Marx Theory Of Alienation Essay

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Karl Marx’s Theory of Alienation, which originated in an unpublished analysis written by Marx in 1844 and known as the Economic and Philosophical Manuscripts of 1844 was the earliest work that illustrated his Theory of Alienation. Marx’s Theory of Alienation was a commentary that stated individuals are destined to become divorced from themselves and others in society when operating under the conditions brought about by capitalism and its emphasis on industrial production.

The synopsis of Marx’s Theory of Alienation is the belief that in a contemporary industrial society driven by capitalism, the working class will eventually lose jurisdiction over their lives by relinquishing control over their work. Prior to capitalism, tradesmen would be the proprietors of their own workplace, be able to set and keep their own hours of operation, be the driving force behind developing and producing the product, have the ability to create and maintain their working conditions, as well as have input on how the commodity is bartered or sold, and the associations and rapport with the people whom he worked with and had dealings with had a more intimate character to them.

In stark contradiction to pre-industrial capitalistic characteristics, were those conditions that were endured by workers under capitalism and its emphasis on modern industrialized manufacturing. To Marx it seemed as if the ordinary factory worker was viewed as being no more than a replaceable cogwheel in an enormous and emotionless machine driven only by quotas and greed.

Karl Marx crafted his Theory of Alienation in response to his view of how mankind had come to exist at the time of his publication. It seemed to Marx that man had an expanding control of nature during a period ...

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...be chaos. People would be used to a certain lifestyle and once that was taken away there would be a heightened probability that civil unrest would occur and that this unrest would lead to violence and death in those societies. Although this could be countered by the realization that perhaps mankind is being brainwashed to believe this by the State and its various institutions and media outlets. Perhaps we would all work together for change if presented with an opportunity to do so. Although ultimately I think it is an extraordinary principle in practice, I believe that it is just too Utopian to actually be practical in application. There is always the variable of the individual and history has shown us that not everyone subscribes to those ideals. Some people for lack of a better word are just evil, and no amount of camaraderie our social influence can change that.

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