võõrastumis

Võõrastumine, a concept originating from Marxist philosophy, describes the estrangement of individuals from the products of their labor, from the process of their labor, from their own human nature, and from other people. In essence, it is a feeling of alienation that arises within capitalist societies where work is often reduced to a repetitive, unfulfilling task performed for wages rather than for intrinsic satisfaction or the benefit of the community.

Karl Marx identified four key aspects of võõrastumine. Firstly, workers become alienated from the products they create, as these commodities are owned and sold by capitalists, not by the workers themselves. Secondly, the process of labor becomes alienating because workers have little control over how their work is done; it is often dictated by machines and management, reducing them to mere cogs in a larger system. Thirdly, individuals are estranged from their "species-being," their essential human nature, which Marx believed was characterized by free, creative activity. When labor is forced and uncreative, this essential nature is suppressed. Finally, võõrastumine leads to social alienation, as competition and class divisions foster mistrust and estrangement between people, replacing genuine human connection with instrumental relationships. This state of detachment can have profound psychological and social consequences for individuals and society as a whole.