Marxs theory on labor alienation takes major part in Marxs 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 th

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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).

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 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, ...

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