Chapter 2, Commodity as Spectacle Summary and Analysis

Chapter 2 presents theses 35 through 53. The chapter begins with a quote taken from History and Class Consciousness by György Lukács. Although not discussed directly in the text, it is generally acknowledged that Lukács' philosophy is fundamental to the theories presented. Chapter 2 is tightly focused on presenting the commodity—usually the commodity within capitalism—as a fundamental aspect of the spectacle. This focus proceeds from the general—the spectacle is related to the commodity—to the specific in various forms. The tangible commodity becomes an intangible commodity within the spectacle because the spectacle illustrates commodities. In this vision, quality yields to quantity and the process is repeated over and over, and the process is refined with each repetition.

The means of production have driven all of human development and history...