ALIENATION & THE MODERN WORKPLACE

Created by Karl Marx, the theory of alienation argues that in capitalism, workers will become disconnected from labor and their humanity. Marx argues that instead of their work being a fulfilling source of creativity and purpose, it becomes a meaningless transaction that is a means for survival; Marx believed that capitalist societies turn everything into an economic instrument that dehumanizes laborers.

Some philosophical roots include Hegel, Feuerbach, and the historical context at the time. Starting with the Hegelian influence, Marx drew from Friedrich Hegel, who delved into the depths of alienation and saw it as a disconnection from someone's spiritual essence. Feuerbach argued that humans must project their essence onto things they are devoted with (specifically religion). Marx, however, applied this to capitalist society and said that humans apply their essence to their work. Finally, the historical context at the time of the creation of this theory was the Industrial Revolution, which turned labor into repetitive factory work through systems such as the assembly line.

There are four different dimensions of Alienation. First, we have alienation from the product of the labor itself; this occurs when workers lose the ability to ‘own’ what they create since it becomes someone else’s property. Second, we have alienation from the process of labor, which occurs when the work process becomes controlled by higher-ups, which creates a disconnect between the laborer and the process. The third is alienation from species-being, which focuses on the idea that because humans are inherently creative, they are spiritually oppressed under capitalism and alienated from their own natural being. The final dimension is alienation from other humans. In this dimension, the competitive job market is said to isolate workers from one another and make relationships simply transactional, instead of meaningful and collaborative.

Like any other philosophical theory, there are many points of tension in this one. The first is related to the association of alienation with capitalism. Many argue that alienation exists in all economic structures, including socialist ones, as there will always be people who can’t always have or find a deeper meaning in their work. The second argument is focused on Marx’s argument that people are inherently creative, which is why they work. The reality is that many people don’t work for personal fulfillment; instead, some work for stability, family, and consumption. Because of Marx’s idealization of labor, many argue that his theory is flawed.

Looking at this theory, many questions arise about our own capitalist society and if there is alienation of society today. Are most humans in the United States motivated by creativity for a profession? How alienated are we as a society? Should we find a way to remedy our alienation?