According to Karl Marx, why do workers in a capitalist economy experience alienation?

• A. Because workers are encouraged to pursue creative self-expression in their jobs
• B. Because workers are part owners of the means of production and share profits equally
• C. Because workers are separated from the products of their labor and lack control over the production process
• D. Because workers receive high wages and have significant influence over management decisions

Answer: (C)

Verified step by step guidance

1. Understand the concept of alienation as described by Karl Marx, which refers to the estrangement or separation workers feel in a capitalist system.
2. Recognize that Marx argued workers do not own the means of production (factories, tools, etc.) and therefore have little control over the work process or the products they create.
3. Identify that this lack of control leads to workers feeling disconnected from the products of their labor, as these products are owned and sold by capitalists, not the workers themselves.
4. Note that this alienation also extends to the work activity itself, where labor becomes a means to an end (earning wages) rather than a fulfilling or creative process.
5. Conclude that the correct explanation for workers' alienation in capitalism is their separation from the products of their labor and lack of control over the production process.