I did not know David Graeber. We knew of each other and had exchanged once or twice, but I make no more claim that that.
But I was a massive fan of his work, and most especially his work on debt. His book on 'Debt: The First 5,000 Years' has its own Wikipedia page.
David understood money:
David died yesterday. He was not yet 60. He's a real loss to progressive thinking.
As Steve Keen said yesterday, if there is life after death, and David is in heaven know, he'll be observing it acutely having been to hell on the way in, just for the sake of comparison.
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What a loss! I am reading his ‘magnum opus’ currently. He gives Mitchell-Innes due credit (but a little surprisngly perhaps no mention of Dunning MacLeod or Ruml that I could find, and John Law only passing reference). The little video of Gaeber and economic tabooo at the top of this thread is outstanding: it needs the widest circulation. In the vernacular – it nails it.
It is a salutary reminder that economists are dreadful accountants; so if they can’t understand basic accounting – why are they thought fit to do economics? That is a serious question – amalgamate economic and accountancy course in undergraduate degrees: I suspect it would be transformative.
Spot on
My son studied Philosophy and Economics. Most interesting bit? Philosophy. Most useful? Accounting.
Indeed
Not just a course on accounting for mainstream Neoliberal economists to pay attention to money flows both influx and reflux but one on anthropology. It was the latter observing how human beings are big on equitable cooperation or reciprocation in a non-capitalist economy or so called “primitive” societies that inspired David Graeber. He was head and shoulders in perceptiveness, way above the majority of individuals in the so called “developed” world! It was a gut punch to hear about his sudden death to realise he will not be around to disinvest people of the brain-washed nonsense they carry around in their heads. As for Heaven and Hell well they are both drivers are they not. Thank you so much David Graeber. Very big sympathy for his wife Nika.
I eventually discovered Philosophy was more useful than I ever realised, and contrary to the widespread myth otherwise. In applying for a postGrad combo of Economics and IT as I was sceptical about my ability to go full gas on Software Engineering. The Admissions tutor once he knew I’d majored in Philosophy undergrad, tried very hard but unsuccessfully to persuade me into Software Engineering, saying I had no idea how well Philosophy will have prepared me based on his experience with Philosophy graduates. I went on to do extra Software Engineering courses, once I realised he was dead on correct.
But it is true most employers are suspicious of it. Anecdotally, one Software Consultancy even explicitly expressed concern about my having taken courses in Ethics!
The ability to think is very dangerous
At the time he made that video for The Guardian he also wrote an article for them on the same subject which is worth reading.
https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2015/oct/28/2008-crash-government-economic-growth-budgetary-surplus
David Graeber, of course. Another typo (a bad time to do it) – mea culpa, again.
David Graeber – An academic titan and decent bloke. We sought out his writings for their joy and easy read. Having read his work I particularly loved the short essays in The Baffler; everyone should read – “What’s the Point If We Can’t Have Fun?” https://thebaffler.com/salvos/whats-the-point-if-we-cant-have-fun
David Graeber’s article reminds me of the one by the American sociologist David C. Bell et al in which they include “play” as a primary driver in life at least from a sociologist’s perspective on the mammalian system “play creates and strengthens social bonds.” An anthropologist like David Graeber would be conversant with this insight:-
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3471369/
I’m absolutely taken aback and deeply saddened. Not since the loss of Jeremy Hardy have I really felt this sad (mind you, losing our very wonderful Peter Green recently was also very sad – one of our finest and most eloquent guitar players).
‘Debt’ is an amazing book – I’ve read it (after readers here mentioned it – so thanks to all) and was moved to review it on you know where.
What a sad, huge loss.
Only someone on the outside, and looking in could write a book as profound and honest as that.
Thank you for letting us/me know Richard.
And just 59
Most people think it was Covid related
Sobering
Very sad.
Debt: The First 5,000 Years was a real mind opener for me.
What a mighty tome!!
Bullshit Jobs was very funny in places. Some of the job descriptions people sent in were just brilliant. But the book has a very serious question at its heart.
