Alienation, Freedom, and Economic Organization

Abstract

This paper discusses the classical liberal doctrine that capitalism is conducive to individual freedom in the light of the Marxian doctrine that capitalism causes alienation. It first examines the literature on alienation, attempting to develop a meaningful definition and elucidate its economic origins. It then considers whether the existence of alienation in a society is compatible with the maintenance of freedom. The conclusions do not bear on whether capitalism is a necessary condition for freedom. Rather, they attempt to clarify the limited circumstances under which the sufficient condition for freedom can be established.