Capitalism by Marx Essay

In capitalism, industrialization was a core mechanism of economic development and further progress, thus every economic process and forms of production required things to be made faster and cheaper. In the 19th and 20th centuries capitalism implemented the major forms of industrialization and specific modes of machinery production throughout much of the world and the use of labor power became a commodity under capitalism. Some critiques of the function of economy and economic processes under capitalism, including Marx, viewed capitalism as a powerful progressive force which, in any case, would cease its development and decline because of the internal contradictions. For Marx, capitalism was no more than a progressive step forward, an essential stage in economic development, which finally would be destroyed and followed by socialism. Marx argued that capitalism negatively affects workers’ nature, social development, and contradicts with the principles of production in society. These internal contradictions reflected the real essence of the great number of economic issues under capitalism where the rich people and owners of production processes did not work; they just controlled the “means of production”, gained maximum profits, and increased personal income. Marx showed that the function of enterprise and exchange under capitalism just enriches the owners of capital, exploits the workers, restricts human freedom, and increases the process of automatic accumulation of wealth (where “the rich get richer, the poor get poorer”), which causes social condition for political revolution that eventually would destroy all the possible concepts and strategies of capitalism.

Marx was the first among those who explained how capitalism functions and devoted much work and energy explaining the process of alienation. Marx viewed commodity as an item or a product which core goal is to satisfy human needs and desires. He explained that the function of enterprise and exchange under capitalism reduces workers’ influence on the process of production to the status of commodities. Society transformed into the process where “the worker sinks to the level of a commodity, and moreover the most wretched commodity of all” (Marx, 1844, p. 1). People completely changed and modified the laws and the language of economy. The laws of political economy under capitalism transformed the workers’ lands into plants and factories, employees became a part of the production process, and they were seen not as workers but as capital. Political economy under capitalism continued to transform workers into “bought-sold objects”, reduced their value, limited their power and influence on the production process. People began to produce a number of things and items not for personal use but for the use of other individuals to satisfy their needs and desires. The difference between workers disappeared and now they lived in a deeply divided society of two classes of “property owners and propertyless workers” (Marx, 1844, p. 1). Marx had been devoted much work and affords explaining the process of alienation. He showed that “the worker is related to the product of labour as to an alien object” (Marx, 1844, p. 2) and “the more the worker exerts himself in his work, the more powerful the alien, objective world becomes which he brings into being over against himself, the poorer he and his inner world become, and the less they belong to him” (p. 2). In other words, Marx argued that capitalism causes us to be “alienated” from the product and the process of our labor, from our species, and from our own higher human capacities. Alienation from the product and the process of our labor means that the thing or items people produce do not belong to them; the only thing that matters is payment for their work. Workers became disconnected from their work; they started to produce goods and items for production and not mean of life. Workers became alienated from their own productive activity, which negatively affected their abilities and repressed humans’ nature. Alienation from our species means that people are losing those qualities that really make them human beings, qualities that distinguish them from other species (for example, collaboration, creativity, and engagement in free, conscious work process). Marx explained that alienated labor limits human abilities, reduces their work potential, and leads human beings to the level of animals. Alienation from our own human higher capacities means that people are losing an opportunity to practice their own skills and abilities, their knowledge, strengths, and intelligence. The worker transforms into the state where he “feels miserable and not happy, does not develop free mental and physical energy, but mortifies his flesh and ruins his mind” (p. 3).

In conclusion, Marx was absolutely right in his analysis of capitalism, a system that required mass involvement, limited workers’ potential, and contracted human nature. His analysis suggests that capitalism is not so consistent with democracy, a form of radical individualism, which in its turn requires the function of the individual rather than the community as a whole. On the one side, Marx viewed capitalism as a progressive step forward, a mechanism that keeps society functioning as whole. On the other side, Marx showed that capitalism causes people to become more alienated from their product, the process of their labor, their species, and their own human higher capacities. Marx viewed work process as a core and essential mechanism in human development which satisfies people’s nature and fulfills their potential. When workers become alienated from the production process, they become alienated from themselves. Capitalism has implemented wealth and technology but at the same time it contradicts human nature and reduces workers’ abilities. But today, the solution is not to analyze the past but to realize the present potential that is available to humanity. 

Works cited:

Marx, Karl. “Economic and Philosophical Manuscripts of 1844”. 1844.  

Marx, Karl. Commodity Feminism. Capital Vol. 1. Honest Work: A Business Ethics Reader, edited by Joanne Ciulla, et al. oxford: Oxford University Press, 2007

The terms offer and acceptance. (2016, May 17). Retrieved from

[Accessed: March 29, 2024]

"The terms offer and acceptance." freeessays.club, 17 May 2016.

[Accessed: March 29, 2024]

freeessays.club (2016) The terms offer and acceptance [Online].
Available at:

[Accessed: March 29, 2024]

"The terms offer and acceptance." freeessays.club, 17 May 2016

[Accessed: March 29, 2024]

"The terms offer and acceptance." freeessays.club, 17 May 2016

[Accessed: March 29, 2024]

"The terms offer and acceptance." freeessays.club, 17 May 2016

[Accessed: March 29, 2024]

"The terms offer and acceptance." freeessays.club, 17 May 2016

[Accessed: March 29, 2024]
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