Debt: The First 5,000 Years
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- Create Date：2021-06-30 08:54:18
- Update Date：2025-09-06
- Status：finish
- Author：David Graeber
- ISBN：1612194192
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Summary
Before there was money， there was debt
Every economics textbook says the same thing: Money was invented to replace onerous and complicated barter systems—to relieve ancient people from having to haul their goods to market。 The problem with this version of history？ There’s not a shred of evidence to support it。
Here anthropologist David Graeber presents a stunning reversal of conventional wisdom。 He shows that for more than 5，000 years， since the beginnings of the first agrarian empires， humans have used elaborate credit systems to buy and sell goods—that is， long before the invention of coins or cash。 It is in this era， Graeber argues， that we also first encounter a society divided into debtors and creditors。
Graeber shows that arguments about debt and debt forgiveness have been at the center of political debates from Italy to China， as well as sparking innumerable insurrections。 He also brilliantly demonstrates that the language of the ancient works of law and religion （words like “guilt，” “sin，” and “redemption”） derive in large part from ancient debates about debt， and shape even our most basic ideas of right and wrong。 We are still fighting these battles today without knowing it。
Debt: The First 5，000 Years is a fascinating chronicle of this little known history—as well as how it has defined human history， and what it means for the credit crisis of the present day and the future of our economy。
Every economics textbook says the same thing: Money was invented to replace onerous and complicated barter systems—to relieve ancient people from having to haul their goods to market。 The problem with this version of history？ There’s not a shred of evidence to support it。
Here anthropologist David Graeber presents a stunning reversal of conventional wisdom。 He shows that for more than 5，000 years， since the beginnings of the first agrarian empires， humans have used elaborate credit systems to buy and sell goods—that is， long before the invention of coins or cash。 It is in this era， Graeber argues， that we also first encounter a society divided into debtors and creditors。
Graeber shows that arguments about debt and debt forgiveness have been at the center of political debates from Italy to China， as well as sparking innumerable insurrections。 He also brilliantly demonstrates that the language of the ancient works of law and religion （words like “guilt，” “sin，” and “redemption”） derive in large part from ancient debates about debt， and shape even our most basic ideas of right and wrong。 We are still fighting these battles today without knowing it。
Debt: The First 5，000 Years is a fascinating chronicle of this little known history—as well as how it has defined human history， and what it means for the credit crisis of the present day and the future of our economy。
Reviews
agata
，
review in progress In order to make a slave out of a person you have to destroy this person's social identity， take her by force from the community she belongs to。 In order to justify the destruction of the earth you have to destroy peoples natural identity， take them by force from their relationshipt with nature。 What does this say about our current atomized society？ Read Less is More: How Degrowth Will Save the World review in progress In order to make a slave out of a person you have to destroy this person's social identity， take her by force from the community she belongs to。 In order to justify the destruction of the earth you have to destroy peoples natural identity， take them by force from their relationshipt with nature。 What does this say about our current atomized society？ Read Less is More: How Degrowth Will Save the World 。。。more
Paige McLoughlin
，
Debt is the flip side of assets and not only a tool of commerce but also control。 Debtors are indentured to the economy and toil in a way creditors are not。 It is interesting that colonialists would impose a tax on subjects merely to force them into the exploitative colonial economy。 It is the tool to keep people in their place and enforce the social order no matter how pernicious。 I only have to think about young college grads indentured to their student debts make them get work and keep their Debt is the flip side of assets and not only a tool of commerce but also control。 Debtors are indentured to the economy and toil in a way creditors are not。 It is interesting that colonialists would impose a tax on subjects merely to force them into the exploitative colonial economy。 It is the tool to keep people in their place and enforce the social order no matter how pernicious。 I only have to think about young college grads indentured to their student debts make them get work and keep their head down。 Of course， debt is linked to the bureaucrat and soldier and policeman to enforce these relationships and indentures。 Graeber's analysis of these essential structures of oppression gets to the heart of the matter。 He will be missed。 。。。more
