What does Marx mean by the "fetishism of commodities"?

Abstract

The present paper aims to analyse Marx’s concept of 'fetishism of commodities' by explaining the mechanism of a social genesis of determined illusions, arising in the sphere of production and circulation of commodities. It highlights the existence of an auto-sustained autarkic system of 4 variables – reification, objectification, duplicity and habit - sustaining and leading to the fetishism of commodities.