How Exactly Are Peasants “Exploited”?

Abstract

We are very frequently told that peasants are exploited without being told what exactly this means, whether peasant exploitation is confined to peasants, or whether the word exploitation is meant to convey different meanings for different societies. This paper discusses two meanings of exploitation, neither of which relates uniquely to peasantry, and poses specific questions about “exploitation” and “surplus,” the answers to which would tell us a good deal about what is meant by the exploitation of peasantry.