Click here to access this 55:00m audio interview on KPFA Berkeley, California featuring David Hawkes, Professor of English at Arizona State University and author of a number of books. (Note: the following commentary is based on the first 31 minutes of listening to this interview.)
Hawkes provides the clearest explanation of concepts like objectification and alienation in relation to wage labor and money that I have ever encountered, and I highly recommend listening to his thoughtful observations--at least to the first 12:38 minutes.
However, it seems to me that he misses one fundamental fact which obscures many realities of capitalism: money, usury, and related concepts are enforced by the state which is controlled by a small class of people to serve their interests. It is this fact and its enforcement, if necessary by state violence, that is the foundation of what money is, which he insists is merely a collective illusion. Illusions about money as well as many other elements related to class power is strongly encouraged by this ruling class in order to hide the realities of social injustice. Defining money as only a "collective illusion" hides or obscures its class basis and how money is used to serve class interests.
It always makes me wonder about academics who introduce such abstract explanations into their discourse. It seems to me to be a politically safe way of providing some insights on an obscure subject while, at the same time, not disturbing any power relationships inherent in capitalist societies (or any class structured society).
