ing ▁the ▁forms ▁and ▁structure ▁of ▁social ▁relations ▁in ▁the ▁capital ist ▁system : ▁in ▁Das ▁Kap ital , ▁he ▁had ▁de alt ▁with ▁persons ▁( or ▁" e conom ic ▁characters ") ▁only ▁in so far ▁as ▁they ▁person ified ▁or ▁symbol ized ▁– ▁often ▁in ▁a ▁re ified ▁way ▁– ▁economic ▁categories , ▁roles , ▁functions ▁and ▁interests ▁( see ▁above ). ▁According ▁to ▁Marx , ▁the ▁capital ist ▁system ▁function ed ▁as ▁a ▁" system ", ▁precisely ▁because ▁the ▁b our ge ois ▁relations ▁of ▁production ▁and ▁trade , ▁including ▁property ▁rights , ▁were ▁im posed ▁on ▁people ▁whether ▁they ▁liked ▁it ▁or ▁not . ▁They ▁had ▁to ▁act ▁and ▁conform ▁in ▁a ▁specific ▁way ▁to ▁surv ive ▁and ▁prosper . ▁As ▁the ▁mass ▁of ▁capital ▁produced ▁grew ▁larger , ▁and ▁mark ets ▁expanded , ▁these ▁b our ge ois ▁relations ▁sp ont ane ously ▁reprodu ced ▁themselves ▁on ▁a ▁larger ▁and ▁larger ▁scale , ▁be ▁it ▁with ▁the ▁assistance ▁of ▁state ▁aid , ▁reg ulation ▁or ▁repr ession . ▁However , ▁many ▁authors ▁have ▁argued ▁that ▁this ▁approach ▁leaves ▁many ▁fac ets ▁of ▁capital ist ▁social ▁relations ▁un exp la ined . ▁In ▁particular , ▁it ▁is ▁not ▁so ▁easy ▁to ▁understand ▁the ▁interactions ▁between ▁individuals ▁and ▁the ▁society ▁of ▁which ▁they ▁are ▁part , ▁in ▁such ▁a ▁way , ▁that ▁each ▁is ▁both ▁self - det erm ining ▁and ▁determined ▁by ▁the ▁other . ▁ ▁Marx ' s ▁concept ▁of ▁character ▁mask s ▁has ▁been ▁inter rog ated