| This is an interdisciplinary study of the positive and negative aspects of the complex phenomenon of alienation. Philosophical, biological, psycho-social, and literary perspectives are included for an integrated view of possible causes and expressions. Hegel, Marx, Nietzsche, and Sartre are cited as traditional representatives of alienation theory, but more recent researchers are also referenced. Philosophical theories are backed up by empirical studies of social withdrawal and aggression, and these are connected to the biological regulatory apparatus that serves to adjust the individual to internal and external stressors. It is suggested that alienation has adaptive value, but an intricate nexus of psychological, biological, and social factors is implicated in any assessment of alienation's overall character. Marxist and psychological literary analysis of the novel Shampoo Planet by Douglas Coupland is then used in conjunction with the philosophical and scientific approaches to arrive at de-alienation strategies. |
