Karl Marx. Capital Vol One Ch1 Sec4

THE FETISHISM OF COMMODITIES AND THE SECRET THEREOF

This section is a bit more opinionated than previous sections of chapter one. Marx relies less on examples that resemble equations and more examples from fiction.

Marx sees that originally man drew value from from labor. Labor emanated through many social roles such as family members. Labor was done not to produce commodities. Labor was more a way of life.

Capitalism severs this link with Labor. Commodities are produced to be exchanged for other commodities. Social roles are unimportant. Capitalists' valuation of the commodities is explained almost as it was voodoo. The way people valued products of their labor in the past was Labor, but Marx suggests the capitalists arbitrarily places value on commodities using those same instincts from the past but abstracted from Labor. This amounts to some 'franken-value'.