Theories and Contemporary Applications of Alienation - Einzelansicht

This course offers a thorough examination of alienation as a key concept in social and political theory. It focuses on the development of this concept within Marxist thought and its subsequent reinterpretations. The course is divided into three parts. It begins by engaging with the foundational theories of alienation in Marx, Lukács, and the Frankfurt School. It also discusses these theories' critically assessments. The second part explores the manifestations of alienation in various social contexts, such as colonialism, race, ecology, gender, and social reproduction, using interdisciplinary perspectives. The final section examines contemporary debates and diagnoses of alienation in neoliberalism, digital culture, and platform capitalism. This section encourages students to consider the concept's continuing relevance. Through a combination of theoretical analysis and critical reflection, the course provides students with the tools necessary to evaluate alienation as a historical and contemporary issue.

The course proceeds in the following sequence:

Part I: Theoretical Debates

Week 1-2: Marx’s Theory of Alienation

Introduction to Marx’s Economic and Philosophic Manuscripts of 1844 and Grundrisse, exploring his analysis of estranged labor and its implications for human freedom and selfrealization, along with key interpretations and critiques.

Week 3: From Alienation to Reification

Examination of Lukács’ theory of reification in History and Class Consciousness and its extension of Marx’s insights into the objectification of social relations, with attention to technology’s role in this process.

Week 4: Frankfurt School Intensive

Critical study of Horkheimer and Adorno’s critique of the culture industry, Marcuse’s notion of false needs, Fromm’s concept of the marketing personality, and Benjamin’s analysis of mechanical reproduction.

Week 5: Contemporary Rejuvenation

Exploration of contemporary reinterpretations of alienation through Honneth’s theory of recognition, Jaeggi’s philosophical approach to alienation, and Dan Swain’s contributions to revitalizing the concept.

Week 6: Critics & Alternatives

Assessment of major critiques of the alienation framework, including Foucault’s disciplinary power, Berardi’s account of cognitive capitalism, and Wright’s vision of real utopias as alternatives.

Part II: Alienation in Different Contexts (Weeks 7–10)

Week 7: Colonialism, Race and Alienation

Analysis of alienation in colonial and racial contexts through Fanon’s existential critique, Coulthard’s decolonial perspective, and Davis’ intersectional treatment of race, class, and gender.

Week 8: Ecological Alienation

Study of the relationship between capitalism, nature, and alienation, drawing on Foster’s concept of the metabolic rift, Moore’s world-ecology framework, and Malm’s history of fossil capitalism.

Week 9: Gender, Social Reproduction and Alienation

Examination of feminist accounts of alienation through Federici’s historical materialist analyses and Vogel’s theorization of social reproduction.

Part III: Contemporary Debates on Alienation (Weeks 10–13)

Week 10-11: Neoliberal Alienation

Investigation of the forms of alienation characteristic of neoliberal capitalism, including platform labor (Srnicek), burnout culture (Han), and the erosion of temporal boundaries (Crary).

Week 12: Culture Industry 2.0

Discussion of Mark Fisher’s Capitalist Realism and the persistence of cultural domination and ideological closure in late capitalism.

Week 13: Digital Alienation

Critical engagement with Christian Fuchs’ work on digital labor and the commodification of online activity, considering its implications for autonomy and subjectivity.

Final Presentations

Benjamin, W. (2008). The work of art in the age of mechanical reproduction. Penguin.

Berardi, F. (2009). The soul at work: From alienation to autonomy. Semiotext(e).

Coulthard, G. S. (2014). Red skin, white masks: Rejecting the colonial politics of recognition. University of Minnesota Press.

Crary, J. (2013). 24/7: Late capitalism and the ends of sleep. Verso.

Davis, A. (1981). Women, race & class. Random House.

Federici, S. (2004). Caliban and the witch: Women, the body and primitive accumulation. Autonomedia.

Federici, S. (2012). Revolution at point zero: Housework, reproduction, and feminist struggle. PM Press.

Feenberg, A. (2014). The philosophy of praxis: Marx, Lukács and the Frankfurt School. Verso.

Fisher, M. (2009). Capitalist realism: Is there no alternative? Zero Books.

Foster, J. B. (2000). Marx's ecology: Materialism and nature. Monthly Review Press.

Foucault, M. (1995). Discipline and punish: The birth of the prison (A. Sheridan, Trans.). Vintage Books. (Original work published 1975)

Fuchs, C. (2014). Digital labour and Karl Marx. Routledge.

Han, B.-C. (2015). The burnout society (E. Butler, Trans.). Stanford University Press.

Honneth, A. (2008). Reification: A new look at an old idea. Oxford University Press.

Horkheimer, M., & Adorno, T. W. (2002). Dialectic of enlightenment: Philosophical fragments (E. Jephcott, Trans.). Stanford University Press. (Original work published 1944)

Jaeggi, R. (2014). Alienation (F. Neuhouser, Trans.). Columbia University Press.

Lukács, G. (1971). History and class consciousness: Studies in Marxist dialectics (R. Livingstone, Trans.). MIT Press. (Original work published 1923)

Malm, A. (2016). Fossil capital: The rise of steam-power and the roots of global warming. Verso.

Marcuse, H. (1964). One-dimensional man: Studies in the ideology of advanced industrial society. Beacon Press.

Marx, K. (1964). Economic and philosophic manuscripts of 1844 (M. Milligan, Trans.). International Publishers. (Original work published 1844)

Meszaros, I. (1970). Marx’s theory of alienation. Merlin Press.

Moore, J. W. (2015). Capitalism in the web of life: Ecology and the accumulation of capital. Verso.

Ollman, B. (1976). Alienation: Marx’s conception of man in capitalist society. Cambridge University Press.

Srnicek, N. (2017). Platform capitalism. Polity Press.

Vogel, L. (2013). Marxism and the oppression of women: Toward a unitary theory. Brill.

Wright, E. O. (2010). Envisioning real utopias. Verso.

The course will be held in English

There are no formal prerequisites for this course. However, students will benefit from prior exposure to introductory courses in philosophy, sociology, or political theory, as these provide useful conceptual foundations. Those without such background are still encouraged to enroll and will receive guidance and recommended preparatory readings to help them engage effectively with the material.