Creative Activity and Alienation in Hegel and Marx

Abstract

For Marx work is the fundamental and central activity in human life and, potentially at least, a fulfilling and liberating activity. Although this view is implicit throughout Marx’s work, there is little explicit explanation or defence of it. The fullest treatment is in the account of ‘estranged labour’ [entfremdete Arbeit] in the Economic and Philosophical Manuscripts (Marx, 1975e)¹; but even there Marx does not set out his philosophical assumptions at length. For an understanding of these one must turn to Hegel. Marx is quite explicit about his debt to Hegel in this respect.