Alex Macon
，
Challenges a lot of conventional thinking about money and the way the world is。 It doesn't have to be this way。 Challenges a lot of conventional thinking about money and the way the world is。 It doesn't have to be this way。 。。。more
ARCELIA
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Stunning detail。
Monique
，
Debt: The First 5，000 Years has cool characters and the character development is stupendous as well。
Malek Atia
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الكتاب مترجم للعربية من خلال المركز القومي للترجمة لكن للأسف ترجمة أحمد زكي أحمد لم تكن موفقة، ليست سيئة لكن هناك هفوات يصعب تفسيرها، هذا مما جعلني استغنى عن الترجمة و اقرأ الكتاب بالانجليزية و هو ما لم يكن مهمة سهلة ايضا حيث ان الكتاب يتطلب الماما كبير باللغة، بتاريخ و ببعض المصطلحات المالية، ارى ان القارئ العربي ان اراد قرائت الكتاب الأفضل الاعتماد على النسخة الانجليزية بمعية الترجمة فالكتاب فعلا يستحق العناء。
Max Richter
，
I took out a loan to buy bitcoin a few months back and when my Bank asked me why I'm not making my payments I just sent them an Amazon link to this book and a message saying "actually YOU'RE stealing from ME ;）"。I am now in federal prison。 I took out a loan to buy bitcoin a few months back and when my Bank asked me why I'm not making my payments I just sent them an Amazon link to this book and a message saying "actually YOU'RE stealing from ME ;）"。I am now in federal prison。 。。。more
Erik Nygren
，
Outstanding。 Be warned it’s very extensive and sprawly， but if you’re interested in anthropology and economics， the way culture intertwines with how we organise the economy and ownership of resources。 It’s a must read。This made me reevaluate my own internal simplistic image of older economies， rethink what debt is on a philosophical level， and appreciate exactly how much hyper-commodification affects our day to day thinking。
Brian Teo
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Warrants a 2nd read
Alex
，
The author's account of economic history is fascinating; however， how they deal with political history is questionable， and they simply get elements of intellectual history incorrect。 Like Marx， many of their insights are fascinating， but all of their predictions and recommendations should be taken as a grain of salt。 Also， for context， my opinions are to the left of most major political parties。 The author's account of economic history is fascinating; however， how they deal with political history is questionable， and they simply get elements of intellectual history incorrect。 Like Marx， many of their insights are fascinating， but all of their predictions and recommendations should be taken as a grain of salt。 Also， for context， my opinions are to the left of most major political parties。 。。。more
Nat Roberts
，
In fifty years， Debt will be ranked alongside Das Kapital as one of the most influential books in the history of thought。 I'm staking a claim， we'll see how it turns out， but I think I'm right。Graeber deftly and congenially destroys the foundational assumptions of contemporary neoliberal capitalism， and offers in their place a myriad of simple explanations for things that have never made sense。 Reading it feels like a psychological liberation or a spiritual ecstasy， but better because it somehow In fifty years， Debt will be ranked alongside Das Kapital as one of the most influential books in the history of thought。 I'm staking a claim， we'll see how it turns out， but I think I'm right。Graeber deftly and congenially destroys the foundational assumptions of contemporary neoliberal capitalism， and offers in their place a myriad of simple explanations for things that have never made sense。 Reading it feels like a psychological liberation or a spiritual ecstasy， but better because it somehow captures the psychological toll and spiritual anguish of languishing under late capitalism while opening the door to a flood of imagination and creative solutions。 By destroying the fantasies of the dying capitalist system， Graeber frees the reader to dream of a better world。 。。。more
Oolalaa
，
18/20
Oliver Thompson
，
good start， better middle， worse end
Marlon Austin
，
the first three and the final chapters were fascinating but a large portion of the book was just boring and lets down the premise
