How can identifying people only with their jobs lead to alienation according to Gabriel Marcel?

According to the French philosopher Gabriel Marcel, identifying individuals solely by their functional roles or jobs is a hallmark of the "broken world"—a state of modern existence dominated by the "spirit of abstraction" and the over-reliance on primary reflection.1

Marcel argued that this practice leads to alienation because it reduces human beings to mere instruments or objects, effectively ignoring their inner lives and creative potential. When society prioritizes functional utility, a person’s self-worth becomes tethered to their social status or material possessions rather than their inherent value as a person.1

This dehumanizing approach treats intersubjective relations as an "I-It" encounter—viewing others as means to an end rather than as unique "thou" subjects. By failing to recognize the mystery of the human person, such identification stifles the spirit and prevents the authentic, available connection (disponibilité) necessary for meaningful human existence.12