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The notion of man as a species-being for Marx meant the recognition of mans human essence as a member of a species. A species which takes part in a process of conscious production whereby we produce as human beings for one another; Marx perceived this to be the process of mans active species life (Bottomore; 1963). Marx specifically used the term species being as a method to distinguish human life from animal life; where production is more a consequence of blind instinct rather than conscious productive labour. The recognition of man as a species becomes eminent to the theory of Alienation, which is central to Marx's work and vital in reiterating the human essence of man. Alienation for Marx was a consequence of the conditions within systems of mutual production, which caused man to lose his identity as a species being and fall into an alienated state through the production of capital.
Subsequently, he became detached from his conscious life activity causing him to be detached from himself, from others and the product of his labour. Essentially man comes to lose all his traits that identify his recognition of himself as human, causing himself to become de-humanized (ibid. ). The main concern of this essay will be to adequately explain Marx's notion of man as a species being within the context of this notion of alienation, whilst providing an understanding of their place within the social construction of society, as Marx had intended. Initially I will touch upon the philosophical background of Hegel and Feuerbach that influenced the writings of Marx, showing the somewhat shift in Marx's approach from a philosophical background to a more economical and political interpretation of the conditions under which alienated labour occurred. The conditions which define mutual systems of production causing man to be alienated will be addressed, with specific reference to the relations within modes of production profound within a capitalist economy. An exploration of the political economy which Marx draws critique upon will finally be approached; proposing the elimination of private property as a means to overcome alienation, whilst also presenting ideas to progress the state into an economy where individuals acquire the product of there labour, an economy according to Marx under communism.
Marx's utilisation of the notion species being was initially addressed by Feuerbach whom developed the concept in his work on the religious consciousness of man in the Essence of Christianity (Bottomore; 1956). Feuerbach used the term in reference to every mans consciousness of a human essence whilst Marx interpreted the term to distinguish the social bias of this consciousness (Arthur, C; 1970). The distinction was laid out in the conscious behavioural differences between humans and animals; humans having the capacity to produce for others in their recognition as a member of a species, whilst animals remain confined to the object of there own existence (Bottomore; 1956). This thesis laid its foundations very much in the spiritual nature of man as Feuerbach had intended. Hegel's influence on Marx held more primacy, in that much of Marxist thought stemmed from that of the young Hegelians. Hegel suggests that the alienation of man, and his recognition of himself as a species being essentially lies in the capacity of mans consciousness, specifically mans estrangement from the objects of his labour through his species powers (Lukacs, G; 1938)...
The real, active orientation of man to himself as a species being, of his manifestation as a real species being (i. e. as a human being) is only possible by the utilisation of all the powers he has in himself and which are his as belonging to the species-something which in turn in only possible through the co-operative action of all mankind... , (cited in Lucas, G; 1938. pg 321: Marx. op. cit. , p. 197) From this Hegel did not perceive alienation as a negative existence for man, but on the contrary a state which through the appropriate conscious activity could be seen to induce mans progress as a species; an objective notion of spiritual alienation adopted by many young Hegelians (Enter, J 1985).
Marx acknowledged both philosophical notions of Hegel and Feuerbach and subsequently adopted the role of the economist as opposed to philosopher to expand these notions within the social construction of society. In his essay On the Jewish Question Marx placed an importance on mans recognition of himself as a species being and this is how Marx contemplates his notion of the perfect political state - a state of political emancipation; the final form of human emancipation. A state where capital is not the sole means of existence detaching man from his humanization as a species-being, thus sustaining the alienation of mankind (Arthur, C; 1970). The loss of ones realisation as a species-being is therefore a consequence of mans alienated state, thus causing mans detachment from his conscious life activity as a member of the human species.
This subsequently impedes mans capacity to become humanized as an individual, alternatively he is left de-humanized at the loss of his species-being. Now what is required is a coherent dissection of the spheres through which alienation occurs and is sustained through the use of man as a commodity, or as Marx more specifically states a miserable commodity (Collect, L; 1975) in order to conceptualize mans profit maximizing utility within society and the possibility of this alienation to become eliminated, returning man to his natural state. Marx observed man within a capitalist state where he has become a vital means of producing capital through his labour. Man no longer exercises his essence as a species-being in productive labour for the good of others, but on the contrary, he becomes detached from his essence and the product of his labour is abstracted as a means to produce for the sake of capital. In this sense man becomes reduced to nothing but a machine; the more capital the product of his labour acquires, the more the worker will be encouraged to produce through the influence of wages. The appeal of this profit for the worker sustains his alienated state by further sacrificing his body and spirit for the sake of his wages; ...
the more they want to earn the more they must sacrifice their time and perform slave labour in which their freedom is totally alienated in the service of avarice... (Bottomore; 1963, pg 71) So essentially the increase in production and specifically the power of mans product of his labour suppresses him further into an alienated state at the cost of his humanity. His fulfillment at work is minimal; on the contrary he is miserable and survives only as a means to produce capital. The worker remains detached from the product of his labour and produces only wages in an attempt to prosper in the same way as the capitalist seeks to prosper only the prosperity of the capitalist ascends at a higher level through the exploitation of the worker. (ibid). From here competition becomes almost predictable as another condition accentuating the alienation of the worker. As the greed of the capitalist grows and the productive value of the object of production increases, the relationship the worker has with the product of his labour deteriorates.
As Marx states in his First Manuscript on Alienated Labour, the more value he creates, the more worthless he becomes. the more civilized the product, the more b...
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