Question

What do Marx and Engels mean by commodification and alienation? In what respects, if any, do you think Marx's and Engels's indictment of capitalism applies today?

Answer 1

Answer:

Commodification occurs when something that used to have intrinsic value gradually develops a monetary value like water, or sunshine, or knowledge as an example.  Alienation is when you no longer realize that the product you make is the product of your own labor, like the factory workers who make T-shirts for Western consumers in China.  

Explanation:

Marx's and Engel's view of capitalism still seems relevant today because there are many examples of commodification in present-day society where more things are being valued in terms of money and there is little that is free or outside of the capitalist system. Like parks, and places to park your car, and even the lives and care of your pets.  Infants and children and all that is needed to care for them are also increasingly commodified. Alienation also occurs for many modern-day workers who work writing for websites for example, where the response is no longer the intellectual property of the actual author.  You can also argue that game designers and software engineers also experience a form of alienation from the programs they produce.