Labor is alienated because the work has ceased to be a part of the worker's nature and "consequently, he does not fulfill himself in his work but denies himself, has a feeling of misery rather than well-being, does not develop freely his mental and physical energies but is physically exhausted and mentally debased. The worker therefore feels... See more

Alienation has to do with what happens to workers under the conditions of wage labor (the industrial division of labor). Marx pointed out that there are four aspects to alienation. Wage laborers are alienated from their products, from their labor, from their “species-being” (human essence) and from other workers.

Previous chapters have described some of the appalling living conditions that had existed over the course of many centuries in various European countries, some of which became centres of ‘industrialisation’. The working conditions, especially in factories, were no better. People were made to work long hours, adults were usually expected to work for

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