Imagination and other thoughts

Is it the human being's capacity to imagine the end result of its labour that not just separates it from other species, but plays an important part in the worker's alienation in a capitalistic society based upon mass production and a well developed division of labour since s/he is unable to imagine and involve self in creativity in low skilled work.?

"Humanity relates to the physical world through labour; through labour humanity itself develops and labour is the source of human beings' relationships with each other. What happens to the process of work, therefore, has a decisive influence on the whole of society." (Found in writings by Judy Cox.)

Marx makes several points in the aforementioned passage:
1. Humanity develops through labour.
2. Our labour is our source of our relationships with one another.
3. Our society's work process directly affects each individual, family unit, and community and
its institutions.



In a feudal society, peasants were in possession of a good percentage of their labor, however in a capitalistic society, the worker is in possession of none (paraphrasing from Cox, Judy). This appears to address Dan's point as he explained Marx's worker alienation viewpoint. I'll address this tomorrow in greater depth.

I don't want to lose a few thoughts I gathered since yesterday. Is today's work-world comparable, and in what ways and to what extent, to Marx's burgeoning IR world? It is to some degree, but what degree? If small businesses make up most of the employment in our job market, how is alienation part of this? What assumptions or variables have remained constant that continue to create or produce the alienation Marx saw? Is the system the same. What percentage of the population then and now feel alienation and estrangement? It seems that in today's world, if we use Marx's observations and logic as a foundation, then about 95% of the population fits in the category susceptible or experiencing alienation.

There are some who believe that out-sourcing is good for the US job market; actually developing more specialized and skilled positions in the job market. Remind me who these persons are and their theory and supporting facts for the position.

With respect to bondage, we'll have to discuss this.

I understand Marx's point when he postulates that labour is external to the worker; it is not a part of his essential being; it does not affirm but denies himself as a human, devouring his mind and spirit. But, does the worker realize this? Can the worker explain this? Or, does the worker actually feel good about the work, or simply has s/he been convinced that s/he feels good about work, no matter how mind-numbing it might be to her/him or you or me. Marx is certainly, once again, insightful when he maintains that it is in fact forced labour not satisfying a need; instead, "merely a means to satisfy needs external to it". (paraphrased from Marx) Certainly, I believe, many workers across our nation would agree with his contention that labour can be an exercise in self-sacrifice, at the worker's expense; that the worker is owned by some external entity; that when a worker's needs are met, the labour may cease since it is not for the worker; that the labour and therefore s/her does not belong to her/himself, "but to another". (paraphrased from Marx)

Once again, Marx makes a salient point in writing about life-activity. Intentional or conscious life-activity, is not just to maintain or sustain life...it is "the life of the species" and "the character of a species is contained in the character of its life-activity". He notes the importance of "free and conscious activity" as well. We should not lose sight of the use of the word "free". Without this aspect, we do not define or recognize the species accurately. We use free vis-a-vis will and conscious decision-making and behavior/activity, and differentiate ourself from other animals (Marx). Given that man is able to think about what he is thinking and contemplate his being and existence itself, man produces independent of physical need as well. Perhaps Marx meant that when labour subverts the relationship between man's object of production and his creativity and freedom, the individual is removed from the essence of the species.

A some present day employers aware of some of the pitfalls of mass production, bureaucratization, and capitalism that adversely affect workers? If so, how do these employers adjust to diminish worker alienation? Are they limited in what they can do in the context of the system? If so, how and why? How deliberate are they in their adjustments?