The leap from equal to objective is unfounded . Perceived value could just as easily be subjective . And , in fact , when Proudhon discussed exchange in The Philosophy of Progress , it ' s quite clear that value is largely subjective , although various shared contexts mean that convergence of perceived value is likely . Consent is a red herring . Exploitation is a descriptive term and in Proudhon ' s account what is claimed is that we simply do not take any real account of collective force . That seems to be correct , except where it is attributed to the productivity of capital , which seems to be an incoherent notion . People consent to all sorts of things that don ' t seem to have alternatives . There are very few alternatives to capitalist conventions within a capitalist society , precisely because systematic exploitation weakens the bargaining position of the worker in nearly every transaction .