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The Significance Of The Alienation Of Labour In Karl Marx
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1.6.1 The Primitive Communal
This could
be described as the first society of men and women, where they convoked
as a result of social needs. Here, the factors of production were not
sophisticated, but were communally owned. Marx saw this society as next
to the communism, though it is too local and primitive.
The gradual
sophistication of means of production and the corresponding surplus
product of labour led to the following consequences:
First there appeared a chance to accumulate that product, to stockpile
different kinds of material wealth and to re-distribute it. This
produced an economic basis for inequality…Secondly, exploitation, that
is, the appropriation of products of one man’s labour by another becomes
also possible.6
So, with the accumulation of wealth and exploitation, struggle became possible, leading to another stage—slave society.
1.6.2 Slave Society
During
wars, the conquest kills their enemies and captives. As time went on,
captives were no longer killed but subjected to slave labour, by their
warlords. This eventually gave rise to private ownership of property.
This is because slaves enriched their owners through their labour. This
led to the ever greater material inequality, to the extent that the rich
tribal lords eventually began turning into slaves, both prisoners of
war and impoverished fellow tribesmen and women taken to debt servitude.
This was done for material acquisition.
With every epoch containing
the seed of its own destruction, the slave society crumbled as a result
of slaves not being allowed to own properties. This made them develop
little or no zeal for work, and as a result of this, there arose
conflict of interests between the slaves and the slave-owners. This led
to a more progressive system—Feudalism or Feudal system.
1.6.3 The Feudal System
Here,
the feudal lords receive land from the kings and Tzars in return for
various services rendered. Sequel to this, other member servants,
depended on the feudal lords, (semi-military commanders) for their own
survival. But here, there was little division of labour, and the feudal
lords having direct power over other servants (peasants), had to force
them to work for themselves. As a result of this, there came a conflict
between them, leading the historical movement to the next stage—the
Capitalist society.
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