marx vs durkheim
...lienation, according to Marx, is one that stems from human nature. Humans will naturally produce and because of competition within a society, humans are alienated from their labor. Production is a way of obtaining capital, rather than producing necessary items for basic survival. Marx describes that labor is fundamental and natural for humans. Alienating one self from the labor and productions is being alienated with something outside of one’s self. Marx also says that without acquiring the products of labor, humans are alienating themselves from their labor, something that defines a human’s existence. Since a human is denying his true existence, he cannot grow physically or mentally and therefore is in a state of unhappiness. The alienation and loss of labor is a loss of a humans “self.” It is this “homo duplex” where an individual is both alienated from his work and from his self and this causes his state of unhappiness. Similar ideas are seen in Durkheim’s, anomie. Anomie is a system of under-regulation. He states that without society were are driven by our animalistic desires and there are no limits. There is a lack of moral regulation. Yet, in the division of labor people are put into specific “slots” that come along with different norms. When people move from these “slots,” they are put in a situation of de-regulation in which people lose their sense of place. Social morality is necessary for people to have a sense of where they belong, and by changing in social positions, this morality can be lost and people are in a state of unhappiness, and in the worst cases, commit suicide. Durkheim says this is a result of lack of regulation within a society. Marx says, alienation is derived from bas...