David Graeber and David Wengrow – ‘The Dawn of Everything: A New History of Humanity’. This new book from Graeber and Wengrow seeks to challenge assumptions about human social evolution and narratives of a linear development from primitive brutes to civilised people. Instead, the authors draw attention to the diversity of earlier human societies, arguing that humans had lived in large, complex, and decentralized societies for thousands of years. In doing so, Graeber and Wengrow fundamentally transform both our understanding of the past, and our vision for new ways of organising society in the future.

Schedule

  • Thursday 23rd December - Foreword, Chapters 1 & 2
  • Sunday 2nd January - Chapters 3 & 4
  • Sunday 9th January - Chapters 5 & 6
  • Sunday 16th January - Chapters 7 & 8
  • Sunday 23rd January - Chapters 9 & 10
  • Sunday 30th January - Chapter 11 & Conclusion

Outline

  • marxisthayaca [he/him,they/them]
    ·
    3 years ago

    I don't think it was necessarily academic anthropology but general popular culture. This book really seems aimed directly at the heart of the myth of civilization we often hear from in America. I was doing the audiobook so my questions to those reading it, are their sentences peppered with footnotes or endnotes? I'd like to see what kind of research they collected.

    • Invidiarum [none/use name]
      ·
      3 years ago

      Well they do have endnotes, but not really for the passages that I want.

      Plus what I feel is lacking is some justification for their methodology and framing. Not to make this a meme(I know which site I'm posting this on) but as far as I've read they have neither "done material analysis" nor explained why they're not. And I feel like "choices" and "willingness to experiment" is a somewhat questionable rationale why different people have different social arrangements or why some fluctuate between aristocracy and egalitarianism

      Sorry for the rant 🙈

      • marxisthayaca [he/him,they/them]
        ·
        3 years ago

        No, I get your point. Unfortunately the audiobook got returned when I was 50% and now there’s an eight weeks waiting lol

        • Helmic [he/him]
          ·
          3 years ago

          Wish audiobookbay didn't require an account, bugmenot accounts are spotty. I still have mine downloaded to listen through, and I might start it up again for next week to re-sync with folk since I've already read through the whole thing.