The Myth of Barter and the Origins of Money

For the third episode of Debt Discussions, the anthropologist Bill Maurer joins me to talk about Chapter 3 of Debt, Primordial Debts. Bill and I talk about the myth of primordial debt, where it fits in the anarchism vs. social democracy debate, and if the anthropological parables in the book fit Graeber's claims. We also talk about the strengths and flaws of Graeber's approach, especially the way that his work embraces grand narratives while critiquing the grand narrative tradition.

Bill wrote the conclusion for the new book As If Already Free: Anthropology and Activism After David Graeber