' s ▁object ▁is ▁more ▁complicated ▁( see ▁Allen ▁Wood ▁ 2 0 0 4 , ▁pp .   1 6 – 2 1 ). ▁In ▁one ▁sense , ▁it ▁emphas ises ▁the ▁essentially ▁social ▁character ▁of ▁humans , ▁and ▁their ▁need ▁to ▁live ▁in ▁a ▁community ▁of ▁the ▁species . ▁In ▁others , ▁it ▁seems ▁to ▁emphas ise ▁that ▁we ▁attempt ▁to ▁make ▁our ▁lives ▁expressions ▁of ▁our ▁species - ess ence ; ▁further ▁that ▁we ▁have ▁goals ▁concerning ▁what ▁becomes ▁of ▁the ▁species ▁in ▁general . ▁The ▁idea ▁covers ▁much ▁of ▁the ▁same ▁territory ▁as ▁' making ▁one ' s ▁life ▁one ' s ▁object ': ▁it ▁concerns ▁self - cons cious ness , ▁pur pos ive ▁activity , ▁and ▁so ▁forth . ▁ ▁Hum ans ▁as ▁hom o ▁fab er ? ▁It ▁is ▁often ▁said ▁that ▁Marx ▁conce ived ▁of ▁humans ▁as ▁hom o ▁fab er , ▁referring ▁to ▁Benjamin ▁Franklin ' s ▁definition ▁of ▁' man ▁as ▁the ▁tool - making ▁animal ' ▁- ▁that ▁is , ▁as ▁' man , ▁the ▁mak er ', ▁though ▁he ▁never ▁used ▁the ▁term ▁himself . ▁A bove , ▁we ▁indicated ▁that ▁one ▁of ▁Marx ' s ▁central ▁content ions ▁about ▁humans ▁was ▁that ▁they ▁were ▁differenti ated ▁by ▁the ▁manner ▁in ▁which ▁they ▁produce ▁and ▁that ▁thus , ▁somehow , ▁production ▁was ▁one ▁of ▁humans ' ▁essential ▁activities . ▁In ▁this ▁context , ▁it ▁is ▁worth ▁not ing ▁that ▁Marx ▁does ▁not ▁always ▁address ▁' lab our ' ▁or ▁' work