Abstract

This critical review proposes that Lacan’s concept of alienation has little relevance to Marx’s notion of estrangement of labor and in fact depoliticizes it. Proceeding from a position that is not unsympathetic to poststructuralist theory, the author finds fault with Lacanian structuralism and particularly enlisting the help of Durkheim in attempting to enrich Marx’s psychology. While the author credits professors Worrell and Krier for attempting to take their critique of Marx to a more contemporary theoretical level, one which can potentially have value, he nevertheless sees the use of Lacan and Durkheim to rescue Marx as inappropriate, problematic, and a rejection of Marx’s humanistic understanding of human relations as well as an unsupported dismissal of his notion of alienation based on human and material commodification.

Keywords

Alienation, Lacan, poststructuralism, structuralism

From: Critical Sociology 2018 44 (2)

Editor: Wang Yi