Will Park
Professor Carrion
Studio 2
10 February, 2019
Karl Marx’s Commodity Fetishism in a way criticizes the way the economy system works, especially in one such as a capitalistic economy system. Commodity Fetishism is basically the idea that there are only relationships between commodities and capital in trading and no real human connection. So, in such a vast system where only the products really matter, it is almost impossible to even track down where did any product an individual own come from, or who made it. Because of this, the laborers’ efforts are all ignored and what remains is what the product is. He thinks that in an economic system such as this one, there will be exploitation present purely due to the nature of how commodities cut off human relationships. Compared to the feudal ages it was different. Everyone was dependent on each other, in which service would be repaid in similar things that puts emphasis on relationships between labour. There is not really a set value for certain products and sets aside things such as commodities.
I really think Karl Marx is a smart man and that he has very interesting philosophical take on commodity and the economic system. He really did map out this side of capitalism we have today in which there is not really human relations in the economic system,as products are just bought and sold at universal prices in the market. Also many companies will take labour overseas where they are able to exploit the cheap labour and ship the products back. Everyone today do not really know where did all their products come from. However, at the same time I think capitalism is the most prosperous economic system there is, as even in feudal system there was large exploitation present and limitation of freedom in such political systems. Of course a full capitalistic society will have downsides as well, but a mixed economy can really bring about a more prosperous society.
Introduction to Sigmund Freud, Module on the Unconscious. Accessed February 10, 2019. https://www.cla.purdue.edu/english/theory/marxism/modules/marxfetishism.html.
