Abstract
An analysis of Marx’s notion of ‘commodity fetishism’ – as a theory of the necessary (systemically induced) misperception of underlying production relations by participants in market exchanges. The appeal of the notion to the two main opposing tendencies of mid- and late 20th-century Marxism – Marxist humanism and structuralist Marxism – is discussed. Reasons are proposed to account for a recent decline of interest in the phenomenon among both economists and philosophers. It is suggested, however, that the concept remains viable.
Keywords
- Althusser, L.
- Capitalism
- Capitalist social relations
- Commodity fetishism
- Exploitation
- Feuerbach, L.
- Invisible hand
- Labour power
- Labour theory of value
- Laws of motion of capitalism
- Lukacs, G.
- Market relations
- Marx, K.
- Marxist humanism
- Structural marxism
- Surplus value
- Value controversy
JEL Classifications
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution.
Buying options
Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout
Purchases are for personal use only
Learn about institutional subscriptionsBibliography
Althusser, L. 1965. For Marx, 1969. New York: Pantheon Press.
Althusser, L. 2002. Ideology and ideological state apparatus. In Lenin and philosophy and other essays. New York: Monthly Review Press.
Althusser, L., and E. Baliber. 1968. Reading capital. London: New Left Books, 1970.
Cohen, G. 1988. The labour theory of value and the concept of exploitation. In History, labour and freedom: Themes from Marx. Oxford: Clarendon Press.
Feuerbach, L. 1841. The essence of christianity. Amherst: Prometheus, 1989.
Fromm, E. 1975. Marx’s concept of man. New York: Continuum.
Lukacs, G. 1923. History and class consciousness. London: Merlin Press, 1967.
Marx, K. 1844. Paris manuscripts (also called economic and philosophical manuscripts). In Collected works, ed. Karl Marx and Frederick Engels, vol. 3. New York: International Publishers, 1975.
Marx, K. 1845. The German ideology. In Collected works, ed. Karl Marx and Frederick Engels, vol. 5. New York: International Publishers, 1976.
Marx, K. 1867. Capital, vol. 1. Moscow: Progress Publishers, 1965.
Roemer, J. 1981. Analytical foundations of marxist economic theory. New York: Cambridge University Press.
Steedman, I. 1981. Marx after sraffa, rev. edn. New York: Shocken.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Editor information
Copyright information
© 2018 Macmillan Publishers Ltd.
About this entry
Cite this entry
Levine, A. (2018). Commodity Fetishism. In: The New Palgrave Dictionary of Economics. Palgrave Macmillan, London. https://doi.org/10.1057/978-1-349-95189-5_532
Download citation
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1057/978-1-349-95189-5_532
Published:
Publisher Name: Palgrave Macmillan, London
Print ISBN: 978-1-349-95188-8
Online ISBN: 978-1-349-95189-5
eBook Packages: Economics and FinanceReference Module Humanities and Social SciencesReference Module Business, Economics and Social Sciences