This study descends into the modern cynical consciousness and emerges with a critical assessment of the preoccupations of contemporary society. It charts the development of a culture of cynicism in forms, such as an obsession with finality and integrity.
Reification is the process by which an intangible idea is transformed into an identifiable "thing". This book opens up a new formulation of the theory, claiming that, in this age of late capitalism, reification itself is inseparable from the anxiety people feel towards it.