西方馬克思主義繼承和發揮了馬克思以《1844年經濟學哲學手稿》為代表的"異化"學說,揭示出現代人的存在狀態發生了全面的"異化"。這種"異化"存在狀態尤其表現為"物性"對人的片面化塑造,使人沉湎于消費主義存在方式。消費主義的生活方式滿足的只是虛假的需要,片面化、抽象化了人的真正的需要,違背甚至否定了人的主體性,本質上是一種不幸。不幸存在狀態的根本原因是資本主義,資本邏輯內在地衍生出人的異化的、消費主義的存在狀態,資本主義的整個社會制度對人的統治維持著這種狀態。走出這種存在狀態,需要實現人的解放與全面發展。

Western Marxism has carried on and developed the theory of alienationwork shows that modern man’s state of existence is one of total alienation.This alienated state of existence is manifested particularly in the one-sided formation of man’s life by material things,which plunges him into a consumerist mode of existence.The consumer lifestyle can only satisfy false needs;it fragments and abstracts man’s real needs and flouts or even rejects his subjectivity,and is by its nature undesirable.The root cause of this unfortunate state of existence is capitalism.The inner logic of capital spawns an alienated,consumerist state of existence,a state maintained by the dominance of the entire capitalist social system.To leave this state of existence requires the all-round and free development of man.