Nowadays alienation is naturally discussed as an existential condition of human beings, but in the 20th century, a strong Marxist current claimed alienation to be implied by capitalism, in particular by private property and the social division of labor. Alienation should therefore be criticized as part of the critique of capitalism and political economy, and might therefore also possibly be overcome. Today, under the hegemony of neo-liberal capitalism, the basic logic of Marx’s idea of alienation is more relevant than ever, having, as is argued in this book, critical social as well as constructive pedagogical and political potential.
The alienation generated in modern capitalist societies has a corrosive effect on social cohesion and democratic deliberation. This thesis stresses the importance of citizenship education in combating alienation in order to achieve a democratic and just society. Insights provided by Critical Theory suggest that education promoting social democratic citizenship may overcome social alienation if it is practiced as Bildung in a comprehensive sense and administered with the right dose of political economic alienation. To develop this argument, the thesis considers both classical and contemporary conceptions of alienation in detail and includes in-depth discussions of Hegel, Marx, Marcuse, and Habermas.