What's Left of Philosophy 119 | Exploitation and the Theory of Domination w/ Prof. Nicholas Vrousalis
13 snips
Sep 1, 2025 Nicholas Vrousalis, a professor and author of 'Exploitation as Domination', dives into the nuances of capitalist exploitation as a form of domination, challenging traditional views of fairness. He argues that where there’s exploitation, there’s domination, but not vice versa. The discussion critiques existing capitalist structures, emphasizing freedom over justice in the labor market. Vrousalis envisions a non-exploitative economy, advocating for workplace democracies and exploring the importance of mutual service among equals.
AI Snips
Chapters
Books
Transcript
Episode notes
Exploitation As A Form Of Domination
- Exploitation is best understood as a dividend of domination: it wrongs by converting people into servants.
- Dominators gain by unilaterally controlling others' purposive labor capacities under capitalism.
The Pit Example: Forced Choices
- The forced-choice example (rope/pit) shows domination creates a double bind: no work or dominated work.
- Exploitation requires turning someone into a servant who lacks viable alternatives.
Domination Is Logically Prior
- Exploitation entails domination, but domination can exist without exploitation.
- A dominator may retain control yet choose not to extract surplus, showing logical priority of domination.
