Karl Marx Theory on Labor Alienation

Marx's theory on labor alienation takes major part in Marx's early writings in particular Economic and Philosophical Manuscripts of 1848. Marx believes that in a capitalist society, the worker suffers impoverishment and estrangement alienation from the labor process. (SparkNotes Editors, 2005). Society is split into two classes the capitalists (ruling upper class) and the workers (lower class). (Kendall, 2007). Marx ideas about alienation have been influenced from Feuerbach and Hegel. (Morrison, 1995). His theory consists that alienation to the worker occurs in four different ways. Alienation from the product, from the production, human identity and lastly alienated from other workers. The division of Labor also contributes to labor alienation, as workers become one part of a machine. In a capitalist society, capitalism is the production of all commodities or goods for sale on the market. (SparkNotes Editors, 2005). Society changed a lot since Marx theory of labor alienation, with the turn of modernity and post modernity new technologies and knowledge arose. (Mclennan, McManus & Spoonley).

In Marx theory there are two classes, the proletariat (working class). The working class sells their labor for a small wage, nothing owns to them. The bourgeoisie (capitalists) are the ruling class. The capitalists own the modes of production (Kendall, 2007). '"Mode of production refers to how societies organize the production and reproduction of their material basis. For Marx, modes of production were distinguished by how they generated and appropriated economic surplus". (Mclennan, McManus & Spoonley, 2010, p.30). Marx theory on alienation focuses on alienation on the working class in a capitalist society. Class struggle occurs between the working class and the capitalists, by capitalists exploiting workers and workers trying to resist exploitation. The workers, who own no means of production of their own, must work in order to make a living. They get jobs from the capitalist and work for them, producing some sort of goods or services. These goods or services then become property of the capitalist, who sells them and gets money in exchange. Part of this money is used to pay workers' wages, another part is used to pay production costs, and a third part is kept by the capitalist in the form of a profit. The capitalist can earn money by selling the profit from the work of his employees without actually doing any work, or in excess of his own work. (Kendall, 2007).

Capitalism is where the means of production are privately owned and are operated for maximum profit for the capitalist. Capitalists have labor power and control over the working class. The working class become estranged and loses the determination in their lives under the Capitalist mode of production. The product of labor does not belong to the worker, but to the capitalists. The more the worker produces the richer the capitalist gets, also the capitalist gains more power over the worker. Income comes in two forms in a capitalist society, profit and wages. Alienation occurs to the working class, as working becomes a means of survival and not a pleasure. (SparkNotes Editors, 2005).

Feuerbach and Hegel influenced Marx's ideas about alienation. Feuerbach and Hegel both focused on the spiritual world, where as Marx translates into the material world. In Feuerbach's writing The Essence of Christianity (1841) Feuerbach argues alienation of god. Marx argues the alienation between the worker and the product, production, human identity and from other workers. All these four relations can be seen as aspects of the worker being separated from ones self. (Morrison, 1995).

The first type of alienation is alienation from the product, the worker has no power of what is being produced, and the capitalist owns the production. The worker puts his life and labor into producing the product but does not own the product so somewhat becomes alien and astringed from the product that is being produced. This happens in two ways, first since the worker is forced to sell their labor to the capitalists in exchange for a wage the worker loses the control of their own labor power. Second, in the system of exchange the product no longer has any use value to the worker. (Morrison, 1995). Commodities produced by the process of labor are taken away from the worker and sold, and labor becomes a commodity. This process of commodity then produces power and wealth for the capitalist, but alienation and poverty for the worker. The capitalist pays the worker the lowest rate possible to gain a maximum rate of return. (Parijs, 1993).

The worker experiences alienation from the production this happens because, capitalism removes the workers rights. The worker has no control of what job can be done or how this job can be done. Working is a means of survival for a small wage. The small wage is needed for the worker to survive; working is seen as forced over being voluntary. The division of labor determines which one job the worker will carry out. The workers being is satisfied when it has control over the labor being produced and how it will be used or exchanged for something else. Under capitalism this right is removed, the worker is robed the right of receiving the product he has produced, or receiving the full amount of the product. The control and exchange of the workers labor power is lost. ( Ollman, 1971). Since the labor production no longer belongs to the worker, their qualities on life are reversed. Workers become weak and in this state the worker can no longer depend on their own activity in their life. (Morrison, 1995)

Marx sees that human identity is another way that labor alienation occurs in capitalism. Workers under capitalism lose their humanity. Work is seen as unpleasant and not part of human nature. Workers feel like they are living a part of a machine. When the desire to work is gone, work is avoided at all costs. Labor is external to the worker, workers do not conform in their work but deny and feels un-happy. (Kanungo, 1982). Alienation of the workers humanity leaves the worker with only animal like functions, and so the only area where workers can be human, is in those functions common with animals such as eating and drinking to satisfy the humanity. Even though eating and drinking are part of human- being, take away all other aspects of human humanity they become animal pursuits. (Morrison, 1995).

Alienation from other workers occurs as; the worker's are alienated from other humans and also from the social community. Capitalism makes workers feel isolated and separated from each other, to pursue their private interests for economic gain.