fetish character; commodity fetishism (Marx)
Technical term in Marxist theory referring to the fetish-like quality of commodities under capitalism, where social relations appear as relations between things.
Marx analyzed the fetish character of commodities in Capital.
Compound of 物神 (fetish, from 物 'thing' and 神 'god/spirit') and 性 (nature/character). Likely a translation of the German 'Fetischcharakter' used by Marx.