Are workers in (contemporary) capitalist society relevantly free? Observations on Gerald Cohen's perspective

El artículo presenta en primer lugar la argumentación de Gerald Cohen, que minimiza el papel de la coacción que cada proletario experimenta debido a las circunstancias del trabajo asalariado, y en consecuencia niega el carácter opresivo de la explotación capitalista. En segundo término, examina algunas críticas que cuestionan tal argumentación o la veracidad de su premisa, así como las réplicas del autor. Finalmente, sostiene que Cohen no logra hacer convincente su tesis principal, debido a que no tiene en cuenta relevantes distinciones en torno al concepto de libertad, fragmentariamente formuladas por Marx y desarrolladas de forma consistente por Sen.
This article begins by introducing Gerald Cohen’s arguments, in which he reduces as much as possible the role of coercion that proletarians experience due to the circumstances of remunerated work, and, consequently, he denies the oppressive nature of capitalist exploitation. Secondly, this paper examines some criticism that questions such arguments or the truth of their foundations, as well as the author’s replies. Finally, it claims that Cohen does not manage to make his main thesis convincing, due to the fact that he does not take into consideration some relevant distinctions regarding the concept of freedom, fragmentarily put forward by Marx and consistently developed by Sen.
Departamento de Filosofía