Alienation as a concept in the social sciences

Peter C. Ludz

pp. 3-37

in: Felix Geyer, David Schweitzer (eds), Theories of alienation, Berlin, Springer, 1976

Abstract

"Alienation' and alienated have become words of our everyday language. When someone states: "Alienation is a major problem in the city' or speaks of our "alienated society', he is immediately understood. This sort of common understanding of alienation first developed in recent times, after the term had gained a central position in the social sciences, especially in sociology, political science, psychology and philosophy.¹