A novel account of animal alienation

Marx’s concept of alienation, as described in the Economic and Philosophic Manuscripts of 1844 , offers a striking parallel to the conditions faced by animals in modern industrial agriculture. Just as workers in Marx’s time were oppressed by alienating working conditions, many animals today are similarly subjected to degrading conditions in agricultural systems. However, applying Marx’s theory of alienation to animals is not without difficulty. Marx’s framework traditionally places a strong distinction between humanity and animality, suggesting that alienation involves the loss of one’s human essence. This creates a challenge when trying to extend his theory to non-human animals. I propose a conception of alienation that takes animals to be limited while alienated, without conceiving of this reduction as a reduction from humanity to animality. I elaborate upon a core theme of alienation, that being alienated involves having one’s efforts systematically turned against oneself. Finally, I argue that having a sense of alienation is not a necessary condition of being alienated. Rather, a sense of alienation is a characteristic response to the circumstances of alienation.