Explore the Historical Materialist Perspective on the Alienation of Labour in the Current Digital Age
Year: 2025
Type: article
Abstract: This article examines the phenomenon of labour alienation in the digital age from the perspective of historical materialism, taking the contradiction between modern productive forces (Artificial Intelligence - AI, Big Data, automation, and the platform economy) and capitalist production relations as its theoretical starting point. Building upon and expanding the theory of alienation as presented in classical Marxist-Leninist works, the paper identifies new forms of alienation emerging in digital transformation. It further clarifies the differences between labour alienation in industrial capitalism and the digital economy while proposing solutions to mitigate workers' loss of control, diminished subjectivity, and declining creative value in digitalized labour processes. Additionally, the study provides an initial connection to the Vietnamese context, particularly about the implementation of Resolution No. 18-NQ/TW (dated October 25, 2017) of the 12th Central Committee of the Communist Party of Vietnam on restructuring the organizational apparatus towards streamlining, modernization, and efficiency. This connection highlights the study's contemporary relevance and practical applicability. Keywords: Labour alienation; historical materialism; digital age; Big Data; Artificial Intelligence.
Author: NGUYEN Van Sang
Language: English
Subfield: Sociology and Political Science
Field: Social Sciences
Domain: Social Sciences
Open Access status: green
OpenAlex ID: W4413088203