Capitalism and alienation: Towards a Marxist theory of alienation for the 21st century

Abstract

Alienation is among the most influential terms in Marxist theory, but also one of the most ambiguous and controversial. Unlike previous literature, which has tended to focus on Marx’ early philosophical writings, this offers a novel reinterpretation of the theory of alienation found in Marx’s later works. Rather than conceiving alienation as a subjective experience or an inherent feature of social organization, I contend that alienation in the Marxist sense can be understood as an objective process arising from the appropriation of the results of production and their transformation into capital. This interpretation resolves the main theoretical problems conventionally associated with alienation theory, for example the tendency towards essentialism and moral paternalism. In particular, a Marxist theory of alienation explains the paradox of social power and isolation that characterizes contemporary capitalist societies, in which feelings of powerlessness and loneliness are intensified despite objective increases in humanity’s social power and interdependence.

Discussion on Marxist Theory and Innovation of Ideological and Political Education Teaching Research

“…For the characteristics of the Marxist theory, from the generalization of science and revolution, to the generalization of science, people, practice and openness, to generalization of science and truth, people and practice, openness and times The generalization is the sublimation of the understanding of the historical development and theoretical system of Marxism, the condensing of the historical vision and ideological essence of the Sinicization of Marxism, especially the Sinicization of Marxism in the 70 years of New China, and the wisdom and the theory of Marxism in the 21st century as the display of the glamour. Different from the empirical common sense, as a conceptual system to explain, guide, and regulate human thought and behavior, theory, a special way of grasping the world, has a distinct logic and systemicity [6][7][8][9][10].…”

Alienation: A useful concept for health inequality research

“…Marxist alienation theory 1 begins with the premise that humans are productive beings capable of transforming the world around us to fulfil our various needs and desires [ 19 , 20 ]. While all animals interact with the world around them as a fundamental prerequisite for survival, humans are distinguished by our capacity to create outcomes that we have consciously conceived prior to these interactions, that is, to produce.…”

“…In other words, while capitalist domination is ultimately rooted in the exploitation of labour, human agency appears to be not only restricted by direct coercion by other people, but also by a set of impersonal and seemingly universal imperatives [ 26 ]. Due to the alienation of labour, therefore, what is objectively an increase in humanity’s social power and interdependence is subjectively experienced as its opposite, namely as powerlessness and isolation [ 20 ].…”

Squid Game(s)

“…Under capitalism, the development of social production serves to create an objective reality that stands opposite the individual as an alien and unassailable force, and in which society itself appears as the greatest threat to human development and flourishing. As a result of this dialectic, what is objectively an expansion of social power is experienced as fatalism and powerlessness, while what is objectively an expansion of human cooperation and interdependence produces explosive rates of loneliness and isolation.” (Øversveen, 2021, n.p. )…”

“…“While it is obviously not the case that all feelings of estrangement can be traced back to the capitalist mode of production, it nonetheless seems reasonable to assume that a substantial portion of our sensations of powerlessness, isolation and despair is related to the social organization of production and that it is valuable to distinguish those feelings from similar experiences caused by other factors.” (Øversveen, 2021, n.p. )…”