Alienation & Exploitation

Alienation in Marx’s Theory

In Marx’s Theory, alienation is a systematic result of capitalism where workers are separated from the product of their labour.
Workers do not own their labour or the products they make. The fruits of their labour belong to the capitalists, this causes a sense of estrangement and powerlessness.
Marx believed that workers are alienated from their humanity in a capitalist society because their work does not fulfil their human potential.
He observed four types of alienation: from the product, the working activity itself, oneself as a producer, and from other workers.
In feeling alienated from others and oneself, Marx postulated that the worker was distanced from the essence of what it is to be human - creative, free beings.

Exploitation in Marx’s theory is a fundamental component of capitalism. The capitalist makes a profit by selling the product made by the labour of others.
Marx states that workers are exploited because they are paid less than the value of their labour. The surplus value of their labour profits the capitalist, not the worker.
This surplus value is the cornerstone of exploitation. It is the difference between the value produced by the labour of the worker and the wages the worker receives.
According to Marx, this creates a class struggle. The workers, or proletariat, must sell their labour to the capitalists, or bourgeoisie, who own the means of production.
The proletariat’s need to survive makes them vulnerable to exploitation. The capitalist is free to set the wages, and thus controls the distribution of wealth.

Liberation theologians draw parallels between Marx’s ideologies of exploitation and alienation and the oppression faced by marginalised communities.
They link the Biblical teachings on justice, defence of the poor, and liberation with Marx’s critique of capitalism.
Liberation theology posits that salvation must include a social and economic transformation to address the inequalities and marginalisation experienced by the poor.
It asserts that the church should stand on the side of the poor and oppressed, directly countering conditions of alienation and exploitation.
Liberation theologians use Marx’s theories to critique capitalism and argue for a more equitable social and economic order in line with Christian values of justice, equality, and love.