Marx's Philosophical Writings: Alienation The focus of Marx's philosophical writings is alienation. He believes that social or psychological alienation arises out of economic or material alienation. In other words, consciousness is determined by material conditions, as opposed to the prevailing view of his day that said that consciousness determines material conditions. Another way of saying the same thing is, "Life is not determined by consciousness, but consciousness by life." One's material conditions in life result from one's labor. Concerning alienated labor, Marx