A note from Marx

There is something that I find to be genuinely inspiring in the young Marx' theory of alienated work. Here is one quote that is spot-on.

"My work would be a free expression of my life, and therefore a free enjoyment of my life. Presupposing private property, my work is an alienation of my life, because I work in order to live, to furnish myself with the means of living. My work is not my life. […] Presupposing private property, my individuality is so far externalized that I hate my activity; it is a torment to me and only the appearance of an activity and thus also merely a forced activity that is laid upon me through an exterior, arbitrary need, not an inner and necessary one." (From "On James Mill")

Someone who is hostile to Marx will contend that he takes man's life to be work, production, the relations of production. I'm not sure about that. I think "my work is not my life" means that my job, in a certain sense, is an occupation in which I am dead to the world, dead to myself, and dead to other people. Some people would say that this is what life should be. Torment, sacrifice, loss of self, an activity that is laid upon me. I am inclined to think that the idea that work is "character building" is always essentially connected with alienation. Glorification of externality, force and meaninglessness. I have a theory. Self-help books, management theories, "well-being at work" is methodism adapted to the raunchy capitalism of our days. We don't talk so much about the bloody sacrifice of Jesus, instead we have competence portfolios, stress management and five steps towards personal development. Submit yourself to the bloody sacrifice --- of flexibility, endless "development" and "competition".

Marx advocates that the political economy creates ascetic slaves. And now: ascetic slaves (submission!) at work - consumer slaves at home.