Karl+Marx-Alienated+Labor

=Karl Marx - Alienated Labor = = = = =

"If I express a feeling with a word, let us say, if I say "I love you," the word is meant to be an indication of the reality which exists within myself, the power of my loving. The word "love" is meant to be a symbol of the fact love, but as soon as it is spoken it tends to assume a life of its own, it becomes a reality. I am under the illusion that the saying of the word is the equivalent of the experience, and soon I say the word and feel nothing, except the thought of love which the word expresses. The alienation of language shows the whole complexity of alienation. Language is one of the most precious human achievements; to avoid alienation by not speaking would be foolish -- yet one must be always aware of the danger of the spoken word, that it threatens to substitute itself for the living experience. The same holds true for all other achievements of man; ideas, art, any kind of man-made objects. They are man's creations; they are valuable aids for life, yet each one of them is also a trap, a temptation to confuse life with things, experience with artifacts, feeling with surrender and submission.” (Fromm, and Bottomore 38).

Alienated Labor
 Karl Marx philosophies were strongly based on equal rights for all of mankind. Marx believed that through the use of reason, we as a society could accomplish equality and work towards reaching our full potential and destiny as human beings. One thing that Marx’s believed was directly hindering the growth of humanity was what he referred to as alienated labor. Marx’s definition of alienated labor can be understood as “The process whereby the worker is made to feel foreign to the products of his/her own labor” (Felluga). This in most cases was experienced by the Proletariat class of people who were forced into enduring horrible working conditions in order to make their livings. The Proletariat class was filled with unfortunate and uneducated individuals who were packed into factories, poorly treated, and extremely underpaid. Worst to come of this situation was when the factory workers began to underbid each other for a day’s worth of work so they could support their own families. From one of his most famous works, //The Communist Manifesto//, Marx states that the Proletariat factory workers should unite and come together in order to better their overall working status. In a very famous quote Marx states that “The proletarians have nothing to lose but their chains. They have a world to win” (Halsall). This statement refers to the workers uniting to form a union that could demand better pay and overall working conditions for the Proletariat workers. All of these factors put together are what lead to Marx’s definition of alienated labor.

 Looking further in-depth into alienated labor, the worker is first alienated from the product of the labor. This feeling of alienation comes from a sense of forced labor because the individual is performing a task or developing a product that they themselves cannot afford. Their sweat and hard work is put into a product for someone else’s needs, and will not satisfy the wishes of the worker. The object that is being produced is actually serving to keep the factory worker in poverty, thus the individual is caught in a catch-22 situation where as their way of making a living is also hindering their own cause.

 Next the alienation exists between the worker and the activity of labor. Because the task is ordered down upon the people of the Proletariat class by the wealthier Bourgeois class, it becomes a frightful task that is uninfluenced by the workers. The days begin to drag along as hours build in the efforts to increase efficiency, leading to a feeling of hatred toward the daily task. At this point in time the only way for the worker to find true relief is through satisfying their animalistic needs such as food, drink, and sex. Overall, this process leads to the dehumanization of the Proletariat factory workers.  After the alienation from the activity of labor, comes the alienation of the “Species Being”. This is the idea that the human essence is apparent through free, conscious activity. Human beings should be able to let their distinctiveness show through in their work. This includes differentiating themselves through imagination, intellect, and physical skills. But because the products of work started as natural objects that we then transformed through human essence we can then conclude that work objectifies the species life.

 Lastly, the workers are subject to alienation amongst themselves as human beings. This style of alienation is produced through the competition between workers for wages, as well as management dictating the policies and procedures of the workplace. This workplace competition ties back into the idea of people fighting against each other while striving to support the needs of their own families. Once again this hinders the overall status of the entire Proletariat nation.

Criticisms of Alienated Labor
 One criticism against Karl Marx’s view of alienated labor is that it’s normative basis renders it unscientific or useless for empirical research. This is believed to be true by those who see Marx’s work as a value preposition. This would be true if Marx had catered this work only toward his own beliefs. On the contrary, Marx’s idea of alienated labor is based upon historical examination and the study of what labor can be when it’s free of domination. For example, if someone was delegated the task of examination how actual labor falls short of the predictor, then the only way to achieve this task would be by using a comparative concept such as alienated labor (Schwalbe 21).

 Another criticism against Marx’s theory of alienated labor is that since Marx’s considers alienated labor a permanent part of capitalism, than it is not really designed to be tested against reality. This point of view can be considered correct if referring to the capital labor process in theoretical terms. However, Marx’s idea of alienated labor stretches further beyond just its role among capitalism, but also to human relationships with nature, and human social relationships. The idea of human relationships with nature refers to what the people are actually doing and experiencing in their efforts to change nature. Human social relationships are explained as how creation and appropriation of value are organized. According to Schwalbe, “To speak of the capitalist labor process is to refer to the forcible appropriation of value by one class of individuals from another. To speak of productive activities under capitalism, is to refer to the mental and physical acts workers actually perform in creating objects with value.”

 Lastly, another argument made against Marx’s and his idea of alienated labor is his perceived shiftiness around the issue. Marx has been accused of coming off as to much middle of the road, where one can see both sides of the argument being used. This has lead to many other philosophers concluding a great amount of confusion in Marx’s treatment of alienation. These issues can be cleared up by understanding that Marx’s thought exists as relations rather than distinguishing them as ontologically distinct. At different points in his argument Marx seems to shift meanings of alienation back and forth, but if paid close attention it can be noted that he is explaining the same ideas just through different views, extinguishing any prior allegations of shiftiness. Failure to understand these few issues is the main source of criticism toward Karl Marx and his theory of alienated labor.

Works Cited
Felluga, Dino. "Terms Used by Marxism." //Introductory Guide to Critical Theory//. Perdue University, 11/28/2003. Web. 15 May 2010. .

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 130%;"> Fromm, Erich, and T.B. Bottomore. //Marx's Concept of Man//. New York, New York: Continuum International Publishing Group, 2004. 38. Print.

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 130%;"> Halsall, Paul. "Karl Marx: Scientific Socialism." //Modern History Sourcebook//. 1999. Web. 17 Mar 2010. <http://www.forham.edu/halsall/mod/marx-summary.html>.

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 130%;"> Schwalbe, Michael. //The psychosocial consequences of natural and alienated labor//. Albany, New York: State University of New York Press, 1986. 21-25. Print.