Sohn-Rethel anthropologue ?

This article argues that the concept of “real abstraction” pertains to an ontology of commodity-producing societies, which, in order to be further developed, ought to be compared to the ontology of non-modern collectives as studied by anthropologists. The result of this comparison, which draws on Du...

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Main Author: Frédéric Monferrand
Format: Article
Language:deu
Published: Presses universitaires de Strasbourg 2020-07-01
Series:Recherches Germaniques
Subjects:
Online Access:https://journals.openedition.org/rg/4278
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author Frédéric Monferrand
author_facet Frédéric Monferrand
author_sort Frédéric Monferrand
collection DOAJ
description This article argues that the concept of “real abstraction” pertains to an ontology of commodity-producing societies, which, in order to be further developed, ought to be compared to the ontology of non-modern collectives as studied by anthropologists. The result of this comparison, which draws on Durkheim and Mauss’s account of “primitive forms of classification”, is that commodity-producing societies are defined by an ontological paradox: on the one hand, they are the only societies that regard themselves as conventional realities that are separated from nature and therefore transformable. But on the other hand, they are equally the only societies in which social relations impose themselves upon individuals as a blind ‘second nature’.
format Article
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institution Kabale University
issn 0399-1989
2649-860X
language deu
publishDate 2020-07-01
publisher Presses universitaires de Strasbourg
record_format Article
series Recherches Germaniques
spelling doaj-art-8906a702f1c7475fbd966f37f444930a2025-01-10T14:28:32ZdeuPresses universitaires de StrasbourgRecherches Germaniques0399-19892649-860X2020-07-011521722710.4000/rg.4278Sohn-Rethel anthropologue ?Frédéric MonferrandThis article argues that the concept of “real abstraction” pertains to an ontology of commodity-producing societies, which, in order to be further developed, ought to be compared to the ontology of non-modern collectives as studied by anthropologists. The result of this comparison, which draws on Durkheim and Mauss’s account of “primitive forms of classification”, is that commodity-producing societies are defined by an ontological paradox: on the one hand, they are the only societies that regard themselves as conventional realities that are separated from nature and therefore transformable. But on the other hand, they are equally the only societies in which social relations impose themselves upon individuals as a blind ‘second nature’.https://journals.openedition.org/rg/4278Sohn-Rethelreal abstractionMausssocial ontologyanthropology
spellingShingle Frédéric Monferrand
Sohn-Rethel anthropologue ?
Recherches Germaniques
Sohn-Rethel
real abstraction
Mauss
social ontology
anthropology
title Sohn-Rethel anthropologue ?
title_full Sohn-Rethel anthropologue ?
title_fullStr Sohn-Rethel anthropologue ?
title_full_unstemmed Sohn-Rethel anthropologue ?
title_short Sohn-Rethel anthropologue ?
title_sort sohn rethel anthropologue
topic Sohn-Rethel
real abstraction
Mauss
social ontology
anthropology
url https://journals.openedition.org/rg/4278
work_keys_str_mv AT fredericmonferrand sohnrethelanthropologue