[Xmca-l] Re: Book about history

[C Barker]

Chris Harman’s “A People’s History of the World” is a lot more interesting than Brett Bligh suggests. Here is what BB calls his ‘pretty total rejection of the Marxist arguments...’:

“Why did people who had not previously exploited and oppressed others suddenly start doing so, and why did the rest of society put up with this new exploitation and oppression?.... The only account of human society which comes to terms with the change is that outlined by Karl Marx in the 1840s and 1850s and further elaborated by Frederick Engels.” (Harman 1999, p 24)

Colin Barker

___________________________
From: xmca-l-bounces@mailman.ucsd.edu [xmca-l-bounces@mailman.ucsd.edu] on behalf of Brett Bligh [Brett.Bligh@nottingham.ac.uk]
Sent: 14 August 2013 11:29
To: eXtended Mind, Culture, Activity; eXtended  Mind, Culture, Activity
Subject: [Xmca-l] Re: Book about history

Dear Wagner,

The main point of controversy I am aware of regarding Harman and those around him is his pretty total rejection of the Marxist arguments arising from Engels' book The Origin of the Family, Private Property and the State.

Harman and others around him dismiss Marxist anthropology arising from that as almost completely bunk (and as pretty embarrassing). Yet prominent Marxist anthropologists would suggest that Engels' book is merely *inaccurately formulated* in light of more recent evidence, and that it nonetheless contains much that is very valuable.

For an alternative view of this, I would suggest Chris Knight's very thick volume "Blood Relations", or look around http://www.radicalanthropologygroup.org to get more of a general feel.

I'm not familiar with the more recent book by Faulkner that you provide a link to.

Brett

-----Original Message-----
From: xmca-l-bounces@mailman.ucsd.edu [mailto:xmca-l-bounces@mailman.ucsd.edu] On Behalf Of Wagner Luiz Schmit
Sent: 14 August 2013 10:03
To: eXtended Mind, Culture, Activity; eXtended Mind, Culture, Activity
Subject: [Xmca-l] Book about history

Following Vygotsky's idea that to comprehend human development Ontogenesis, it is important to comprehend it from a  Phylogenesis and, as put by Andy Blunden, Ethnogenesis and Sociogenesis (I think Vygotsky used Cultural) perspective also, I am waiting for the arrival of my copy of  "A people's history of the world" by Chris Harman.

I was also pointed out to this:
http://www.counterfire.org/index.php/articles/212-books/16337-a-marxist-history-of-the-world-from-neanderthals-to-neoliberals

Any one knows this work? Any reviews? critics?

It is avaliable online here:
http://www.counterfire.org/index.php/articles/a-marxist-history-of-the-world?start=100

Thank you very much

Wagner
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