n capitalist societies, the bourgeoisie and economists often promote the idea that “the interests of capitalists and workers are interconnected,” depicting it as a mutually beneficial relationship. However, Marx criticized this, arguing that capitalists justify a production model prioritizing capital growth and efficiency under the guise of “creating job opportunities,” thereby reaping substantial benefits. When labor income does not keep proportion with its output, surplus value is generated, becoming the source of exploitation. Marx believed that exploitation is an inevitable economic characteristic of every class society, where some, through control over the means of production, are able to exploit others.
The Mechanism of Exploitation in Capitalist Society
In societies before capitalism, the exploitation of workers was mainly maintained through violence. In capitalist societies, this exploitation occurs in a more subtle manner. Since workers do not own the means of production, they must work for capitalists to earn their livelihood. On the surface, workers seem to have the freedom to choose which capitalist to work for, but since survival without working is impossible, exploitation becomes an unavoidable phenomenon. Thus, Marx argued that the “freedom of employment” for workers under capitalism is essentially an illusion.
The Phenomenon of Class Alienation
Marx believed that alienation refers to the phenomenon where people become estranged from their natural essence, which is especially prevalent in capitalist societies. The fruits of laborers’ production are appropriated by the employer, leading to alienation between the laborers and their products. This alienation is not only reflected in material products but also in the laborers’ perception of their labor process, where they become unable to identify with their work, feeling a loss of self-worth.
The Class Structure of Capitalist Society
According to Marx’s theory, the class structure of capitalist society primarily includes:
- The proletariat: Individuals who sell their labor power and do not own any means of production during the production process.
- The bourgeoisie: Those who own the means of production and purchase the labor power of the proletariat to gain profit. The bourgeoisie can be further divided into the general bourgeoisie and the petty bourgeoisie.
- The petty bourgeoisie: Those who own means of production but also participate in labor, such as small merchants, peasants, technicians, etc. Marx predicted that with the development of means of production, the petty bourgeoisie would gradually disappear, and its members would fall into the proletariat.
- The lumpenproletariat: Includes criminals, the unemployed, beggars, etc., who do not have a fixed position in the economic system.
- Landlords: A historically significant class that today maintains some wealth and power.
- Peasants: A class lacking organization, unable to influence socio-economic change, with most eventually transitioning into the proletariat.
Solving Exploitation and Alienation under Capitalism
Marx believed that to solve the issues of exploitation and alienation in capitalist society, it is necessary to completely change the mode of production and social structure. This includes abolishing private property, establishing socialist and communist societies, making the means of production publicly owned, and the fruits of labor fairly distributed by society. Only when the means of production are no longer the private property of a few, and labor power is no longer bought and sold as a commodity, can people overcome alienation, achieve self-actualization, and realize social harmony.