The Development of Marx's Concept of Alienation: An Introduction

Abstract

The paper presents an introduction to and summary of the concept of alienation as found in the works of Karl Marx, from a developmental perspective. Five separate works, ranging from his early to later writings, are discussed. Tlie paper argues that Marx's concept of alienation is a continuous clarification and expansion of ideas first put forth in 1844. His development in economics supports and qualifies his assertions of a more philosophical nature. The early and later works should neither be understood as having complete continuity nor complete incompatibility, for the later grew out of the earlier. Beginning with the belated publication of the Economic and Philosophie id Manuscripts oj 1844 (in German, 1939), students and proponents of Marx have disagreed on the correct interpretation of this work in the context of his later writings. Central to this discussion is the debate over the importance of alienation in the whole.of Marx's thought. Some argue that this concept is a philosophical apparition of the young idealist still being persuaded by Hegel, only to be abandoned by the mature, scientific Marx (Hook, 1962; Althusscr, 1970). This point is contested by those holding that this concept is found throughout Marx's writings (Avineri, 1968; McLellan, 1970). Oilman (1971) and, especially, Meszaros (1972) have dispelled the abandonment thesis although it still exists in various forms (LeoGrande, 1977). What is still lacking is a treatment of alienation that clearly outlines a development of Marx's thought. Meszaros is intent on showing that alienation is a concept in each of the major works, but tends to sec them in an aggregate and somewhat static fashion. Oilman falls into the same tendency, admitting that his book is