The Perspectives Of Marx's Theory Of Alienation

In the theory of alienation, Marx gives the answer on how do the ways in which people earn their living affect their bodies, minds and also their daily lives. Workers in capitalist society do not have the machines, raw materials, factories which they use in their work. It is owned by the capitalists to whom the workers must sell their "labor power", or ability to do work, in return for a wage (Bertell Ollman, 2004). This system of labor displays four relations that lie at the core of Marx 's theory of alienation. Firstly, the worker is alienated (or cut off) from his or her productive activity, playing no part in deciding what to do or how to do it. Someone else, the capitalist, also sets the conditions and speed of work and even decides if the worker is to be allowed to work or not, like hires and fires him. Secondly, the worker is alienated from the product of that activity, having no control over what is made or what happens to it, often not even knowing what happens to it once it has left his hands. Thirdly, the worker is alienated from other human beings, with competition and mutual indifference replacing most forms of cooperation (Bertell Ollman, 2004). This applies not only to relations with the capitalists, who use their control over the worker 's activity and product to further their own profit maximizing interests, but also to relations between individuals inside each class as everyone tries to survive as best he can. Finally, the worker is