Sigma male grindset as alienation and asceticism

While the applicability of Marxist thought to the present era can be contested, this paper argues that the Sigma Male Grindset, a subversive masculine persona conjured by the alt-right Manosphere, can be utilized as a case for the relevancy of Marx’s theory of alienation. To begin, I describe the basics of Marx’s outlook, and outline how Marx’s theory can, but need not be understood as a form of class reductionism. Despite the multiplicity of axes of oppression, I argue that subjects make some significant conceptions of themselves under capitalist terms. With this abreast, I propose the Grindset presents an interesting counterexample to self-understanding in the late-stage capitalist age. Sigma Males seem to both circumnavigate the aspirations inscribed by traditional masculinity by rejecting external validation of one’s self-worth as well as the capitalist mode of production, by resisting traditional labour as a means of sustenance. It might then be tempting to assume an individual attempt at emancipation from class oppression is possible. However, I demonstrate that Marx’s theory alienation from one’s species-being and from fellow humans positions the Sigma Male Grindset as an intensified form of already existing frustrations, culminating in a concentrated form of asceticism. I conclude by sketching what an unalienated life would look like for Marx, drawing on current events to demonstrate the lukewarm future of a successful communist revolution. From this observation, I will conclude with proposing more immediate responses in the form of rejecting collective asceticism.