TITLE:
Marxism and the Search for Life’s Purpose in the Age of Capitalism
AUTHORS:
Clayton Bondin Jha
KEYWORDS:
Marxism, Alienation, Purpose of Life, Ideology, Existentialism, Meaning Crisis, Capitalism
JOURNAL NAME:
Open Journal of Philosophy,
Vol.15 No.4,
November
20,
2025
ABSTRACT: The question of life’s purpose has long preoccupied philosophy, yet in the twenty-first century it takes on renewed urgency amid alienation, precarity, and a global crisis of meaning. This article develops a Marxist account of purpose, beginning with Marx’s theory of species-being and alienation and extending through the work of Althusser, Gramsci, and Lukács. Their analyses of ideology, hegemony, and reification reveal how capitalism distorts or obscures meaning, while also pointing toward collective praxis as a way to reclaim it. The article contrasts this framework with existentialist, idealist, and religious approaches, showing how Marxism uniquely grounds purpose in material conditions and solidarity. It concludes by connecting Marxist insights to contemporary struggles—from consumerism and digital commodification to climate and justice movements—arguing that Marxism remains a vital framework for rethinking meaning and purpose in a global, crisis-ridden age.