For the past century and a half, the terms ‘alienation’ and ‘modernity’ have been discussed in numerous contexts by numerous writers, some of them philosophers. When we survey the current status of this discussion however, we are forced to the conclusion that there is no general agreement on how these terms are to be used or whether they bear any coherent relation to one another. It will not be my purpose in this paper to attempt a correction of this situation. What I propose is rather to stipulate — without sufficient argument — senses for these terms in such a way that they might become — at least for the purpose of our discussion this morning — topics of a possible debate.