Marxism After Marx: Reification

In this video we'll be looking at Georgy Lukacs' concept of reification. If you haven't watched the video on alienation and the video on commodity fetishism, consider watching them first, as reification builds on and uses those concepts.
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[@dian_photo]

Lukács was a genius. Sadly, the Soviet style state-capitalist Hungary did not recognized that, and they declared him as a traitor to the socialist workers party... He's writing is not a 100% translation from Hungarian. Lukács used a lot of Hungarian specific word with no parallel in English. As a Hungarian, who read the Hungarian and the English texts to, I can confirm this.

[@Polinkazh]

This is an absolutely great video, you have my sub. Perhaps you could do a collab with me, or appear as a guest on my podcast series?

[@themarxistproject]

Would love to! Shoot me an email: themarxistproject[at]gmail.com

[@megathai]

This is good shit. Please keep it up. You have a Patreon?

[@themarxistproject]

Indeed! Link in the description.

[@BekKhamidov]

Hello comrade, I was wondering if you could do a few videos debunking Ben Shapiro's arguments on socialism. Out of all the leftist youtubers i see, i don't remember seeing any that debunk Shappy boy

[@banjocatt7288]

Contrapoints takes down Shapiro quite often but more from his cultural bullshit then specifically political. Anything by her is worth watching though. If you you can get any Shapiro fan to actually watch any of her videos, she makes him look like an idiot constantly. Also, look up videos of Sam Seder and the Majority Report shitting on Shapiro.

[@banjocatt7288]

Also, the late great Michael Brooks is an expert at taking down the IDW.

[@youssefbouchi3010]

he's so not worth it. giving him any attention legitimizes him. all it would take to debunk shappy boy is to show that his "debunkings" are really not debunkings at all. they're filled with blanket statements and skewed "statistics."

[@micajah15]

Name one country where Socialism thrived. You cannot debunk the facts what Socialism does.

[@Limits6]

@@micajah15 The best performing countries on the world stage are democratic welfare states. That means free societies (liberal, capitalist) which have had their share of strong social movements and are more or less socially democratic. Why? socialism has limited excessive tendencies of fully liberal states and tackled real social problems. Same problem with all out communism/socialism; transition isn't something to be willed top-down, it happens bottom-up if the conditions are right (one of them being a well functioning capitalist economy). This is why communist countries score low; I feel they never quite understood the true meaning/good of capitalism in terms of its natural advantages due to its economic superiority and disposition to grow. disclaimer: I'm no expert at all, just my 2 cents.

[@Mackerel95]

Thanks for this video! I'm an English major (who is not well-versed in political theory in general) learning about Marxism through the lense of literary criticism, and your channel is extremely helpful.

[@jeanneklau3543]

Hi, me too

[@avonjohn3393]

Thank you very much for your succinct summary of reification.

[@thatauscomrade1018]

Very interesting video, comrades. I think it is brilliant for you guys to delve into the newer developments into Marxist theory - or just simply a more detailed look or description of previously described processes. Of course, it’s important to read the original works, but it is of equal importance to witness the development of these ideas. I look forward to more entries into this “Marxism After Marx” series! From what I have understood from this video, reification appears to just be a description about a superstructural perspective of society; that is, it is how an individual observes their place in wider society, as a singular mechanism in the machine of capitalism. Is this correct, or is there more to it? Did Lukacs write more on the matter, describing some of its developments of particular characteristics, or how perhaps reification may develop an antagonistic character and be used by the proletariat to oppose their oppressors and the society that chains them so? It’s an interesting topic, and I’m keen to hear a little more about it. This video was almost quite compact, condensed and concise, and a truly masterful way of bringing so much information into a single sitting. Fantastic job as usual! EDIT: I originally misspelt Lukacs’ name. My bad.

[@marcuslewis5803]

So, is reification a synonym for "being in the state of alienation"? This seems a bit more subtle than I can grasp here.

[@joebailey8294]

Reification is the fallacy of mistaking an idea for a real thing

[@nuckygulliver9607]

is reification is the process of proagandizing a new reality so people don't know how to separate the propaganda from the reality?

[@dialecticalveganegoist1721]

Great video comrade !

[@jnr2349]

Thanks for the vid I struggle to see a significant difference between alienation and reification. If reification is the changing of organic human relationships by the process of production of commodities And takes the form of a will independent of its actors. Isn't that just alienation between people caused by alienation from production? Isn't that just alienation?

[@IzzyDuc]

In my reading reification (the “making real” of an ideology) is more easily achieved once people are alienated and have become “atomised individuals”). Reification leads to Mark Fisher’s capitalist realism where people find it impossible to even conceive of a life without capitalism.

[@grapeshott]

This explanation is complicated. Could have been simpler

[@stephenpiper5604]

Could have less bourgeois too...

[@SMT-ks8yp]

And then they say it is communism that suppresses individuality.

[@BekKhamidov]

Very good video!

[@ImGumby711]

Will this channel continue the series ? Some new videos would be awesome

[@wiiuwiiu2020]

Nicely done

[@troutphosphor7792]

Next time, turn off the music in the background: it's distracting and pointless.

[@LairNobleza]

i dont get it

[@Sazi_de_Afrikan]

Lukas, the grounding theorist for Marxist Humanism before Raya

[@prostytroll]

Holy shit, now I get it!

[@leonemaledetto1500]

I want public dislikes so bad

[@MiguelBricaBrac]

Reification sound very much like The Great Reset Proposal by the Global Economic Forum. Interesting.

[@trackdusty]

Hahahhahaahahahaahha! These boys would support it.

[@freakbrothers2012]

Vid for the fashionably naïve.

[@theolang3566]

So if i understand correctly, reification is a prime argument against socialism or communism

[@halguy5745]

I'd say it applies to any classed system that divides people into masters and slaves, so yeah, capitalism and authoritarian socialism too

[@Ba-pb8ul]

oh, this is dire. It's fine for someone like me: a postgrad in CT. However, if the purpose is trying to attract general viewers to a stimulating discussion on the ideas of Lukcas, this is as dry as a bone, and wrapped in scientistic technical babble, missing all social implication. A truly horrible video, and will attract minimal interest. Get a human to the task

[@JDWilly]

i have no academic background in humanities / CT / marxism etc. and found this video perfectly comprehensible. Lukacs' writing is itself pretty dry and difficult. for a 3 minute summary of a concept this video is fine

[@DrMerle-gw4wj]

This is one of the most mindless collection of claptrap I have ever witnessed.

[@ecstasy3692]

what