Stefanos Geroulanos, Director of the Remark Institute and a professor at NYU, discusses his book 'The Invention of Prehistory.' He examines how Enlightenment thinkers shifted views on human origins, impacting notions of race and imperialism. The conversation delves into the allure of prehistory, the evolution of cultural hierarchies, and how Darwinism influenced political ideologies. Geroulanos also critiques historical narratives regarding Neanderthals, revealing how ideologies shape our understanding of identity in contemporary contexts.
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Presentism in Prehistory
Our obsession with human origins reveals more about our present than the past.
We project present-day concerns onto the past to justify current beliefs and anxieties.
insights INSIGHT
Inventing Prehistory
Prehistory as a concept emerged in the 1860s.
Before, discussions centered on those outside of religious or recorded history.
insights INSIGHT
Tripartite Views
Tripartite views (e.g., Stone, Bronze, Iron Age) simplified world categorization for intellectuals.
This view facilitated narratives of progress and cultural superiority, justifying colonialism.
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The Invention of Prehistory: Empire, violence, and our obsession with human origins
The Invention of Prehistory: Empire, violence, and our obsession with human origins
Empire, Violence, and Our Obsession with Human Origins
Stefanos Geroulanos
Stefanos Geroulanos's "The Invention of Prehistory" delves into the history of how we understand human origins, tracing the evolution of concepts from the Enlightenment to the present. The book challenges conventional narratives of progress, revealing how ideas about human nature have been used to justify colonialism and oppression. Geroulanos examines the influence of key thinkers like Darwin and Marx, highlighting how their theories shaped our understanding of prehistory and its implications for contemporary society. He argues that our interpretations of the past often reflect our present concerns, urging a critical re-evaluation of how we construct narratives about human origins. The book ultimately encourages a more nuanced and less deterministic view of human history.
Interview with Stefanos Geroulanos, author of 'The Invention of Prehistory: Empire, Violence, and Our Obsession with Human Origins'
Books about humanity's origins captivate readers, while news outlets eagerly cover archaeological discoveries, reflecting a long-standing fascination with prehistory. In "The Invention of Prehistory," historian Stefanos Geroulanos explores how Enlightenment-era thinkers began to consider a human past beyond recorded history, moving away from religious explanations to empirical ones. Geroulanos details how various ideas—from the “state of nature” to theories about Neanderthals—shaped Western intellectual thought and justified imperialist and repressive regimes. These notions, ranging from seeing other cultures as "savages" to justifying war through evolutionary theories, underpinned colonial violence and modern imperialism. Geroulanos contends that prehistory narratives reveal more about the times they were conceived than about ancient realities, suggesting that to improve our future, we should move beyond the quest for origins. His work reexamines the impact of our historical interpretations on contemporary society.
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Javier Mejia is an economist at Stanford University who specializes in the intersection of social networks and economic history. His research interests also include entrepreneurship and political economy, with a particular focus on Latin America and the Middle East. He holds a Ph.D. in Economics from Los Andes University. Mejia has previously been a Postdoctoral Associate and Lecturer at New York University-Abu Dhabi and a Visiting Scholar at the University of Bordeaux. He is also a frequent contributor to various news outlets, currently serving as an op-ed columnist for Forbes Magazine.
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The Economic and Political History Podcast