I loved hearing some of his interviews. Just looked at the world from a very different perspective. Always optimistic as well.
The “powers that be” will be happy that he is no longer with us.
Very sad news.
Further reinforcement of David Graeber’s work:-
https://www.nakedcapitalism.com/2020/09/michael-hudson-debt-land-and-money-from-polanyi-to-the-new-economic-archaeology.html#comment-3422438
Wow, thank you Helen.
Look at this quote from Polyani:
‘Socialism is, essentially, the tendency inherent in an industrial civilization to transcend the self-regulating market by consciously subordinating it to a democratic society. It is the solution natural to industrial workers who see no reason why production should not be regulated directly and why markets should be more than a useful but subordinate trait in a free society’.
It’s the age old question: Who Rules?
Your comment “Who rules?” reminds me of two sentences I read years ago in a book (“Hierarchy in the Forest” pages 75-76) by another anthropologist Christopher Boehm in which he said the following:-
“The foragers’ dilemma is to make use of the wisest heads available, yet prevent these gifted people from gaining undue political influence or power. One preventive measure is to keep the authority to decide with the group as a whole, and consensus seeking does just that.”
In our complex societies today that clearly now requires re-figuring how best to keep “the group” better informed given the terribly shallow approach many voters now exhibit in making critical decisions. It also I might add raises the question why does life require “consensus seeking” haven’t the Neo-Darwinist’s told us life is biased towards competition not cooperation? Could they possibly be wrong?
David Graeber was the perfect example of why anthropologists give us more insight into economics than economists. Anthropologists understand humans whereas economists prefer algorithms, and not that much has really changed about human nature since we were foragers.
Agreed
Richard,
Very sad news about David Graeber. My father John Hope – who you know posted on your blog many times – also died last month. He was 71. My father was a big fan of Graeber and his book. It was one of many that he read while researching the film we made together Money For Nothing.
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=1FglZyBcFyQ
Thought you’d want to know in case you were wondering why he was no longer posting.
Matthew Hope
Dear Matthew
My sincere condolences for your loss, and thank you for letting me know
His comments are a loss here too. He commented 212 times, most recently in July. And that was a great film
Go well, and take care. I lost my dad a couple of years ago. It takes time to come to terms with.
Best
Richard
Sorry to hear that Matthew. John was a great insightful commentator who greatly enriched Richard’s blog. We will miss him.
I believe that the initial cause of death was internal bleeding, they are going to do a full autopsy to find out why he was bleeding and what the underlying causes were.
Devastatingly sad news about David Graeber. A brilliantly original thinker. His book on Debt is the best book on money. I learnt so much from him.
Absolutely agree with all the comments here. The world lost an intellectual titan this week, who also happened to be an extremely engaging, warm and much loved human being.
I never read any of Graeber’s books, but thoroughly enjoyed his superb, yet humorous BBC Radio 4 series based on ‘Debt: The first 5,000 years’, which he himself narrated. As a ‘hard’ scientifically-trained engineer who hitherto knew little of the ‘soft’ science of anthropology, nor ‘boring bean counting’ accountancy, it was a revelation that such previously seemingly diverse and obscure (to me) disciplines were THE key to understanding how economics (indeed our society) really works.
David’s foundational work (along with the ineluctable logic of accountancy) clinched MMT for me. MMT is the real deal, no question.
Finally, I loved this achingly poignant quote by the New Statesman from David’s writings…
“The ultimate, hidden truth of the world is that it is something that we make, and could just as easily make differently.”
Thanks
David Graeber (bless him) was also not afraid to speak unequivocally about what he saw as injustice, especially when he saw others less privileged and honoured (and therefore more vulnerable) subject to extreme intimidation and propaganda. This was a fascinating and illuminating 10 minute interview
https://www.doubledown.news/watch/2020/12/april/the-weaponisation-of-labour-antisemitism-david-graeber
David Graeber’s CV:-
https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5ae0ebef1aef1da34cfb6554/t/5afc1d982b6a28e917ff1241/1526472177831/DG-spring_summer+2017_18-CV+PUBLISH.pdf