Capital, Chapter 1, Section 4

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

2. Why does this fetishism arise in commodity-producing societies, according to Marx?

3. Summarize Marx's discussion of the allocation of labor in the following types of economic systems:

a. Robinson Crusoe
b. feudalism
c. peasant family farm
d. "association of free men".

Why does the fetishism of commodities not arise in these economic systems, according to Marx?

4. In what ways is the fetishism of commodities similar to religion, according to Marx?

5. What criticisms does Marx make of political economy at the end of this section?