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A Fortuitous Theoretical Isomorphism

In: The Myth of Dialectics

Author

Listed:
  • John Rosenthal

    (Colorado College)

Abstract

‘Money’, Marx writes, ‘is God among commodities’ (Gr., 221/148). This is to say that money is nothing other than a real universal: a generality, viz. the common character of all commodities as ‘exchangevalues’, which has acquired independent existence in the form of some determinate commodity or ‘use-value’. It is an ideality ‘realized’ in material shape. More precisely, what is implied by Marx’s comment is that money is the ‘Christ’ of the commodity world. It is ‘objective spirit’: the ‘supra-sensible’ essence of commodities become sensuous nature as itself a commodity, exchange-value become use-value - like God become man, the ‘God-man’ of the Gospels. The universal valuecharacter of commodities is manifest in their similarity to money, ‘just as the sheeplike character of the Christian is manifest in his similarity to the Lamb of God’ (CI, 143/66).

Suggested Citation

  • John Rosenthal, 1998. "A Fortuitous Theoretical Isomorphism," Palgrave Macmillan Books, in: The Myth of Dialectics, chapter 11, pages 139-148, Palgrave Macmillan.
    • Handle: RePEc:pal:palchp:978-0-230-37184-2_11
    DOI: 10.1057/9780230371842_11
    as

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