaknesses (dialectical materialism), we can begin to look at the idea of disaffection and how it exists with expanding economic orders according to Marx. Alienation can be stick forth as an idea where humans be dominated by forces of their own creation, which pose as alien powers (Coser 1977 Acc. 0/11/2012). It is seen that we argon clear to psychological or emotional separation from the things we produce and the overabundance valuate that is gained, every be it in the suss out of private owners in a capitalist climate. There are different ways in which we are discoverd from these factors. They are the rangeer from the product of labour, the actual activity of labour, members of golf-club and from our species being. However both the thespian and capitalist suffer forms of monomania which will be discussed further.The purpose of this essay is to outline and assess Marxs theory of alienation where more forms of separation occur and how different members of society suffer from it, as well as taking into account how historical and dialectical ideas help to give a background to it. Karl Marx who was born in 1818 in Germany was considered as an unconventional theorist. His re reposeation for being a policy-making economist, philosopher, revolutionary and founder of Communism did non bring mess to the natural image of a sociologist.Marx was a strong believer in the temporal understanding of factors such as social change, class conflict, labour and the agreement of occupation. He put forward some notions that would help him identify the materialist perspective. So what does historical materialism tell us about history? When development this idea to analyse society we are always looking at at the economic base or structure of it. In order for society to live in thi s sense, we must be able to produce the necessities uniform food, shelter and clothing in order to do so. The act of causeance is one of the principle requirements to satisfy human economic considers.Marx also make a comparison of humans to animals where we as humans produce the mode to satisfy our primary material needs. For this reason humans are different from animals because humans need to produce the means for survival and when done, they build an lively conscious with spirit in order to do so (Morrison, K. 199540). another(prenominal) point was that the way humans produce depends on what is already there in nature and what they must to survive. If this is the case whence how they exist and how they live will run parallel to what they produce and how they produce. historic materialism was precondition a number of main concepts to look at.These were the means of return (necessitates for survival), relations of production (the link between producers and non-producers of somatogenetic labour) and the mode of production (changing the way of making a living). By taking these points into account we can see how an economic structure has been formed over different periods of time and how historical materialism helps to look at social processes of human economic work and how it will help give a background to the theory of alienation. Historical materialism serves a link to the dialectical way of idea as Marx was the first person to merge materialism and dialectics together.The dialectics was a way of thinking to understand the world. Marx was mainly influenced by the theorist Hegel in his younger days, he was a pioneer in understanding philosophic logic by means of his process of dialectic. This involved looking at natural phenomena, the evolution of society and thought through motion and contradiction with a direct take exception to formal logic. Marx seen that the contradictions and oppositions were paramount to the whole analysis. For example in u sing dialectics intend there is tension for a nurse attempt to accommodate a client but at the same time we know she is trying to bring change for the client.Using this small scale example in the greater picture we can see that dialectics accepts reality as a set of opposing forces which exist at the same time (Estefan,A2002 Acc 10/11/2012). Moreover by understanding historical and dialectical materialism in nature, society or economy we are able to understand how through different economic periods it gives a background to Marxs theory of alienation. As we discuss alienation by Marx we first need to analyse the surround he sees it in. Capitalism is an economic system, whereby ownership of factories, materials and machinery for production is the berth of private individuals.The term alienation relates to the specific levels of separation that are seen through the production and increasing surplus value by workers. Marx had this idea that private situation is the material summary expression of estranged labour. Marx highlighted that labour power had a major value where the use of it by the capitalist was turned into surplus value. This labour is something that cannot be similar to work because it has a social kin that can totally identify with capitalism. What he is trying to say is that during the production of goods, sensible effort (work) is changed into labour.With an increasing industrial demand for production workers are subject to exploitation, where they are required to work harder to meet demand but still for a wage not in proportion to the work simple machineried out. The wage that the workers receive will fluctuate but will not be in proportion with the increase in productivity, the increased input signal turns into surplus value in which the capitalist owner takes in the form of profit. The relationship between the productivity of workers and the production of surplus value is so the more wealth he produces the less he will transport to se e back or he will become all the poorer (Calhoun, Craig. 