Karl Marx's Theory of Labor, Production, and Alienation

The Working Nature of Human Beings (Marxist View)

For Marx, the human being is a natural being that, having come from nature, differs from animals because the human has to produce the means to survive by changing the nature in which they live. This transformation is accomplished through work.

We are productive, 'active' beings who need to transform nature to survive, and it is through this activity that we enter into relationships with other human beings.

Thus, for Marx, it is not the consciousness of men that determines their being; rather, the reverse is true: their social being determines their consciousness. He argues that abstract consideration of the human being alone is not worthwhile.

Furthermore, Marx holds a materialist view: there is nothing beyond this life. Belief in God is merely an illusion that arises from the discontent of the people with poor life circumstances.

Alienation Under Capitalism

The situation of human beings under capitalism is one of alienation. This occurs because the essential nature of the human being—working—is not performed under worthy conditions. Earning only enough to survive does not allow one to live a truly human life.

This situation may change if circumstances are altered, allowing the worker to self-actualize in their work. For this to happen, it is necessary that the product of their labor belongs to them, that their earnings are sufficient to meet their material needs, and that they are allowed time to develop their personality and truly be a human being.

Economic Alienation

Economic alienation describes the fundamental suffering the worker endures within the production process while carrying out their labor. Marx distinguishes between the attachment to the production process/object and the productive activity itself.

When the worker is engaged in the execution of the object or product, they are 'out of themselves' (externalizing), coming into contact with nature and others. This effort in developing the product results in a loss of energy and waste, which Marx termed the 'transfer of self'.

Negative Aspects of the Production Process

The production of the object and the manner in which it is done reveal the negative aspects of the production process, which Marx summarizes in two points:

1. The object produced does not belong to the worker but to the employer, resulting in the subject's expropriation.
2. Work is used as a means of production in a chain, treating the worker as an object. Marx called this the reification of the subject.

The result is that a worker is not fulfilled in their work; they are exploited physically and mentally, and ultimately, they belong not to themselves but to the employer.