Writing appears to be necessary for the centralized, stratified state to reproduce itself. Its mostly for my future self to refer back to and thus probably missing a lot for someone who hasnt read it, but the tidbits are so. His research concerns political economy, comparative agrarian societies, theories of hegemony and resistance, peasant politics, revolution, southeast. Scott analogizes complacencypeace to the domestication of nonhuman animals, including the phenomenon of less violent emotional reactions and greater conformity. Scott london school of economics so why did they do it. Against the grain a deep history of the earliest states 2017, by yale agrarian studies professor james c. For example, by about 10,000 bce, small human communities had begun to form, domesticating plants and animals, irrigating crops, and growing some of their own food.
For more than 40 years, james scott has written about those who resist being incorporated into politicaleconomic systems. Jul 24, 2018 in a provocative new book, against the grain, scott now challenges us to rethink legends about the state and its origins. Aug 28, 2017 the first agrarian states, says james c. First let us compare, broadly, the life world of the hunterforager with that of the farmer, with or without livestock. I was reading against the grain by james scott and this stood out to me. We dont give the technology of fire enough credit, scott suggests, because we dont give our ancestors much credit for. In against the grain, james c scott reminds us of the staggering price our ancestors paid for civilisation. Against the grain a deep history of the earliest states by james c.
Scott s oeuvre is among the most important in contemporary political theory. For example, by about 10,000 bce, small human communities had begun to form, domesticating plants and animals, irrigating crops, and growing some of their own food while obtaining the rest from the land around them. Scott that sets out to undermine what he calls the standard civilizational narrative that suggests humans chose to live settled lives based on intensive agriculture because this made people safer and more prosperous. But archaeological and historical evidence challenges this narrative.
Scott, a professor of political science at yale, presents a plausible contender for the most important piece of. We dont give the technology of fire enough credit, scott suggests, because we dont give our ancestors much credit for their ingenuity over the long period ninetyfive. Regular readers will know that this has been a longstanding area of research. Scott analyzes failed cases of largescale authoritarian plans in a variety of fields. Against the grain is the latest book by scott, whose earlier works have studied modern states and the means by which the poor and powerless have fought back within them. Published with assistance from the foundation established in memory of amasa stone mather of the class of 1907, yale college. Scott 2018, paperback at the best online prices at ebay. Scott given 9 april 2015 at the school of culture and society, aarhus university in the futures lecture series with the title.
How agriculture has hijacked civilization paperback 9 may 2005. See all 5 formats and editions hide other formats and editions. Someone on ssc discord summarized james scotts against the grain as basically 300 pages of calling wheat a fascist. His primary research has centered on peasants of southeast asia and their strategies of resistance to various forms of domination. Scott, were born of accumulations of domestications. Aug 22, 2017 for more than 40 years, james scott has written about those who resist being incorporated into politicaleconomic systems. George monbiot, guardian against the grain delivers what is says on the tin and is a fine piece of historical counternarrative. Against the grain james c scott bok akademibokhandeln. While acknowledging that a number of objections can be raised against the historical. Here are some notes and quotes that particularly stood out to me from each chapter of against the grain. Jacob levy, reason the story of a complex pattern of grain agriculture, early states, forced labor, and the extraction of surplus, and how all of these things were connected in ways that researchers previously never.
Scott that sets out to undermine what he calls the standard civilizational. I was reading against the grain by james scott and this. Scotts oeuvre is among the most important in contemporary political theory. Scotts against the grain posted on november 23, 2017 may 26, 2018 by ch during my long discursion on the history of money, the academic james c. Search for library items search for lists search for contacts search for a. Scott, a professor of political science at yale, presents a plausible contender for the most important piece of technology in the history of man. Against the grain is a significant addition to it, as scott issues the. The new york times described his research as highly influential and. Search for library items search for lists search for contacts search for a library. Four domestications is a free pdf download, the 48page text of a lecture scott gave at harvard.
