▁The ▁C au cas ian ▁Ch alk ▁Circle ▁and ▁The ▁Good ▁Person ▁of ▁S zech wan , ▁the ▁mask s ▁support ▁what ▁Bre cht ▁called ▁" the ▁al ien ation ▁effect " ▁( see ▁dist ancing ▁effect ). ▁ ▁L uk á cs ▁Gy ör gy ▁L uk á cs ▁referred ▁to ▁the ▁" very ▁important ▁category ▁of ▁economic ▁character ▁mask s ", ▁but ▁he ▁never ▁provided ▁a ▁substant ive ▁analysis ▁of ▁its ▁meaning . ▁He ▁only ▁referred ▁candid ly ▁to ▁his ▁own ▁" S ocr atic ▁mask " ▁in ▁a ▁ 1 9 0 9 ▁love ▁letter ▁to ▁a ▁friend . ▁In ▁a ▁ 1 9 0 9 ▁ess ay , ▁L uk á cs ▁op ined ▁that ▁" the ▁b our ge ois ▁way ▁of ▁life " ▁is ▁" only ▁a ▁mask ", ▁which ▁" like ▁all ▁mask s " ▁neg ates ▁something , ▁i . e . ▁the ▁b our ge ois ▁mask ▁den ies ▁vital ▁parts ▁of ▁human ▁life , ▁in ▁the ▁interests ▁of ▁money - making . ▁ ▁L uk á cs ▁restricted ▁the ▁application ▁of ▁the ▁idea ▁to ▁capital ists ▁only , ▁claim ing ▁that ▁Marx ▁had ▁considered ▁capital ists ▁as ▁" m ere ▁character ▁mask s " ▁– ▁meaning ▁that ▁capital ists , ▁as ▁the ▁person ifications ▁(" ag ents ") ▁of ▁capital , ▁did ▁not ▁do ▁anything ▁" without ▁making ▁a ▁business ▁out ▁of ▁it ", ▁given ▁that ▁their ▁activity ▁consisted ▁of ▁the ▁correct ▁management ▁and ▁calculation ▁of ▁the ▁objective ▁effects ▁of ▁economic ▁laws .