num_pages: 176
description: In light of events of the late 80's &amp; early 90's, some naively suppose that capitalism has emerged victorious over communism, &amp; hence that the former is practically &amp; philosophically justified by its historical dominance. Even so-called "analytical Marxists" argue that in his later works Marx abandons an earlier humanistic perspective &amp; with it his conception of alienation. Is Francis Fukuyama correct to assert that we now have a glimpse of "the end of history," given that capitalism has seemingly triumphed over its alternatives? Some authors, such as David Schweickart, answer with a resounding, no. He is adamant that, "getting beyond capitalism is the best hope for our species." Altho he does his best to offer an alternative to contemporary capitalism, his model is fraught with difficulties &amp; doesn't answer the question of the application of Marx's alienation theory to contemporary society.  This book argues that Marx doesn't abandon the alienation concept. Contrary to analytical Marxists &amp; pro-capitalists, its application remains relevant to the world economy. This account analyses four fundamental manifestations of the corrosive nature of American-style capitalism: excessive consumerism, negative globalization effects, cruel economic inequalities between persons &amp; a deep "irrational exuberance" intensifying our interaction in the material world (from the pace of our work-lives to our relation to the environment). Padgett argues that new forms of these four traditional aspects of alienation are still present in our world, &amp; hence that Marx's analyses of negative aspects of capitalism are still widely relevant.
language: English
title: Marx and Alienation in Contemporary Society
titlecomplete: Marx and Alienation in Contemporary Society
publisher: Continuum