Briandooley
，
Very interesting observations on the social nature and history of debt。
Lesyk Mahula
，
З тих книжок які було б добре колись перечитати， так як читав з дуууже довгим розривом。 Книжка з розряду world history з цікавим поглядом на питання походження грошей і （surprize） поняття боргу。 Власне починається як суто антропологія і пізніше перетікає в історію， релігієзнавство， економіку і політологію （автор був один з основних ідеологів occupy wall street）。 Якщо коротко по суті - основна ідея в тому，що кредит/борг утворився значно раніше ніж валюта （і бартерної торгівлі як такої ніколи не б З тих книжок які було б добре колись перечитати， так як читав з дуууже довгим розривом。 Книжка з розряду world history з цікавим поглядом на питання походження грошей і （surprize） поняття боргу。 Власне починається як суто антропологія і пізніше перетікає в історію， релігієзнавство， економіку і політологію （автор був один з основних ідеологів occupy wall street）。 Якщо коротко по суті - основна ідея в тому，що кредит/борг утворився значно раніше ніж валюта （і бартерної торгівлі як такої ніколи не було в широкому розімінні слова）， і також впродовж історії суспільства кредит та валюта періодично змінюють одне одного。 。。。more
Viktor Nilsson
，
Masterfully researched and brilliantly written。 It is rare to find pleasure in listening to reasoning that goes against your own views， but Graeber managed to do that with me， and for 15 hours at that。 The audiobook is very well narrated， I should add。The missing star is because I found the book hard to follow at times。 Not having studied anthropology （Graeber's domain） myself， I find some reasoning here to sound like abstractions of abstractions ad infinitum。 Read this book with care and it mig Masterfully researched and brilliantly written。 It is rare to find pleasure in listening to reasoning that goes against your own views， but Graeber managed to do that with me， and for 15 hours at that。 The audiobook is very well narrated， I should add。The missing star is because I found the book hard to follow at times。 Not having studied anthropology （Graeber's domain） myself， I find some reasoning here to sound like abstractions of abstractions ad infinitum。 Read this book with care and it might open your mind to some new ideas， as it did for me。 。。。more
Il’ia
，
definitely a slow burn。 the scope & anthropologicalcontents of it threw me off for a while b/c the academy has unfortunately rotted my brain， but i finished the book compelled by graeber’s argument & excited to read his other work。
Murray Ratings
，
If you've been looking for a new protagonis， heres one you can to sink your teeth into， you can rest easy now; you're here！ If you've been looking for a new protagonis， heres one you can to sink your teeth into， you can rest easy now; you're here！ 。。。more
Mamduh Halawa
，
Fascinating account of the origins of money and financial institutions。 In some ways this directly contradicts regular knowledge of what we now take for granted as a market， and what free trade really means。 Heavy read though， sometimes a bit bloated with side-stories。
Siddarth Gore
，
States created markets。 Markets require states。 Neither could continue without the other， at leastSo markets and state are not opposed？ Interesting。if one saves someone else’s life， one is considered responsible for taking care of that person forever。What？ That seems unfair。 But that is how things worked in early history。 And for a reason。Exchange allows us to cancel out our debts。 It gives us a way to call it even: hence， to end the relationship。We seek to be capitalists only with strangers。 Wi States created markets。 Markets require states。 Neither could continue without the other， at leastSo markets and state are not opposed？ Interesting。if one saves someone else’s life， one is considered responsible for taking care of that person forever。What？ That seems unfair。 But that is how things worked in early history。 And for a reason。Exchange allows us to cancel out our debts。 It gives us a way to call it even: hence， to end the relationship。We seek to be capitalists only with strangers。 With our loved ones we are communists。One extreme form of this， documented in various parts of the world， is the gift by stealth， in a kind of reverse burglary: to literally sneak into the recipient’s house at nightSanta Claus is it you？This is because there is every reason to believe that slavery， with its unique ability to rip human beings from their contexts， to turn them into abstractions， played a key role in the rise of markets everywhere。They don't teach you that in Economics 101 do they？ ;-） 。。。more
AURORA
，
