Summary
David Graeber and David Wengrow's The Dawn of Everything: A New History of Humanity is a groundbreaking work that challenges conventional narratives about human history. Published in 2021, this 704-page tome presents a radical reinterpretation of social evolution, from the development of agriculture to the origins of inequality and civilization.
Drawing on cutting-edge archaeological and anthropological research, the authors argue against the notion that human societies followed a linear path from primitive hunter-gatherers to complex civilizations. Instead, they reveal a rich tapestry of diverse social arrangements throughout history, including egalitarian cities and seasonal political systems that alternated between authoritarian and communal structures.
The book has garnered widespread attention and sparked debate among scholars and the general public alike. It became an international bestseller, translated into over thirty languages, and was named a finalist for the Orwell Prize for Political Writing in 2022. While some critics have questioned aspects of the authors' methodology, many reviewers have praised The Dawn of Everything for its ambitious scope and potential to reshape our understanding of human history.
Plot
In The Dawn of Everything, authors David Graeber and David Wengrow challenge conventional narratives about human history and social evolution. They argue that the standard view of prehistoric humans as either primitive innocents or warlike brutes is flawed, and that early societies were far more diverse and complex than previously thought.
The book explores how Indigenous critiques of European society in the 18th century influenced Enlightenment thinkers and shaped modern concepts of social progress. Graeber and Wengrow present evidence from archaeology and anthropology to show that early human societies experimented with various forms of social organization, including seasonal shifts between authoritarian and communal systems.
Contrary to popular belief, the authors contend that the advent of agriculture and urbanization did not necessarily lead to inequality and loss of freedom. They provide examples of early cities and civilizations that maintained egalitarian structures and democratic institutions. The book also questions the idea of a linear progression from hunter-gatherer societies to agricultural ones, arguing instead for a more nuanced understanding of how different cultures adapted over time.
Ultimately, The Dawn of Everything seeks to reframe our understanding of human history by highlighting the diversity and creativity of past societies. The authors suggest that by recognizing the flexibility and political ingenuity of our ancestors, we may be better equipped to imagine new possibilities for social organization and freedom in the present day.
Themes
Challenging traditional narratives of human history
Diversity and complexity of early human societies
Critiquing the “origins of inequality” framework
Indigenous critiques of European civilization
Flexibility and political creativity in prehistoric societies
Questioning the inevitability of social hierarchy
Reimagining human freedom and social organization
Setting
The Dawn of Everything spans a vast temporal and geographical scope, covering human history from prehistoric times to the present day. Rather than focusing on a specific era or region, the book examines diverse societies across continents and millennia to challenge conventional narratives about social evolution and the development of civilization.
The authors draw on archaeological and anthropological evidence from around the world, including North America, Mesoamerica, Europe, China, the Middle East, South Asia, and Africa. They explore early urban centers like Teotihuacan in Mexico, ancient Mesopotamian cities, and Indigenous societies in the Americas to illustrate the diversity of social and political organizations throughout history.
While not set in a single time period, the book pays particular attention to prehistoric and early historical societies, examining hunter-gatherer groups, early agricultural communities, and the first cities and states. It challenges the notion of a linear progression from simple to complex societies, instead highlighting the dynamic and varied nature of human social arrangements across time and space.
Key Figures
David Graeber: Anthropologist and co-author of The Dawn of Everything. Graeber was a prominent anarchist and activist known for his work on debt, bureaucracy, and social theory. He brought a unique perspective to the book, challenging conventional narratives about human history and social evolution. Sadly, Graeber passed away shortly before the book's publication.
David Wengrow: Archaeologist and co-author of The Dawn of Everything. Wengrow's expertise in early civilizations and material culture complemented Graeber's anthropological insights. Together, they synthesized a vast array of archaeological and anthropological evidence to present a new understanding of human history.
Kondiaronk: Wendat leader from the late 17th century. Kondiaronk's critiques of European society, as recorded by Baron Lahontan, played a crucial role in shaping Enlightenment thought. The authors use his example to illustrate how Indigenous perspectives influenced European ideas about freedom and social organization.
Baron Lahontan: French explorer who spent a decade in New France. His writings, which included conversations with Kondiaronk, became popular in Europe and helped disseminate Indigenous critiques of European society.
Quick facts
The book was co-authored by anthropologist David Graeber and archaeologist David Wengrow.
It was published posthumously after David Graeber's death in September 2020.
The book is 704 pages long and includes a 63-page bibliography.
It became an international bestseller and has been translated into over 30 languages.
The authors finished writing the book around August 2020, just before Graeber's unexpected passing.
It was shortlisted for the Orwell Prize for Political Writing in 2022.
The book entered The New York Times best-seller list at No. 2 in November 2021.
Its German translation debuted at No. 1 on Der Spiegel's bestseller list.
The book challenges traditional narratives of history's linear development from primitivism to civilization.
About the Author
David Graeber was an influential American anthropologist and anarchist activist who made significant contributions to economic anthropology and left-wing political thought. Born in 1961 to working-class parents in New York City, Graeber pursued anthropology at the University of Chicago, conducting fieldwork in Madagascar. His academic career included positions at Yale University, Goldsmiths, University of London, and the London School of Economics.
Graeber's scholarship covered a wide range of topics, including theories of value, social hierarchy, and the ethnography of Madagascar. He gained widespread recognition for his 2011 book Debt: The First 5000 Years, which explored the historical relationship between debt and social institutions. His later works, such as Bullshit Jobs (2018), offered critiques of bureaucracy and managerialism in modern capitalism. Graeber's final book, The Dawn of Everything, co-authored with David Wengrow, was published posthumously in 2021.
As an activist, Graeber was deeply involved in the global justice movement and played a leading role in the Occupy Wall Street protests of 2011. He is often credited with coining the slogan “We are the 99%.” Graeber's activism extended to supporting various causes, including the Rojava revolution in Syria and the British Labour Party under Jeremy Corbyn. His combination of scholarly work and political engagement made him a prominent public intellectual.
