Science Fair Project Encyclopedia Surplus value is defined by
Marx as "profit in the form of profit" in the first sentence of
the first chapter of Theories of Surplus Value . According to
Marxism it is unpaid labour that is extracted from the worker by
the capitalist, and serves as the basis for capitalist
accumulation. It is the labour that workers perform for their
capitalist employers beyond what is necessary to produce enough
to pay for their wages. Surplus value is a concept inextricably
tied to Marx's labour theory of value, and is central to his
account of exploitation under capitalism. According to Marx,
absolute surplus value is extracted simply by the lengthening of
the working day (i.e. 'surplus labour time'), whereas relative
surplus value is extracted by either: a. The lowering of wages —
this can only go to a certain point, because if wages fall
bellow the ability of workers to purchase their means of
subsistence, they will be unable to reproduce themselves and the
capitalists will not be able t