A New Perspective on Marx's Theory of Alienation and Human Creativity

By Erik Abrahamsson on June 26, 2024

Karl Marx's insights into human nature and alienation remain profoundly relevant today. His early writings described a human nature fundamentally at odds with the capitalistic system because their creative ability came into the possession of others. Marx's ideas highlighted the disconnection individuals felt from their labor, their products, and ultimately themselves.

The new understanding of human development, as discussed in my previous articles, sheds new light on creativity and alienation. Throughout evolution, tools and technology helped humans establish themselves in environments where they were not biologically adapted. Intertwined with our evolution, tools and technology have significantly shaped our creative ability. This adaptation led to significant brain development, enabling us to imitate and reproduce behaviors; and in situations of big changes make us able to invent. Tools changed our hands, particularly the thumb grip, and enhanced qualities such as increased working memory, spatial cognition, and improved coordination and dexterity.

Additionally, it spurred the development of language, which originally was structured behavior and what we can describe as embodied culture. In this text, I will explore the foundations of human creation and see what we can learn about alienation from a modern perspective. How does our evolutionary journey illuminate the causes of alienation in today's world?

Creation as a Mental Process

Creation is fundamentally a mental process where an image or idea from the mind is projected onto external reality. When humans create, we transfer a mental image onto reality, projecting a part of ourselves onto the material world. This process of creation is not only about material production but also about expressing and shaping human identity, culture, and mind. Creation is inherently a spiritual act, where the materialization of mental images connects us deeply with our inner selves and the universe around us.

This understanding is central to comprehending how humans have historically used language and tools in a way that does not distinguish between body and mind. This unity reflects a state where language and tool use were inseparable, representing a holistic way of interacting with the world. Early Homo sapiens were remarkably stable and conservative in their tools and material culture, with no evidence of art or symbolic representation for more than half of their existence. This suggests that their interaction with the world was primarily practical and utilitarian, rather than expressive or decorative.

This unity is also reflected in nearly all mythologies that describe an original undifferentiated state where humans and nature were inseparable. In other words, the human brain fostered a sense of connectivity enabled through our mind-tool relationship with the world. This holistic interaction with our environment highlights the deep-rooted integration of cognitive and physical processes in human development.

The neuroscientist Michael Arbib and the paleoanthropologist André Leroi-Gourhan have both contributed to our understanding of this connection. Arbib has explored how grasping for material objects and the role of mirror neurons laid the foundation for what later became language as we know it today (Arbib, 2012). Arbib also claims that human language arose in a different part of the brain than the so-called primate calls. Leroi-Gourhan, on the other hand, has highlighted the role of technology as a kind of "membrane" that mediates the relationship between humans and their surroundings, demonstrating the deeply integrated role of technology in human culture and cognitive development (Leroi-Gourhan, 1993).

Marx's Philosophy of Creation and Alienation

Karl Marx saw humans as creative beings who actively reshaped the world around them, constantly interacting with their environment. Our new understanding of evolution and creation provides a fresh and solid foundation for Marx's thinking about human nature and alienation. The insight that language and tool use were intertwined from the beginning reveals the profound nature of creation—it is not just a reflection of the inner world but also a way to physically and actively shape our environment. There is an intricate interplay between human creation and the environment, each influencing and transforming the other, which in turn contributes to societal change and change of mind.

Marx recognized that when humans' creative power is taken from them and transformed into something alien and unknown, it leads to deep alienation (Marx, 1959). It is not just that everything becomes a commodity in capitalism; it is that we lose a part of ourselves when our work—our materialized self—is taken from us. According to Marx, when we create, a part of our soul is materialized in the product. When this product, this piece of our soul, does not belong to us but to someone else through private property regulations and monetary transactions, something in us is lost. Marx originally philosophized about this, describing how this deprivation makes the individual feel alienated from the products of their own labor and ultimately from themselves. This separation is deeply harmful to both individual well-being and the health of society at large. In this stage, people function only in their most basic physiological capacities, devoid of soul, creativity, and happiness.

Originally, this creation involved monotonous repetitive movements that did not include symbols. However, during the cognitive revolution, which occurred between 50,000 and 75,000 years ago, language became unrestrained and started to incorporate symbols, transforming the way humans thought and created. Despite this transformation, creation has always remained fundamentally a spiritual practice. It has always been a way to reconnect with the original sense of connectivity and unity of body and soul.

The Body as Master of the Brain

Recent research offers new insights into Karl Marx's ideas on alienation. Guy Claxton, a psychologist and cognitive scientist, has challenged the conventional view of the brain as the primary controller of human activity. He posits that the brain should be seen as a servant to the body, emphasizing the crucial role of physical interaction in cognitive processes (Claxton, 2015). This perspective highlights the importance of bodily experiences and actions in our cognitive development and creative expression, a concept that is increasingly acknowledged in the field of embodied cognition.

Claxton also argues that a significant part of our thinking resides in our hands. Monotonous creation, such as crafting or art, can calm and focus the mind. This process involves a dialogue between mind and matter, where mental concepts are projected and transformed through physical actions. This idea supports Marx's view that labor, when aligned with one's essence, becomes a source of fulfillment.

