2. The (Critical) Concept of Alienation
The place the theory of alienation occupies within the philosophy of Karl Marx is problematic. Its importance is widely recognised. The concrete modality in which it affects the critique of the political economy remains, however, shrouded by presuppositions. Undoubtedly, as influential as Marx’s writing where from a historical-ideatic point of view, as much they were propagated, especially in the Eastern European space, through the filter of a flawed hermeneutics. Their transformation into slogans (by separating some bunch of ideas from both their argumentative context and the explanatory annexes) and their ideological employment are two of the most common errors of interpretation. “Understanding Marx …show more content…
It rather aims its transformation in petrified doctrine, in an immobile element of Karl Marx’s system . If we regard the evolution of his philosophical thinking, the facts are far from being such. The concept of alienation appears in his writings from 1843 (published in Deutsch–Französische Jahrbücher), which includes the Critique of Hegel's Philosophy of Right. Marx, on the footsteps of Feuerbach (and, thus, of his criticism against Hegel's idealism) formulates a pre-concept of alienation, derived from the theory of religious alienation and headed toward the political and social alienation. “Feuerbach’s criticism of religion is implemented within the domain of politics, within a framework determined by the conceptual couple alienation–emancipation” …show more content…
Less visible, however, is the difference between the already mentioned German terms. In the Manuscripts of 1844, Veräusserung occurs rarely and has a neutral meaning: the mere act of selling a product. In other words, it designates the action by which a product is transferred to the purchaser. Entäußerung, translated as alienation, indicates the seller's action, to the extent that the commodity, as a result of the exchange, no longer belongs to him. Yet, this process is distorted by capitalism. That is why the meaning of Entäußerung slides toward the idea of dispossession. The alienation of the labourer in his product involves, together with the objectification of his labour in an independent existence that no longer belongs to him, the negative action by which this product turns against him . The hostile nature of this process is indicated by the term Entfremdung (estrangement–from fremd–alien, foreign). In addition, Entfremdung (when it is not used as a synonym for Entäußerung) deepens the consequences of the capitalist means of production: the man is alienated/estranged from himself because he no longer corresponds to his human
The place the theory of alienation occupies within the philosophy of Karl Marx is problematic. Its importance is widely recognised. The concrete modality in which it affects the critique of the political economy remains, however, shrouded by presuppositions. Undoubtedly, as influential as Marx’s writing where from a historical-ideatic point of view, as much they were propagated, especially in the Eastern European space, through the filter of a flawed hermeneutics. Their transformation into slogans (by separating some bunch of ideas from both their argumentative context and the explanatory annexes) and their ideological employment are two of the most common errors of interpretation. “Understanding Marx …show more content…
It rather aims its transformation in petrified doctrine, in an immobile element of Karl Marx’s system . If we regard the evolution of his philosophical thinking, the facts are far from being such. The concept of alienation appears in his writings from 1843 (published in Deutsch–Französische Jahrbücher), which includes the Critique of Hegel's Philosophy of Right. Marx, on the footsteps of Feuerbach (and, thus, of his criticism against Hegel's idealism) formulates a pre-concept of alienation, derived from the theory of religious alienation and headed toward the political and social alienation. “Feuerbach’s criticism of religion is implemented within the domain of politics, within a framework determined by the conceptual couple alienation–emancipation” …show more content…
Less visible, however, is the difference between the already mentioned German terms. In the Manuscripts of 1844, Veräusserung occurs rarely and has a neutral meaning: the mere act of selling a product. In other words, it designates the action by which a product is transferred to the purchaser. Entäußerung, translated as alienation, indicates the seller's action, to the extent that the commodity, as a result of the exchange, no longer belongs to him. Yet, this process is distorted by capitalism. That is why the meaning of Entäußerung slides toward the idea of dispossession. The alienation of the labourer in his product involves, together with the objectification of his labour in an independent existence that no longer belongs to him, the negative action by which this product turns against him . The hostile nature of this process is indicated by the term Entfremdung (estrangement–from fremd–alien, foreign). In addition, Entfremdung (when it is not used as a synonym for Entäußerung) deepens the consequences of the capitalist means of production: the man is alienated/estranged from himself because he no longer corresponds to his human