| This question <69|78> overall <72|74> Golfer: <73|73>. |
| Question 174: What does it matter whether exploitation follows from alienation, or alienation follows from exploitation? (Define these terms.) |
| [73] Golfer: Alienation and Exploitation Alienation as defined by Marx states that people are alienated from their own labor; their work is appropriated by someone else and the work itself is compulsory. What Marx contends is that capital does not value the laborer. The capitalist idea of maximizing profits inherently tends to value that goal above all others. As such, the laborer is assigned a duty to fit within the intention of maximizing profits. Utility maximization to the individual or to society is not an issue and as such a worker can become estranged from his own work and himself. His production is based upon the marketability to other consumers and does not take into account the needs of the laborer or society. |
| Exploitation exists between a producer and a laborer when the producer can hold back monetary and non-monetary benefits to the laborer because he is in the position to do so. He does this for his own benefit and to further increase his bottom line profits. This subject is particularly disheartneing for the worker. Not only is he not being paid for what he is producing, but often times, he is exposed to produce in circumstances which he has no control over and which could be improved were it not for the bottom line of capital. Although the main example of exploitation is slavery, there are examples such as sweatshops that show that exploitation still exists today. Marx stated that any form of exploitation had flaws and that they would be destroyed either by revolution or disintegration. Although exploitation still exists today, many of its forms have been destroyed. |
| What we can conclude is that there is no relevance as to which leads to the other. Both are evils which exist in the capitalist world and without which capitalism could not exist. The basic arguments is that they are both evils which diminish the value of the laborer neither of which lead to the utility of society. |
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