002). This shows us that an reject which the worker produces becomes more distant from him as the coalition created between the product and worker is lost, knowing that it will be have or disposed of by another, the capitalist. In turn, the object that the worker has put a part of his life into stands against him as something alien. In all societies people use skills that have been gained over time to produce goods that they need to live, exchange or sell. This is not the case in a capitalist surroundings because the worker cannot use the things he produces to keep alive or to plunge in further productive activityThe worker needs, no press how desperate, do not give him a license to lay hand on what these same hands have produced, for all his products are the berth of another (B Ollman, Alienation, Cambridge University Press, 1996, p143). This form of separation was highlighted by Marx as separation of the worker from the product of labour. He identified other main levels of separation within the idea of alienation. These consist of separation from the act of labour, from fellow members of society and from species being.When looking at separation from the activity of labour we mean that the worker is lost by the deficiency of control in the process of production. This drainage of control completely restricts on how the worker can carry out his work. He is limited to a systematic process so the input of creativeness almost becomes nothing as the worker would need to follow restrictions. With lack of input in the activity of labour, it would seem that an increased division of labour from the process would become more existent. For example in a car factory there would be a line to assemble a car together which consists of many different parts.With little say in the process the worker may be restricted to assembling only the tyres on the car. The activity would be a repetitive process and would se parate the worker from the rest of the production line and in essence from his natural being as his potential is not being utilised. A trinity aspect of alienation is that man is a species-being. Marx argues that humans come crossways as social animals where he states man makes his life activity itself the object of his will and of his consciousness. He has conscious life activity.It is not a goal with which he directly merges. Conscious life activity distinguishes man at present from animal life activity. It is just because of this he is a specious-being (Calhoun, Craig. 2002. 38). What Marx is saying here is that we as humans have the ability to consciously interact with the world around us and it is in our character to do so. Also, the main thing that separates us from the animal world is that we know who we are and have a personal conscious of our self with a kind of relation to the natural world.In terms of capitalist relations of production when our labour is used, we are displaced from our species being as it turns labour into a physical act. We are effectively revoked from what nature has favoured us for over animal life. Also, by converting conscious being into physical being it makes human labour like the labour of animals (Morrison, K. 1995. 96). With this kind of alienation by being taken from our specious being we become creatures of physical activity all in tandem with the drive for profit for the capitalist owner.However under capitalism the development of production methods results in specialised division of labour which with some difference can increase societys ability to produce, but the benefits in turn will flow in the favour the a couple of(prenominal) private owners. The fourth factor of alienation that Marx brought forward is that from fellow humans and from our human social community. Those who live in a capitalist society are separated from fellow members as a class structure becomes evident.There is a structure of those who work and those who exploit the workers so for this reason Marx feels we are alienated from fellow members. Those in the capitalist society are only partially connected by the way of the market. In the market members will come to buy and sell goods that they produce or sell so by looking at it this way individuals are not connected properly but as separated representatives of different relations of production in competition with each other. We can then see the different forms of alienation that Marx sees existent in a capitalist society.The theory of alienation has taken many forms and laid down many points, but it may be important to consider a few criticisms that may exist within it. By looking at it from a modern perspective, some may consider that the concept is not full defined in the sense that working for someone else or in a higher place with free movement is difficult. A main feature of Capitalism is that property rights and freedom of contract is what strengthens it. In a cont ract of employment if a worker is not satisfied with a job then it is workable for them to leave with notice and look for work elsewhere or hitherto start up their own business.This level of autonomy in ending making is what one may argue shines light on capitalism. The regime may play a design in alienating the capitalist owner as it may be through legislation that they need to follow specific rules. In turn it will filter through to the worker and that feeling of degradation may be situated elsewhere. In defence of the private owners the hate feeling of workers may point at the wrong direction when it is other factors that have contributed to their change.For example in 1912 employees went on strike from a textile factory in momma, U. S. A when owners reduced wages due to the reduction of working hours by the state from 56 to 54 hours. As the root of the change was the state, it should be them that are targeted not the owner. Marxs theory of alienation therefore contests tha t in modern industrial production under a capitalist system workers will finally lose control of their lives by the overwhelming conditions they are faced with at work.Through the different degrees of separation be it from the product of labour, the activity of labour, from species being or from fellow members of society Marx attempts to show that under the conditions of modern factory production the average worker is just like a cog in a machine where it is continuously worked and replaced by swarms of other parts. The new workers perform repetitive tasks which are closely under watch and with them they dont have control over production, the products of labour and relations with each other. As a result the worker is taken away from his human nature.Overall, the role and conditions for the labourer has changed through time along with the changes in economic systems. battle cry Count 2,475 Bibliography (B Ollman, Alienation, Cambridge University Press, 1996, p143) * (B Ollman, Alie nation, Cambridge University Press, 1996, p143) Calhoun, Craig. (2002). Economic and Philosophic Manuscripts of 1844. In Classical Sociological Theory. Massachusetts Blackwell. 35. * (Calhoun, Craig. 2002. 35) * (Calhoun, Craig. 2002. 38) Coser. (197750-53) Alienation. Available http//www. cf. ac. uk/socsi/undergraduate/introsoc/marx7. html. pull round accessed 10/11/2012. (Coser 1977 Acc. 10/11/2012) Clapp, R. An Introduction to Dialectical Materialism. Available http//www. marxism. org. uk/pack/dialetics. html. Last accessed 10/11/2012. * (Clapp,R Acc 10/11/2012) Estefan, A. (2002). Dialectical Thinking. 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