Karl Marx on Technology and Alienation

263 Pages·2009·1.01 MB·English

by  Amy Wendling

Karl Marx on Technology and Alienation
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Karl Marx on Technology
and Alienation
Amy E. Wendling
CreightonUniversity
©AmyE.Wendling2009
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Wendling,AmyE.,1976–
KarlMarxontechnologyandalienation/AmyEWendling.
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ISBN-13:978–0–230–22440–7(hardback)
ISBN-10:0–230–22440–7(hardback)
1. Marx,Karl,1818–1883. 2. Technology—Philosophy

3. Alienation(Philosophy) I. Title.
B3305.M74W452009
335.4(cid:2)1—dc22
2008046488
10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1
18 17 16 15 14 13 12 11 10 09
PrintedandboundinGreatBritainby
CPIAntonyRowe,ChippenhamandEastbourne
To the memory of my father, Neil Arthur Wendling
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Contents
Acknowledgments ix
Introduction 1
1 KarlMarx’sConceptofAlienation 13
I Objectification,alienation,andestrangement:on
Marx’sHegelianinheritance 14
II Otheroriginsof“alienation”and“objectification” 24
III Marx’saccountofalienation:fromearlytolate 37
IV Thealienatedobjectofproduction:commodity
fetishism 49
V Thealienatedmeansofproduction:machine
fetishism 55
2 MachinesandtheTransformationofWork 61
I Marx’senergeticistturn 66
II Thefirstlawofthermodynamics:Kraft,Stoff,andthe
discourseofenergetics 71
III FromArbeittoArbeitskraft:Marx’stransformationof
workfromself-actualizationtoenergyexpenditure 82
IV Thesecondlawofthermodynamics:entropy,theheat
deathoftheuniverse,andrevolution 88
3 MachinesintheCommunistFuture 93
I Technologyandtheboundariesofnature 93
II Materialwealthandvalue:theGrundrisse’s
“FragmentonMachines” 98
III Thestrifebetweentechnologyandcapital:
thefallintherateofprofit 105
IV Enjoymentnotvalue:challengingthecapitalist
logicofexhaustion 108
vii
viii Contents
V Manhimselfasfixedcapital:thesymbiosisofhuman
andmachineintheproductionofmaterialwealth 117
VI Classkinshipandtheredistributionof
themeansofproduction 121
4 MachinesintheCapitalistReality 128
I Betweenthermodynamicsandhumanism:
approachingCapital 128
II Machineryasanhistoricalcategoryofproduction 136
III Machines,trains,andothercapitalistmonsters 145
IV Rough,foul-mouthedboys:women’smonstrous
laboringbodies 155
V Wagelaborandrace 159
VI Wagelaborandsexuality 164
VII Machineryandrevolution 168
5 AlienationBeyondMarx 174
I ScienceandtechnologyinMarx’sexcerptnotebooks 178
II KarlMarxandCharlesBabbage:thespeedof
productionintheEconomicManuscriptsof1861–1863 182
III Machinesandtemporality:thetreadmill
effectandfreetime 192
IV Technophobiaandtechnophilia 199
V Technophobiaandtwentieth-centurytheory 206
Notes 213
References 233
Index 240
Acknowledgments
This book has been greatly enriched in scope and detail, thanks to the
timeIhavespent,overaperiodofyears,attheKarlMarxarchivesand
research centers in Amsterdam and Berlin. I am grateful to the Inter-
nationalDissertationFieldResearchFellowshipProgram—sponsoredby
the Social Science Research Council in partnership with the American
CouncilofLearnedSocietieswithfundingfromtheAndrewW.Mellon
Foundation—fortheirsupportofresearchinbothEuropeancapitalsin
2003and2004.IamalsogratefultoaJ.WilliamFulbrightScholarship
thatallowedmetospendninemonthsinAmsterdamin2003and2004.
Finally, I am grateful for a Summer Faculty Fellowship from Creighton
UniversitythatsentmetoBerlin,inthesummerof2008,togivethefini-
shingtouchestotheproject.WhileabroadinAmsterdam,myresearch
wasaidedbyFredSchraderandGoetzLankau,andinBerlin,itwasaided
byRolfHecker.
I spent many years in State College, Pennsylvania, at The
Pennsylvania State University, where my mentor Dan Conway read
multiple drafts of this work from its inception. I also benefited from
thegenerousreadershipofmydissertationcommittee,includingEmily
Grosholz, Shannon Sullivan, Mitchell Aboulafia, Nancy Tuana, and
Susan Squier. The years would not have been as pleasant without
the intellectual camaraderie of Al Lingis, Rick Lee, Claire Katz, Carl
Mitcham, Vincent Colapietro, Will Roberts, Hasana Sharp, Sara Brill,
LeighJohnson,MichaelBrayandBrianArmstrong.
Whilewritingthebook,IalsospentayearinAustin,Texas,atSouth-
westernUniversity,myalmamater,atthehomeofmyfirstphilosophy
teacher,ShannonWinnubst.Shannon’squickmindandsharpwitmake
herthemostpreciousofphilosophicalinterlocutors.
All of my colleagues in the Philosophy Department at Creighton
Universityhavemadeitawarmandwelcomingscholarlyhome.Patrick
Murray and Jeanne Schuler share my love for Marx, and I treasure our
scholarly exchanges. I am also grateful to Gene Selk, Elizabeth Cooke,
William Stephens, Dick White, and Peggy Troy for their help on this
project.
Inaddition,IwishtothankDavidJ.Estrinforhiseditorialassistance
inthefinalstagesoftheproject.
ix