“TWO CONCEPTS OF THE FETISH: DONHAMS APPLICATION OF MARXS CONCEPT OF THE FETISH”

In this essay I will compare two definitions of the Marxist conception of the fetish. First I will examine Marxs conception of the fetish by analyzing a passage from Capital. Then I will provide an analysis of Donhams use of Marxs concept in order to show the common and disparate elements of these conceptions. I will argue in this essay that the two concepts have a common underlying definition but do differ in two crucial aspects, which makes them incomparable. The first aspect is the meaning of the word attributed to the fetish Marx speaks of the fetishisation of the commodity, while Donham speaks of the fetishization of fertility, I found this to bear quite an impact in the way the concept of the fetish can be understood and analyzed….(short extract)