Before our class discussion, we read texts by Adam Smith and Karl Marx, disguised under the names Faber and Oskar. We had several questions to answer before coming to class, relating to specific definitions and concepts within the texts.

Faber Text I:

Define “division of labour.”

The division of labour is the delegation of menial tasks that on their own, mean nothing in terms of the production of an final object, but when put into context along with many different tasks, creates a larger result. The division of labour makes it so that no one job can produce anything unless it is put together with the rest of the jobs.

An example of the division of labour is Faber’s production of a pin factory. Each worker cannot make a pin on his own, but each task is a step along the proces of making many pins. Another example of this is building a house. There are multiple jobs needed to build a house. Architects, contractors, and designers plan the layout and the interior of the house. Then the construction crew lays the floors, paints the walls, and installs the wiring and pipes. Then the family must move in their furniture, books, and other material possessions. Little by little, it begins to take shape and become a home, but no single person could have made it so.

Oskar Text II:

What is the dictionary definition of “realization” used here?

Realization is the objectification of labor.

Define “estrangement” and “alienation.” When do estrangement and alienation happen? Under what conditions?

Estrangement is the removal of something that is a product of being human (labor) from the human itself. Alienation is the removal of a process from the product that it produces.

Oskar Text III:

Define “social” behavior. Good or bad?

Social behavior is communal activity and consumption, and the individual is inseparable from the community at large. This behavior is not good or bad but rather, an inherent part of human life.

Oskar Text IIII:

How does estrangement start? Describe an “estranged being.”

An estranged being comes about from the “self-renunciation” of all human activity, reducing oneself to the mere basic actions of functioning and maximizing profit. This greed consumes a human until he becomes an estranged being.

Oskar V:
How does “new” society address Oskar’s complaints of estrangement and alienation?

If everyone gives what they can and receives what they need, they fulfill their basic functions while retaining their individuality.