Chapter 1: Marx

Question 1

What is Wage labour?

Answer 1

The workers are reduced to the level of a commodity - an object

More productive they are = more miserable they become

Question 2

What did Marx think all of society would fall into? (2 categories)

Answer 2

1. Property Owners
2. Propertyless workers

Question 3

What is private property connected to?

Answer 3

Greed, selfishness, seperation of labour, captial, etc

All this alienation is related to the money system

Question 4

How does work under capitalism change a worker?

Answer 4

They become a commodity

Question 5

What is the issue when the worker relates to the product of their labour as an alien object?

Answer 5

Object = Power independent of the producer

object = alien

Worker realizes theres an objectification of labour happening

loss of reality for the worker

the less the worker can possess the more they fall under the domination / enslavement of the object they produce

Question 6

What do people draw on to create?

Answer 6

Nature

Question 6

How are humans creative?

Answer 6

We put our inner life into our creations

We externalize ourself in our work

The more powerful the alien objects become the poorer their inner life becomes

The power he has lent the alien object comes to oppose him

Question 7

How does a worker become a slave to his object? (2 ways)

Answer 7

1. Must labour on the alien object
2. Working and creating = only means for a wage (subsistence) for the worker

Question 8

How is the object and worker two sides of a coin?

Answer 8

Better the object becomes = More worthless and powerless the worker becomes

Question 9

How does political economy hide alienation?

Answer 9

It ignores the relationship between the worker and production of objects

Question 10

What does the externalization of labour consist of?

Answer 10

1. Labour is external to the worker (it’s not apart of their essence but a physical thing)
2. Does not confirm himself when making things (just makes u unhappy)
3. No physical compulsion to do labour (ex. hunger)
4. External labour = labour of self sacrifice

***5. The product does not belong to him. He doesn’t even belong to him

Question 11

Then: Are we the most human when doing acts with compulsions? (Eating, procreating, drinking, etc)

Answer 11

NO

We have an intellectual and creative nature (sets us apart from other species)

• Humans rely on nature (ex. food) and tools
• We depend on nature so much cuz at the end of the day WE are nature

Question 12

How does alienated labour impact mans relationship with nature?

Answer 12

impact:

1. Mans relationship with nature
2. Man from himself (his vital activity)

Question 13

How are we different from other animals that also produce? (ex. bees, bevers, etc)

Answer 13

They produce only what’s needed

Man must produce universally for the whole species

• So when alienated labour pulls a guy from making what is needed = tears him from his species life (separates him from his objective and his natural advantage over other animals)

Question 14

If alienated object doesn’t belong to me, who does it belong to?

Answer 14

Man himself

Who the labour serves and enjoys it’s profits

Question 15

What is private property a result of?

Answer 15

Analysis of the concept of externalized labour

Ex. Eternalized man, alienated work, alienated life, alienated man