The wealth of societies in which the capitalist mode of production prevails appears as a "terrifying heap of commodities," with the individual commodity being its elementary form.

Consequently, our research begins with the analysis of the commodity. The commodity is, first and foremost, an external object, a thing that satisfies, through its properties, needs of any kind. The nature of these needs, whether they arise from the stomach or from the imagination, does not change anything about the object.

Furthermore, this is not about how the object satisfies human need, whether it satisfies it directly as a means of sustenance, i.e., as an object of enjoyment, or indirectly, as a means of production. Every useful thing, such as iron, paper, etc., must be considered from a dual perspective, regarding quality and quantity.

Each such thing is a whole of many properties and can therefore be useful from various aspects. The discovery of these various aspects and thus of the diverse ways of using things is an act of history. Thus, finding social measures for the quantity of useful things is [an act of history].