O objetivo deste trabalho é analisar os elementos que influenciaram a transformação do modo de conhecer do ser social ao longo da história. Partimos da indicação de Marx e Engels, acerca da relação entre a consciência e o mundo material, em que afirmam que é o ser social que determina a consciência. Sendo o ser social determinado pelas atividades práticas que realiza, e sendo a práxis produtiva a atividade fundamental de produção e reprodução da vida material, delimitamos nosso objeto a dois elementos: a divisão do trabalho e a troca mercantil. Nossa hipótese se expressa por meio de uma metáfora: antes o conhecimento era um espelho inteiro, porém embaçado. Depois, ele se torna um espelho quebrado, porém com cada pedaço mais nítido. Argumentaremos que a divisão do trabalho “quebra o espelho” transformando o conhecimento de totalidade (espelho inteiro) em unilateralidade (espelho quebrado em vários pedaços). E a troca mercantil “limpa o espelho” transformando o conhecimento que antes era superficial (embaçado) em um conhecimento mais profundo (límpido), por meio da relação entre abstração real e abstração do pensamento. Concluímos que a divisão do trabalho e a troca mercantil transformaram o modo de conhecer de algo mais empírico para algo mais abstrato. / The objective of this study is to analyze the factors that influenced the transformation of the social being mode of knowing throughout history. We start from the statement of Marx and Engels on the relationship between consciousness and the material world, affirming that it is the social being that determines consciousness. If the social being is determined by the practical activities, and if the productive practice is the fundamental activity of production and reproduction of material life, we delimit our object to two elements: the division of labor and commodity exchange. Our hypothesis is expressed through a metaphor: before the knowledge was a full mirror, but blurry. Then it becomes a broken mirror, but with each piece clearer. We will argue that the division of labor "break the mirror" transforming the totality of knowledge (full mirror) in one-sidedness (mirror broken into several pieces). And the commodity exchange "clean the mirror" transforming knowledge that was superficial (blurry) on a deeper knowledge (clear), through the relationship between real abstraction and abstraction of thought. We conclude that the division of labor and commodity exchange turned the mode of knowing something more empirical to something more abstract.

The topic researched for this project will be foreigh exchange hedging; the available forms, the uses, the procedures, and the value. This project will expand beyond the typical research and examine the value of hedging through the use of different foreign exchang currency trading strategies to small multinationational corporations.

The goal of this diploma thesis is to analyze the gold market and provide readers with the necessary information and context having an impact on the price of gold. The thesis consists of three chapters. First one deals in general with the commodity market and introduces the readers to commodity exchange issues such as trading commodities in commodity exchanges, motives of commodity trading as well as the specific characteristics of commodities. Second one concerns the detailed analysis of commodity investment tools that investors might use when they feel like getting an exposure to price movements of commodities. The last chapter gears towards an analysis of the gold market in today's super globalized world and depicts what fundamental factors have an impact on the price of gold. At last, I shall summarize existing pieces of knowledge and cast light on further gold price movements.