The Commentary Of Western Marxist Consumption Alienation Theory

Consumption alienation which is an important theory in Western Marxism is about thephenomenon, cause and solution of consumption dissimilation in modern society. It analysesthe problems in the development of modern society, and the environment of consumerism.Western Marxism philosophers have put forward Consumption Alienation Theory bycombining the observation of the society with the basic ideas of Marxism Theory. Theyillustrate the causes and harms of consumption alienation, and described the realistic situationof consumer society, then criticise the consumption alienation distorting human nature.This paper studies on the consumption alienation view of Western Marxism through theanalysis of the Consumption Alienation Theory proposed by western Marxism philosophers.Baudrillard has put forward that human are no longer surrounded by human but the material,and regraded by the material symbol. That is so terrible. Human has to work hard for theirown status and lose themselves to adapt to new social reality. And consumer alienationbecomes more serious for variou media intervention. Frome analyses the people’s innerchange in the consumption on the perspective of psychology. These disadvantageous changeshas gradually spreaded to the relationship of people, and affected their own positionaldevelopments. Marcuse proposed consumer alienation is the inevitable outcome of thedevelopment of industrial society. It shows that the welfare society makes rebelliousconsumers docile in the form of sugar-coated cannonballs, and completes the desire of rule.Although these ideas have limitations, they make a useful contribution to the analysis of thecapitalist society. Hierarchical social represented by symbols has constantly formed in thepeople’s idea. In this society, it is a disregard of human nature through grading people on howmany possessions they have. This paper expounds the basic theory of the consumptionalienation, and compares different scholars’ theoretical views. Then it is combined with thespecific situation of the modern society developing to analys the cause, and try to put forwardsolutions. The development of consumption alienation provides a great research direction foranalysing modern social problems. Through the study of consumption alienation, we canreflect the modern social problems, and provide valuable research for solving the EcologicalCrisis Theory.