Graeber "Parāds" diezgan saspridzina jumtu un apgāž visus tipiskos-zināmos stereotipus par to， kas ir nauda， kredīts， barters， parāds， nodokļi u。t。t。 Autors parāda， ka pasaules vēsturē nekas nav tā， ka māca ekonomikas stundā。 Autoram kā antropologam ir simtiem， ja ne tūkstošiem， visvisādu raibu piemēru no dažādām kultūrām， no dažādiem periodiem， par vēsturi un mūsdienām， kā visādas kopienas， kas vēl nav iekļāvušās globālās ekonomikas tirānijā， risinājušas un turpina risināt savstarpējās attiecīb Graeber "Parāds" diezgan saspridzina jumtu un apgāž visus tipiskos-zināmos stereotipus par to， kas ir nauda， kredīts， barters， parāds， nodokļi u。t。t。 Autors parāda， ka pasaules vēsturē nekas nav tā， ka māca ekonomikas stundā。 Autoram kā antropologam ir simtiem， ja ne tūkstošiem， visvisādu raibu piemēru no dažādām kultūrām， no dažādiem periodiem， par vēsturi un mūsdienām， kā visādas kopienas， kas vēl nav iekļāvušās globālās ekonomikas tirānijā， risinājušas un turpina risināt savstarpējās attiecības bez skaidras naudas palīdzības。Lai grāmatu izlasītu， tur gan vajag megapacietību - gan tāpēc， ka autors stāsta ļoti gari， gan tāpēc， ka lēkā no tēmas uz tēmu， gan tāpēc， ka nemāk strukturēt galveno。 Bija grūti aizlauzties pat līdz 30%， bet varbūt šis patiešām ir tāds long-read， kuru studēt vairāku gadu garumā， nevis kā esmu pieradusi- aprīt lieliem kumosiem。Iesaku， ja ne lasīt， tad vismaz iepazīties ar kādu īso atstāstu vai atsauksmēm。 Būs pārsteigumi。 。。。more
Jessica
，
Like 75% of this book is just dunking on economists （and Adam Smith specifically） and I am not complaining。 I don’t think I was expecting an anthropological approach but I appreciated the use of historical facts to debunk all our modern assumptions of what the ‘market’ and ‘economy’ is and how ‘natural’ or current system is。
Ig
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Contenu dense ayant les qualités d'un bon ouvrage de référence Contenu dense ayant les qualités d'un bon ouvrage de référence 。。。more
Sigurjón Guðjónsson
，
A masterpiece and a must read for those unable to imagine change。 RIP David Graeber， pour one out for a real one。
Cheenu
，
Starts on the premise of disproving the myth of barter （i。e。 that the world at one point transacted based on the barter system） but evolves into a book on human history from the angle of credit， debt & money。 I found this a pretty humanistic take on human history， compared to most books which are based on geopolitics （something that the author calls as "militarization of history"）。 This book is an extremely opinionated book so I am not sure if I agree or am convinced with everything the author s Starts on the premise of disproving the myth of barter （i。e。 that the world at one point transacted based on the barter system） but evolves into a book on human history from the angle of credit， debt & money。 I found this a pretty humanistic take on human history， compared to most books which are based on geopolitics （something that the author calls as "militarization of history"）。 This book is an extremely opinionated book so I am not sure if I agree or am convinced with everything the author says， but it is definitely a book that presents a different way of looking at life & makes you think。 。。。more
Jim
，
Money is capable of turning morality into impersonal arithmetic。 The difference between a debt and an obligation is money。 At the end， David proposed a debt jubilee。
Michael Davis
，
Answered some questions I had and gave new ones I never thought to ask。 Very worth the read
Priyam Roy
，
David Graeber is a deeply inspirational man， I hadn't known about his untimely passing away prior to reading this book but it's such a shame。 He is often credited as one of the key players behind the Occupy movements and I've been a fan of some of his articles， he's truly a brilliant anthropologist。 This book， however， was fairly mundane in my opinion。 It had its moments for sure， but I think the writing could have put more effort towards capturing the reader's interest， finishing it felt like a David Graeber is a deeply inspirational man， I hadn't known about his untimely passing away prior to reading this book but it's such a shame。 He is often credited as one of the key players behind the Occupy movements and I've been a fan of some of his articles， he's truly a brilliant anthropologist。 This book， however， was fairly mundane in my opinion。 It had its moments for sure， but I think the writing could have put more effort towards capturing the reader's interest， finishing it felt like a chore at times。 I think it's good from an anthropological standpoint but some of the assertions made by Graeber definitely lacked conviction。 It's also pretty technical， people who don't have an economics or anthropology background may find themselves lost periodically。 。。。more
Siddarth Raman
，