Living with Material Technology

The influential anthropologists Marshall Sahlins has posited that traditional and indigenous peoples often lead lives of relative abundance and satisfaction through their deep integration with their material environment (Sahlins, 1972). This idea challenges modern assumptions about material wealth and fulfillment, suggesting that human well-being is closely tied to a harmonious relationship with one's surroundings. All traditional peoples have more or less created their own material world, embodying a symbiotic relationship with their environment that fosters both sustainability and contentment.

The Bajau Laut people are a modern example of a group that still lives this way today. They exemplify how deeply satisfying it can be to live in harmony with one's material technology. By directly creating their world through interactions with their environment, they demonstrate a way of life where technology and the environment are not foreign or separate from daily human life but rather an integrated part of it. Much of what they use in their daily lives, such as boats, fishing gear, goggles, and even their houses, are created with their own hands.

This form of direct engagement in creating and shaping one's world is reflected in various indigenous and traditional societies worldwide and is central to human fulfillment. The practice of crafting and using tools that are intimately connected to their environment not only meets practical needs but also reinforces a profound sense of identity and purpose. By examining the lifestyles of the Bajau Laut and other indigenous groups, we gain insight into the essential human drive to create and the deep satisfaction derived from living in harmony with the material world.

The Abundance of Soul in Capitalism

Marx also briefly touched on the alienation that capitalists themselves experience, who, despite accumulating wealth, lose touch with their human nature. In a capitalist framework, everything, including creativity and human interactions, becomes a means to an end, breaking the fundamental connections with the natural world, community, and oneself. The purpose of existence, which once involved meaningful engagement and fulfilment, is overshadowed by the relentless pursuit of wealth. This detachment creates an insatiable state of lack, revealing a profound societal alienation.

In such a society, our lives become tools for accumulation. The primary role is to accumulate money, which can be transformed into anything, giving it a powerful allure. This drive shifts our existence towards the relentless pursuit of wealth, energy, and material gains, transforming our very essence into different forms of capital. This can lead to an overwhelming abundance of 'soul'—the materialized product of others' hard work and alienation. However, this influx of material wealth and success does not satisfy; instead, it exacerbates the sense of emptiness and detachment.

As we become overwhelmed by this materialized soul, alienation also arises among the privileged, leading to an insatiable desire for more. This craving for more is starkly visible in Silicon Valley, where many tech entrepreneurs are now pursuing projects to unlock eternal life. This illustrates the complex and pervasive nature of alienation in modern capitalist society, where life becomes a tool for accumulation, and an abundance of material wealth fuels a deeper void.

Conclusion

Our exploration into the foundations of human creation, drawing from the perspectives of early Homo sapiens, Karl Marx, and indigenous peoples, reveals that reconnecting with our creative and spiritual essence is essential for overcoming alienation. The capitalist system's relentless pursuit of wealth and commodification of life leads to a profound sense of disconnection and emptiness. This alienation affects not only workers but also capitalists, who remain estranged from their human nature despite their material success.

The earliest Homo sapiens were guided by their bodily experiences, which formed a kind of embodied culture and a deeply spiritual experience, where doing and thinking were inseparable from both hand and mind. This historical perspective shows that human creation and physical interaction have always been intertwined, providing a sense of unity and fulfillment that is often missing in modern capitalist societies.

We see this clearly in Silicon Valley, where the quest for more inventions and transcending human limits seems insatiable. Here, people are even pursuing projects to unlock eternal life, which is a profound sign of alienation. To counteract this, we must embrace the inherent satisfaction found in simplicity and monotonous creative expression. Indigenous peoples exemplify living in harmony with their material environment, fostering both sustainability and contentment.

Through the act of creation—whether through art or crafting—we engage in a meaningful dialogue with the world, connecting the spiritual and physical realms and allowing for genuine self-expression. Indigenous cultures, in particular, demonstrate the deep fulfillment that comes from integrating creative practices with everyday life, highlighting the importance of this balance.

Ultimately, we must recognize the limits of our needs and the futility of overindulgence. The constant striving for more only deepens the void within us. By choosing to be satisfied with less and focusing on reconnecting with our creative and spiritual roots, we can find true fulfillment and mitigate the alienation pervasive in modern society. Embracing a simpler, more connected way of living, as seen in indigenous cultures, offers a path to overcoming the deep-seated disconnection that capitalism perpetuates.

The ultimate alienation will not lead to the end of death; rather, it will lead to our dissolution.

References

Arbib, Michael. "How the Brain Got Language: The Mirror System Hypothesis." Oxford University Press, 2012.

Leroi-Gourhan, André. "Gesture and Speech." MIT Press, 1993.

Claxton, Guy. "Intelligence in the Flesh: Why Your Mind Needs Your Body Much More Than It Thinks." Yale University Press, 2015.

Sahlins, Marshall. "Stone Age Economics." Aldine-Atherton, 1972.