Description
Book Synopsis: The final posthumous work by the coauthor of the major New York Times bestseller The Dawn of Everything. Pirates have long lived in the realm of romance and fantasy, symbolizing risk, lawlessness, and radical visions of freedom. But at the root of this mythology is a rich history of pirate societies―vibrant, imaginative experiments in self-governance and alternative social formations at the edges of the European empire.
In graduate school, David Graeber conducted ethnographic field research in Madagascar for his doctoral thesis on the island’s politics and history of slavery and magic. During this time, he encountered the Zana-Malata, an ethnic group of mixed descendants of the many pirates who settled on the island at the beginning of the eighteenth century.
Pirate Enlightenment, or the Real Libertalia, Graeber’s final posthumous book, is the outgrowth of this early research and the culmination of ideas that he developed in his classic, bestselling works Debt and The Dawn of Everything (written with the archaeologist David Wengrow). In this lively, incisive exploration, Graeber considers how the protodemocratic, even libertarian practices of the Zana-Malata came to shape the Enlightenment project defined for too long as distinctly European. He illuminates the non-European origins of what we consider to be “Western” thought and endeavors to recover forgotten forms of social and political order that gesture toward new, hopeful possibilities for the future.
Details
Unlock the hidden history of pirate societies with Pirate Enlightenment, or the Real Libertalia. Discover the untold stories of risk, lawlessness, and radical visions of freedom that have captivated imaginations for centuries. This captivating book unveils the vibrant and imaginative experiments in self-governance and alternative social formations that existed on the edges of the European empire.
Authored by the renowned David Graeber, coauthor of the New York Times bestseller The Dawn of Everything, Pirate Enlightenment is the result of extensive ethnographic field research in Madagascar. Graeber's exploration of the island's politics, history of slavery, and magic led him to encounter the Zana-Malata, a fascinating ethnic group with mixed descendants of pirates who settled on the island in the eighteenth century. Their practices of protodemocracy and libertarianism shaped not only the Enlightenment but challenge traditional notions of "Western" thought.
Immerse yourself in this captivating and incisive exploration as Graeber uncovers the non-European origins of Western thought. Pirate Enlightenment offers a fresh perspective on the history of social and political order, providing hope for new possibilities in the future. Don't miss out on this groundbreaking book that will change the way you perceive pirates and the Enlightenment.
Get your copy of Pirate Enlightenment, or the Real Libertalia and embark on a journey of discovery that will reshape your understanding of history. Embrace the radical ideas of self-governance and freedom that pirates represent, while unraveling the hidden origins of Western thought. Don't wait - revolutionize your mindset today!
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