Alienation

An introduction to Marx’s theory

Dan Swain, Bookmarks, 112 pages, paperback, £5

Shortlisted for the Bread and Roses Prize for radical publishing, this book is an accessible guide to one of Marx’s key concepts.

We live in a world in which human capacity to transform and control our lives has never been greater. Yet for most people, the world is radically outside of their control.

This is the phenomenon of alienation that the young radical Karl Marx began to diagnose in the early 1840s and remained pre-occupied with throughout his life. As he analysed the system of capitalist production, he identified the profound social, physical and mental ills that it creates.

This guide charts the development of the concept of alienation from the Enlightenment onwards. It shows the continuing relevance of it in a world shaped by climate change and economic crisis.

Crucially, it reminds us that, for Marx, the point of studying capitalist production was precisely to understand how to free human beings from its tyranny.

Today, when the demands of the market dictate austerity programmes across the globe, when millions face unemployment and poverty, and when trade union rights are under attack, this book is a must-read for those wanting to organise and fight back.

Reviews contributed by the Bookmarks socialist bookshop. Order online at www.bookmarksbookshop.co.uk