49 pages • 1 hour read
David GraeberDebt: The First 5,000 Years
David GraeberNonfiction | Book | Adult | Published in 2011A modern alternative to SparkNotes and CliffsNotes, SuperSummary offers high-quality Study Guides with detailed chapter summaries and analysis of major themes, characters, and more.
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Traditional economists following in the footsteps of Adam Smith argue “first comes barter, then money; credit only develops later” (21). How does Graeber question this conventional narrative? Provide at least three archaeological or ethnographic examples that counter the prevailing assumptions about the history of money.
Compare and contrast the barter and primordial debt theories. Why does Graeber reject both theories?
What is morality? Why is framing all of morality around the language of commercial transactions problematic? What alternatives does Graeber propose for how to conceive morality?
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