fetishism
FET-ih-shih-zum
Definition
In this context, the social psychological process where human labor and social relationships are obscured, causing commodities to appear as if they have value and power entirely on their own.
Etymology
Derived from the French 'fétiche,' originally from the Portuguese 'feitiço,' meaning 'charm' or 'sorcery.' It historically referred to an object believed to possess magical power before being applied to social and psychological contexts.
In the news
The article uses the term to explain how capitalist markets mask the human labor behind products, making it seem as though prices and goods have a natural life of their own independent of the people who created them.
From Marx to Weber and Marcuse: Alienation, Rationalisation and the Continuing Critique of Capitalism
Read the full article ↗Countercurrents