Theories of Exploitation examines the concept of exploitation and its place as a critical category in social theory. Discussion of the concept is internal to both liberalism and Marxism as well as being an obvious point of contention between the two.

The contributors explain the historical emergence of themes in exploitation theories. They present exegeses of the theories of writers in the Scottish Enlightenment, the 'Ricardian Socialists', mutualists and Marx. The concerns of these writers are carried forward by essays presenting contemporary liberal theories, and theories based on the notion that socialism or communism is ethically superior to capitalism.