In a provocative new book, against the grain, scott now challenges us to rethink legends about the state and its origins. A deep history of the earliest states is a 2017 book by james c. Scott is sterling professor of political science and codirector of the agrarian studies program at yale university. His previous books include domination and the arts of resistance, seeing like a state, and the art of not being governed. In fact scott does address, at some length, the second of these questions. Jun 05, 2017 scott analogizes complacencypeace to the domestication of nonhuman animals, including the phenomenon of less violent emotional reactions and greater conformity. Vainglorious kings with their generals and armies, sycophantic scribes, and royal architects and engineers are not scott s heroes. Centrally managed social plans misfire, scott argues, when they impose schematic visions that do violence to complex interdependencies that are not and cannot be fully understood.
The one phenomenon which has invariably accompanied it is the formation of cities and. In this book, he aims to synthesize recent research on domestication, sedentism, and state formation, taking as examples mesopotamia, egypt, and china. Against the grain 9780300182910, 9780300231687 vitalsource. Scott published an important book called against the grain. Scott hits the nail squarely on the head by exposing the staggering price our ancestors paid for civilisation and political order.
Against the grain is a popular science summary of the now substantial case that agriculture was not the products of innovation but rather ecological circumstance, that the state was not the beginning of the end of deprivation, savagery, and oppression, but the start of the worst examples in human history. That is a question that nobody know the answer to, but it appears they stumbled into not because it was a better way of life, but due to some sort of pressures beyond their control. Here, in against the grain, scott is highlighting how, despite the lens our standard history gives us, sedentary states were in a world where state power proclaims itself to be and sometimes really seems allpervading and inescapable, scott writes these gently enthusiastic, provocative books about the limits and drawbacks of the state. The hipcrime vocab during my long discursion on the history of money, the academic james c. Close observers of huntergatherer life have been struck by how it is punctuated by bursts of intense activity over short periods of time. Scott tells a somewhat different story that will challenge everything youve been taught about ancient history. Now, in his most accessible and personal book to date, the acclaimed social scientist makes the. Scott, might be but isnt subtitled barbarians are happier, fatter and better looking. Everyday low prices and free delivery on eligible orders. The frequent collapses of early states were often a welcome respite for early populations in terms of health and wellbeing. Scott contributes to his longstanding intellectual project of reevaluating the role of the state in political thought by looking at the development of the early agrarian states to challenge narratives of progress founded on state formation. Scott born december 2, 1936 is an american political scientist and anthropologist. Scott in against the grain doesnt ask what for her is the biggest question of all.
Scott goes further, and further back, to argue that civilization, in its earliest forms, wasnt necessarily much of an improvement on barbarity. A deep history of the earliest states for a complete list of titles in the yale agrarian studies series, visit agrarian. Discover more authors youll love listening to on audible. Against the grain a deep history of the earliest states james c. Against the grain james c scott bok 9780300182910 bokus. This outstanding book, by the anarchisttending academic james c. Scott contributes to his longstanding intellectual project of reevaluating the. A deep history of the earliest states paperback july 24 2018 by james c. How agriculture has hijacked civilization by manning, richard isbn. Here is a good nyt profile of scott and also his farming work. Save up to 80% by choosing the etextbook option for isbn. He is a comparative scholar of agrarian and nonstate societies, subaltern politics, and anarchism. James scott taught us whats wrong with seeing like a state.
Against the grain is not just a counternarrative, an outsiders skeptical reaction to received wisdom about the evolution of agricultural systems and the first states in mesopotamia. Against the grain is a significant addition to it, as scott. Instead, he argues, people had to be forced to live in the early states, which were hierarchical, beset by malnutrition and disease, and often based on slavery. Against the grain is a significant addition to it, as scott issues the challenge of an antiauthoritarian approach to our political origins crispin sartwell, times literary supplement. Against the grain james c scott haftad 9780300240214. Note that a new book by james scott was published in august 2017 with the same title and a significant overlap in subject material. During my long discursion on the history of money, the academic james c.
Scott, a professor of political science at yale, presents a plausible contender for the most important piece of technology. Walter scheidel, financial times an economist best history book 2017 fascinating. A deep history of the earliest states, yale university press, new haven, 2017. We used to think moving on from a huntergatherer lifestyle. Though scott does not observe it, the first half of against the grain reads like a paean to a different style of agricultural civilization in the making. Once in a while a book comes along that so radically shifts your perspective and ways of thinking about a complex subject that it can only be called breathtaking.