When Love Is Alien
Is capitalism an impediment to love in the 21st century?
German economist Karl Marx is best known for his critiques of capitalism, not his assessments of love — he offered no labour theory of love, just a labour theory of value.
However, Marx’s critiques were deeply rooted in the impact capitalism had on the human condition. He suggested that capitalist society turned individuals into cogs in a machine, living only to serve the economic structure in which they resided and, in the process, lost much of their own self — becoming “alien” to their true nature.
This sentiment is summed up well by Ewan Macgregor’s opening monologue in the film Trainspotting: “Choose a job. Choose a career. Choose a family. Choose a fucking big television. Choose washing machines, cars, compact disc players and electrical tin openers. Choose good health, low cholesterol, and dental insurance. Choose fixed-interest mortgage repayments. Choose a starter home…”
Highlighted here is the fact that much of “life” in a capitalist society is centred around the rat race of career growth and the material objects we can acquire along the way — of which many individuals derive their value and identity. Connecting with your inner self, family, nature and community plays little role in this…
