, ▁but ▁it ▁can ▁become ▁a ▁h ind rance ▁to ▁understanding . ▁ ▁Sign ific ance ▁ ▁M ask s ▁as ▁medi ators ▁of ▁social ▁contradict ions ▁Abstract ly , ▁the ▁mask ing ▁processes ▁specific ▁to ▁capital ist ▁society ▁medi ate ▁and ▁recon cile ▁social ▁contradict ions , ▁which ▁arise ▁from ▁three ▁main ▁sources : ▁▁ ▁relations ▁of ▁production ▁( own ership ▁relations ▁gover ning ▁the ▁factors ▁of ▁production , ▁defined ▁by ▁property ▁rights , ▁and ▁work ▁roles ), ▁which ▁create ▁and ▁maintain ▁a ▁class - div ided ▁society , ▁in ▁which ▁citizens ▁are ▁formally ▁equal ▁under ▁the ▁law ▁but ▁une qual ▁in ▁reality ; ▁class ▁interests ▁are ▁represented ▁as ▁the ▁general ▁interest ▁and ▁vice ▁vers a . ▁The ▁state ▁formally ▁serves ▁" the ▁general ▁interest " ▁of ▁society , ▁but ▁in ▁reality ▁it ▁mainly ▁serves ▁the ▁general ▁interest ▁of ▁the ▁r uling ▁class , ▁and ▁more ▁specifically ▁what ▁the ▁el ite , ▁the ▁polity ▁or ▁the ▁political ▁class ▁cons iders ▁to ▁be ▁the ▁general ▁interest ▁of ▁society . ▁ ▁relations ▁of ▁exchange ▁in ▁the ▁market place , ▁where ▁buy ers ▁and ▁sell ers ▁b arg ain ▁with ▁each ▁other , ▁and ▁with ▁other ▁buy ers ▁and ▁sell ers , ▁to ▁get ▁the ▁" best ▁deal " ▁for ▁themselves , ▁although ▁they ▁have ▁to ▁co oper ate ▁to ▁get ▁it ▁( they ▁must ▁give ▁something ▁to ▁receive ▁something ). ▁Supp osed ly ▁this ▁is ▁a ▁" level ▁playing ▁field " ▁but ▁in ▁reality ▁it ▁is ▁not , ▁simply ▁because ▁some ▁command ▁vast ly