David Graeber
David Graeber
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Full Name and Common Aliases
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David Peter Graeber was a renowned American anthropologist, known to his friends and family as David.
Birth and Death Dates
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Graeber was born on February 8, 1961. He passed away on September 2, 2020, at the age of 59 due to a heart attack while walking in Italy with his wife.
Nationality and Profession(s)
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Nationality: American
Profession(s): Anthropologist, philosopher, activist
Graeber was a leading figure in anthropology, known for his work on power dynamics, economics, and politics. He held positions as a professor at several institutions, including Yale University, Goldsmiths, University of London, and the London School of Economics.
Early Life and Background
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Born in New York City to two artists, Graeber developed an interest in anthropology from a young age. His father's eclectic background, which included studies in anthropology, influenced David's early fascination with cultures and societies. Graeber spent part of his childhood traveling with his family, exploring various parts of the world.
Graeber attended Andover High School, where he was exposed to diverse academic perspectives. He went on to study at Harvard University, graduating in 1985 with a Bachelor's degree in Social Studies. After completing his undergraduate studies, Graeber earned a Master's degree from Manchester University and later received his Ph.D. in Anthropology from Chicago University.
Major Accomplishments
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Author: Graeber wrote extensively on anthropology and philosophy. His most notable works include:
"Toward an Anthropological Theory of Value" (2001)
"Bullshit Jobs: A Rhetoric" (2018)
"The Utopia of Rules: On Technology, Stupidity, and the Secret Joys of Bureaucracy" (2015)
Professor: Graeber held various professorships at institutions such as Yale University, Goldsmiths, University of London, and the London School of Economics. He taught courses on anthropology, philosophy, and politics.
Activist: Graeber was a vocal advocate for social justice and workers' rights. He participated in Occupy Wall Street protests and advocated for better working conditions.
Notable Works or Actions
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Graeber's work can be characterized by his ability to bridge the gap between anthropology, philosophy, and politics. Some of his notable works include:
"Debt: The First 5,000 Years" (2011): This book challenges conventional views on debt and its role in society.
"The Utopia of Rules": In this book, Graeber critiques the inefficiencies of modern bureaucracy.
* "Bullshit Jobs": Graeber's most popular work explores the concept of meaningless employment.
Impact and Legacy
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Graeber's impact on academia is undeniable. His ability to merge anthropology with philosophy has influenced a new generation of scholars. He was a vocal advocate for workers' rights, social justice, and critique of modern capitalism.
Why They Are Widely Quoted or Remembered
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David Graeber is remembered for his innovative approach to anthropology, which challenged traditional views on power dynamics and economics. His writing style made complex ideas accessible to a broad audience. As an outspoken advocate for social justice, he continues to inspire individuals worldwide with his work and legacy.
Note: This biography uses Markdown format as requested.
Quotes by David Graeber
David Graeber's insights on:
It’s hard to imagine a surer sign that one is dealing with an irrational economic system than the fact that the prospect of eliminating drudgery is considered to be a problem.
This last is important. Even in corporate environments, it is very difficult to remove an underling for incompetence if that underling has seniority and a long history of good performance reviews. As in government bureaucracies, the easiest way to deal with such people is often to “kick them upstairs”: promote them to a higher post, where they become somebody else’s problem.
What “the public,” “the workforce,” “the electorate,” “consumers,” and “the population” all have in common is that they are brought into being by institutionalized frames of action that are inherently bureaucratic, and therefore, profoundly alienating.
The Iron Law of Liberalism states that any market reform, any government initiative intended to reduce red tape and promote market forces will have the ultimate effect of increasing the total number of regulations, the total amount of paperwork, and the total number of bureaucrats the government employs.
I think if the general exodus that seems to be going on occurs it’s going to be a disaster,.
It’s not just that some people get to break the rules – it’s that loyalty to the organization is to some degree measured by one’s willingness to pretend this isn’t happening.
Then you ask: what, within this cosmos, is the opposite of a vampire? The answer is obvious. The opposite of a vampire is a werewolf.
After all, we do owe everything we are to others. This is simply true. The language we speak and even think in, our habits and opinions, the kind of food we like to eat, the knowledge that makes our lights switch on and toilets flush, even the style in which we carry out our gestures of defiance and rebellion against social conventions – all of this we learned from other people, most of them long dead.
The reasons why anthropologists haven’t been able to come up with a simple, compelling story for the origins of money is because there’s no reason to believe there could be one. Money was no more ever “invented” than music or mathematics or jewelry. What we call “money” isn’t a “thing” at all; it’s a way of comparing things mathematically, as proportions: of saying one of X is equivalent to six of Y. As such it is probably as old as human thought.
The result often leaves those forced to deal with bureaucratic administration with the impression that they are dealing with people who have for some arbitrary reason decided to put on a set of glasses that only allows them to see only 2 percent of what’s in front of them.