Compare and Contrast: Marx's theory of Alienation with Durkheims theory of Anomie

Authors Avatar

Compare and Contrast Marx's theory of Alienation with Durkheims theory of Anomie

Karl Marx and Emile Durkheim are two of the founding fathers of sociology. They have both had a profound influence on the development of sociology. This essay will examine two of their theories - Marx’s theory of alienation and Durkheims theory of anomie, and will look at the similarities and differences in their thinking.

Marx (1818-1883) wrote the Economic and Philosophic Manuscripts in 1844, and one of these manuscripts, entitled ’Estranged Labour’, contains his discussion of alienation - the experience of isolation resulting from powerlessness. Marx’s basic concern was with the structures of capitalism that cause this alienation. He offered a theory of alienation rooted in social structure. He wanted his theory to convey two central and dominant ideas. First, the idea that human beings make society, and at some point society is a natural extension of their nature and their being, and second, the idea that, as modern society develops, human beings begin to feels that society is not of their making, and no longer reflects their being or their nature, but instead appears to be alien.

Marx believed that labouring was the primary means by which human beings realised themselves in nature and history. Alienation, according to Marx, breaks this fundamental connection humans have to the self-defining aspect of labouring activity. He went on to identify four components of alienation: (I) alienation from the product of labour; (ii) alienation from productive activity; (iii) alienation from the human species; and, (iv) alienation from fellow human beings.

The first type of alienation, product alienation, occurs when workers become estranged from the objects they produce. The product of their labour does not belong to the workers, but instead belongs to the capitalists, who may use it in any they wish, usually selling the product for profit. Also, workers often lack detailed knowledge of the aspects of production they are not involved in, and have little sense of their role in the total production process. For example, automobile assembly line workers who tighten a few bolts on an engine may have little feel for their role in the production of the whole car. Playing such small roles in the process often makes workers feel that the assembly line - rather than the individuals who work on it - are responsible for the final product.

Join now!

The second type of alienation, alienation from productive activity means that workers do not work for themselves in order to satisfy their own needs but capitalism converts the workers activity into nothing more than a means of satisfying their material needs. They receive a poor wage in exchange for giving the capitalists the right to use the workers in any way they see fit. Productive activity belongs to the capitalists, who decide what to do with it. This turns productive activity into an often boring and stultifying process, the only fulfilment being the only end that really matters in capitalism ...

This is a preview of the whole essay