The reification of knowledge and commodity fetishism in the 'new' economy.

摘要

This thesis seeks to provide the theoretical background and critique of the emergence of commodified knowledge and information in the 'new' economy. The premise is that these concepts have been reified. By divorcing knowledge from its source, the individual and the community of origin, it is treated like any other input to production---as a commodity on a quantitatively evaluating market. Drawing on both phenomenological and Marxist theory, I present an argument for an alternative understanding of the 'new' economy and the reification of knowledge inherent in discussions about it.;The role of information and knowledge as commodities in the 'new' economy has been spoken of before, but they have yet to be analyzed within the framework provided by the mutually reinforcing concepts of reification and fetishism. This thesis will illuminate some of the myths associated with the 'new' economy, and their implications for the rest of society.