The alienation of man is common in various phases of modern life, so much so that the present age is called "the age of man's alienation." Diverse views have been advanced as to what the real cause of this alienation is. In my opinion, these views can be classified into the following three types: (1) The alienation of man is attributed to the limitations and contingency of man. In this view, the alienation of man is the inevitable outcome of the loss of human communion with God or the absolute. (2) the alienation of man is attributed to the widening gap between human cognition and the rapid advancement in mechanical civilization. (3) the alienation of man is attributed to the social institutions and social organization of our times. The advancement in technology and the development of machinery, however, are not responsible by themselves for the alienation of man. I think all these three types of views can claim validity in their own spheres. What is most important in our modern situation is, however, that we should recognize the alienation of man as our problem and tackle it in all sincerity. "To tackle it in all sincerity" may admittedly be 100 colloquial but I use this expression in the meaning of the German verb "sich verhalten zu" or the French verb "s'engager." I believe human existence in existential philosophy must be understood in this context.

横山松三郎先生古稀記念論文集