Reification and Totality

Both sources examine Georg Lukács's theories of reification and totality. The first article analyzes Lukács's concept of totality, exploring critiques from various thinkers and arguing that postmodern revenge films allegorically represent Lukács's totalizing process. The second article focuses on Lukács's theory of reification, contrasting reified and dereified social practices and applying this framework to contemporary social movements, suggesting that these movements enact a form of "democratic rationalization." Both articles engage with Lukács's work, assessing its relevance to understanding modern social and political phenomena. They ultimately offer reinterpretations of Lukács's ideas for a contemporary audience.