Introduction
Modern economics is built upon concepts that Matthias Attig describes as Zwieschlächtigkeit—a duality of nature. Categories such as money or commodities are simultaneously concrete and abstract, material and conventional. This article analyzes these aporias, drawing on the thought of Marx, Weber, and Knapp, and examines their impact on contemporary digital capitalism. Understanding this duality reveals why economic models often diverge from practice and how global powers—from the US to the Arab world—attempt to manage this paradox in the age of artificial intelligence.
Philosophical Foundations: Marx, Knapp, and Weber
In Marx’s work, the duality of the commodity goes beyond a simple distinction of functions; it is an ontological split between use-value and exchange-value. Money emerges here as the ultimate aporia—it must simultaneously be a thing of definite value and an abstract sign. Knapp’s nominalism attempts to cure the economic system of the illusion of materiality, defining money as a performative act of the state that designates the means of payment. Meanwhile, Weber’s ideal types demonstrate the dual nature of concepts: theoretical constructs, though hypothetical, become normative patterns that actively shape economic reality through self-reference.
Systemic Logic and Global Monetary Models
A logical contradiction arises when we recognize money as a pure sign (P) but treat it as a substance (Q) in practice. To maintain stability (R), the system requires institutional buffers; otherwise, this aporia leads to crises. Different civilizations discipline this duality in various ways. The Arab world employs theology to link money to real assets. The US relies on pragmatic market realism and stablecoins. The European Union chooses a regulatory path, developing CBDCs (Central Bank Digital Currencies) as a new architecture of public trust. Modern chartalism and MMT remind us that money is primarily a state obligation, not a commodity.
Artificial Intelligence and the New Semantics of Exchange
Artificial intelligence is redefining the semantics of exchange by introducing algorithmic fetishism. Economic decisions are being severed from human experience and transferred into the realm of machine logic, which removes responsibility from market participants. Global business is adapting to a three-tier money structure, combining state currencies, commercial money, and private tokens. While tokenization optimizes liquidity, it generates new systemic risks related to the concentration of digital infrastructure. However, the duality of concepts should be viewed as an opportunity to design more reflective institutions that, instead of hiding contradictions, subject them to critical discussion.
Summary
The future of money and exchange depends on a willingness to accept their inherent duality rather than an illusory pursuit of its removal. Awareness of one's own Zwieschlächtigkeit becomes the foundation of responsible economic policy. Instead of searching for perfect algorithms, we must build spaces where the moral and social consequences of financial technologies are explicitly justified by the community. Will we dare to face the truth and accept this paradox as a permanent element of our economic reality?
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