Fetishism of the use value and natural form

Abstract

Commonly perceived as a neutral and innocent element, even an allied and indispensable component in the aspirations of alternative social projects, the first part of this article is dedicated to problematizing the use value, emphasizing the particular fetishism inherent in it. Its critical treatment is complemented by a thorough study of the natural form, an indispensable dimension without which the critique of political economy would remain incomplete.

The article aims, therefore, firstly, to expose the problematic nature of use value within the work of Karl Marx. Next, its particular fetishism will be observed, rescuing feminist, anthropological, and philosophical arguments that help to appreciate its historically specific dimension and character. Subsequently, the natural form and its main characteristics will be deepened, a record without which the problematic dimension of use value would not be understood. Drawing on the proposals of Bolívar Echeverría, the natural form will be revisited, emphasizing its semiotic dimension as a central component. Finally, the text concludes by exposing the facets, traps, and inherent problems of these two notions, vindicating the importance of distinguishing them in a moment of ecological challenges where rethinking metabolic exchange with the environment becomes crucial for humanity.