Final answer:
Alienated or estranged labor is a concept by Karl Marx describing the detachment of workers from various aspects of their work and selves, with the most extreme form being the reduction of workers to commodities in the production process.
Step-by-step explanation:
Alienated or estranged labor is a concept developed by Karl Marx which refers to the separation of workers from the products of their labor, the labor process, their fellow workers, and their own self. According to Marx, the most extreme form of alienated labor occurs when workers become mere commodities themselves; their work is reduced to repetitive, meaningless tasks within an industrial production system controlled by the bourgeoisie.
Workers who were previously engaged in creative and fulfilling tasks, like the furniture makers in the village, experience deep alienation when they move to a factory setting. There, they are responsible for a tiny portion of a product's creation, which strips away their sense of accomplishment and pride. They face alienation from the product of their labor since they have no say in what the final product looks like or how it is used. Moreover, they undergo alienation from the process of their labor, having no control over the work conditions or creative input. What once was a passionate occupation becomes a monotonous activity dictated by the needs of capital.
Furthermore, there is the alienation from others, where competition replaces cooperation among workers, fostering an environment of hostility and insecurity. Lastly, there is the alienation from one's self, where workers are reduced to their labor power, losing the ability to define themselves outside their role in the production process.
Marxist theory argues that these forms of alienation are still prevalent today. Workers might not see the full significance of their labor or may be working in conditions that stifle individuality and creativity, reinforcing the perpetual cycle of alienation.