commodity fetishism

marxism

is the idea that the belief that commodities are magic objects is not located in our mind or in the way we mis-perceive object, but in social reality itself.

Commodity fetishism (our belief that commodities are magic objects, endowed with an inherent metaphysical power) is not located in our mind, in the way we (mis)perceive reality, but in our social reality itself. (Zizek 'how to read lacan : 80)

is the idea that, for example a table made of wood continues to be wood, but as soon as it emerges as a commodity, it changes into a thing that transcends sensuousness, evolving out of its wooden brain grotesque ideas, far more wonderful than if it were to begin dancing of its own free will.

A commodity appears at first sight an extremely obvious, trivial thing. But its analysis brings out that it is a very strange thing, abounding in metaphysical subtleties and theological niceties. So far as it is a use-value, there is nothing mysterious about it, whether we consider it from the point of view that by its properties it satisfies human needs, or that it first takes on these properties as the product of human labour. It is absolutely clear that, by his activity, man changes the forms of the materials of nature in such a way as to make them useful to him. The form of wood, for instance, is altered if a table is made out of it. Nevertheless the table continues to be wood, an ordinary sensuous thing. But as soon as it emerges as a commodity, it changes into a thing that transcends sensuousness. It not only stands with its feet on the ground, but, in relation to all other commodities, it stands on its head, and evolves out of its wooden brain grotesque ideas, far more wonderful than if it were to begin dancing of its own free will.10

is not about just the alienation of humans, but the alienation of any entity whatsoever from its sensuous qualities.

Commodity fetishism isn’t about just the alienation of humans, but the alienation of any entity whatsoever from its sensuous qualities, as we just saw.

is the notion that that a table, a piece of fruit, a cloud of carbon dioxide, all begin to operate like computer programs, chattering with one another about their exchange value as if a coat could become a screen on which were projected the fluctuations of value.

Recall that commodity fetishism means that a table, a piece of fruit, a cloud of carbon dioxide, begin to operate like computer programs, chattering with one another about their exchange value as if a coat could become a screen on which were projected the fluctuations of value.

is not a cognitive state of any kind (belief, attitude, feeling, thought). That’s what is fetishistic about it: it’s not an optional extra, but rather an “agency of the object.”

What Adorno is describing isn’t commodity fetishism at all. Commodity fetishism isn’t a cognitive state of any kind (belief, attitude, feeling, thought). That’s what is fetishistic about it: the fact that it’s not an optional extra. Commodity fetishism is an “agency of the object,” that is to say, it has nothing to do with the things we call people (humans, give or take), despite how some Marxists seem to think that caring about fridges and golf balls means you are an evil capitalist commodity fetishist.

is how the commodity itself appears to compute value in its spiriting away of abstract surplus labor time.

Commodity fetishism is how the commodity itself appears to compute value in its spiriting away of abstract surplus labor time.

is not an attitude vis-a-vis objects, rather it proceeds in the nonhuman realm, outside of human “subjectivity,” despite our thoughts and feelings and intentions.

And even if they did, that forgetting would be irrelevant to commodity fetishism, which proceeds in the nonhuman realm, outside of human “subjectivity,” despite our thoughts and feelings and intentions. Here lies the real source of Adorno’s panic against the idea of panic that “undoes the gains of enlightenment and establishes, in the wake of the death of God, a ‘second mythology.’”19

is not a false belief. It’s a distorted actuality.

What Marx is saying in that paragraph on the commodity fetish is that the realm of capitalism is more supernatural than the realm of telekinetically moving tables, not less. Commodity fetishism isn’t a false belief. It’s a distorted actuality. Furthermore, it precisely has to do with not caring about commodities as things or objects or what have you. Commodity fetishism doesn’t care whether the thing in question is a golf ball or a nuclear warhead. Caring about things that are not human doesn’t make you a commodity fetishist; not caring about them is exactly what commodity fetishism is all about. A golf ball and a nuclear warhead become value computers, equally blank screens in a virtual stock exchange.

commodity fetishism, n.Definitions

commodity fetishism