Essay on Marxs Theory of Alienation and Philosophical Categories

Marxs theory of alienation has its basis upon the capitalist method of production, workers loss of willpower, and actions of employees and their employers. The characteristics of capitalism are the prevalence of private ownership in regards to the means of production and utilization of wage labor. The paper discusses Marx philosophical category that I belong to, objective and subjective alienation, the elimination of alienation, and possibility of eliminating estrangement without private enterprise. Karl Marxs views about capitalism are correct because his arguments have a relationship with the contemporary society.

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In Marxs philosophical categories, the class that I belong to is proletarian. According to Marx, a proletariat is someone who has no means of production, and for them to live, they sell their labor power. The reason I feel that I belong to the proletariat class is that I am the opposite of a bourgeoisie, who are employers of wage labor and have a means of production. I still work for someone else. Marx affirms that the proletariat owes a favor to the capitalist because he or she works for them. The philosopher judges members of each class in regards to income, power, and detachment from the immoderations of participation in the struggle to maintain class. Besides, he articulates that the capitalist-employer exploits the proletariat and gives them minimal wages.

According to Marx, alienation is the estrangement of people from various aspects of their lives. I objectively go through alienation from the product of my labor in a way that it is hard for me to realize fruits of my labor. I do not receive profits from the services I give to the customers at my workplace. All the proceeds go straight to the company, and I have to wait for poor wages at the end of the month. As a proletariat, I continue to receive minimal wages and maximum labor from the bourgeoisie. The tax rates from the federal government are too high, and I have little to spend. Marx (paragraph 8) avows that objectification is the realization of labor. Again, he articulates that objectification is the loss of the object where the bourgeoisie robs the worker off the objects, which are necessary, not only to their job but also their life. Even so, Marx (paragraph 8) himself asserts that the proletariat can obtain the object in the form of labor with the whole struggle and with unbalanced intervals. Marx (paragraph 9) adds that the more time the worker spends to themselves, the more the alienation from labor becomes and the more they become poor. To me, the object that Marx talks about is both labor and wages that I receive from the capitalist-employer.

On the other hand, subjective alienation is the economic aspect in which workers disconnect from what they produce. Primarily, opinions and personal feelings lead to subjectivism. I have alienated subjectively in a way that the employer tells me how I should do my job instead of them giving me the chance to enact my desires on what to produce. My ideas have structured my experience to the world and the way in which ideas influence my social relations. The little that I produce from the capitalist society is not enough. I am conscious about my class in the society. Usually, the proletariat suffers the most because he or she has to put extra effort in his or her work to make it through the harsh economic times. As Marx (paragraph 1) points out, in a political society, the worker shifts to the level of a commodity and becomes despicable of possessions. Moreover, he adds that the dreadfulness of the worker increases as the power and magnitude of his production that restore monopoly decreases.

From a personal perspective, the first way that the elimination of alienation can take place is when the society encourages socialism instead of capitalism. Capitalism hinders the exploitation of human potential. Estrangement occurs when the person feels like nobody cares about them. Consequently, a social provision scheme might eliminate separation. It is agreeable that a socialist society will lead to the elimination of isolation. More to the point, the removal of alienation can take place when the capitalists do not look down upon the middle and low-class citizens, and allow them to achieve their capacities.

However, it is not possible to eliminate alienation without eliminating capitalism. The reason is that alienation and capitalism have a close relation. Ideally, alienation is a systematized result of capitalism. Capitalism does not lead to a free development of human ability in the society. Alienation is the emotional dissociation, and as long as capitalism and the capitalists exist in the society, it will be hard to do away with alienation. Workers will continue to suffer from oppression and suffer from emotional detachment due to poor wages and extra hours at work.

In summary, Karl Marxs views about capitalism are factual because his arguments have a relationship with the contemporary society. In alienation, social norms guide the interaction of the human mind with the world. More so, in Marxs view, the workers loss of realization results in starvation. Proletariats should work hard to become bourgeoisies and increase their productivity. From the texts, it is agreeable that in private ownership, people are unable to exploit their potential in the society. Overall, socialism is the only element that can result in the elimination of alienation.

Work Cited

Marx, Karl. Estranged Labor. Economic and Philosophical Manuscripts. Private Property & Communism Karl Marx Internet Archive, 1844. Web. 9th Dec. 2016.