Final answer:
Alienation is a concept discussed by Karl Marx in relation to modern industrial societies, referring to the feeling of disconnection and lack of control in work and relationships. In non-industrial societies, people had more control over their labor and lifestyle, reducing alienation.
Step-by-step explanation:
Alienation is a concept discussed by Karl Marx in relation to modern industrial societies. It refers to the feeling of disconnection and lack of control that individuals experience in their work and relationship with others. In non-industrial societies, such as feudal societies, individuals had more control over their labor and lifestyles, which reduced the level of alienation. For example, in feudal societies, people had more control over when and how they performed their labor, whereas in industrial societies, workers often have little control over the conditions and products of their labor.
Marx believed that alienation was a consequence of the capitalist system, where workers do not own the means of production and are treated as commodities by the bourgeoisie. Workers are alienated from the process and the product of their labor, as well as from themselves and others. This alienation prevents the modern working class from rising up and rebelling against the capitalist system, as Marx predicted would happen.