Part of the Joint Conference 2026 (JC2026)
The 2nd RC20 Regional Conference on Comparative Sociology
The 1st RC56 Regional Conference on Historical Sociology
The 5th RC33 Regional Conference on Social Science Methodology: Asia
📍 Khon Kaen University, Thailand / Japan Women’s University, Tokyo, Japan
🗓 24–28 August 2026
(Online Conference)
Session Organizer
Dr. Noel Packard, PhD
Independent Researcher and 2023 PhD Graduate, University of Auckland
Media, Film and Television
Session Title
Karl Marx and Max Weber on the Topic of Machines Dominating Labour
Session Description
Papers are invited to address this comparative historical topic:
Karl Marx predicted that when humans invested themselves into machines they would lose their humanity and intelligence into the machines and become alienated from each other, from their work and from nature.
Marx called a machine that could reproduce itself and never die (unlike human workers) a “perpetuum mobile” that would dominate labour, reduce labour’s value to zero, and help capitalists hoard, “turn over,” and launder money.
Max Weber, though not a Marxist, worried that tabulating and computing machines in the hands of government bureaucracy would create a “Machine State.” Weber offered no solution for a surveillance and machine state; he theoretically leads us to the doorstep of such a state but cannot offer a way out.
Marx suggested that capitalism and the means of production be taken over by the workers, and if workers were freed from work altogether, they might find a utopia where they could improve their lives and the world.
Today, we appear to be living in a machine-state world where corrupt capitalists hoard, launder, and turn over money while coercing governments — and underemployed workers invest themselves into alienating social media that turns over profits for tech companies and the richest corporations in history.
Keywords
Karl Marx, Max Weber, “Perpetuum Mobile,” “Machine State,” Alienation, Coerced Government
Conference Information
📅 Conference Dates: 24–28 August 2026
📍 Venue: Khon Kaen University (Thailand) and Japan Women’s University (Tokyo, Japan)
🖥 Mode: Online Conference
For more details and submission guidelines, visit the official website:
🔗 https://www.comparative-sociology.online/JC2026.htm
(Alternate mirror site: https://mcn-www.jwu.ac.jp/~fonaka/JC2026.htm)
📩 Session Organizer: Dr. Noel Packard — npac825@aucklanduni.ac.nz
Submission Deadline
🗓 31 December 2025 (23:59 UTC)
We believe in sharing knowledge with everyone and making a positive change in society through our work and contributions. If you are interested in joining us, please check our ‘About’ page for more information