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On Kings
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On Kings
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Book Hero Magic created this recommendation. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! IS THIS YOUR NEXT READ?
This collection will appeal to readers interested in anthropology, history, political theory, and those fascinated by the cultural and symbolic dimensions of leadership and power.
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Description
In anthropology as much as in popular imagination, kings are figures of fascination and intrigue, heroes or tyrants in ways presidents and prime ministers can never be. This collection of essays by two of the world’s most distinguished anthropologists—David Graeber and Marshall Sahlins—explores what kingship actually is, historically and anthropologically.
As they show, kings are symbols for more than just sovereignty: indeed, the study of kingship offers a unique window into fundamental dilemmas concerning the very nature of power, meaning, and the human condition.
Reflecting on issues such as temporality, alterity, and utopia—not to mention the divine, the strange, the numinous, and the bestial—Graeber and Sahlins explore the role of kings as they have existed around the world, from the BaKongo to the Aztec to the Shilluk and beyond.
Richly delivered with the wit and sharp analysis characteristic of Graeber and Sahlins, On Kings opens up new avenues for the anthropological study of this fascinating and ubiquitous political figure.
Book Details
INFORMATION
ISBN: 9780986132506
Publisher: HAU
Format: Paperback / softback
Date Published: 15 December 2017
Country: United States
Imprint: HAU
Audience: Professional and scholarly
DIMENSIONS
Spine width: 4.0mm
Width: 16.0mm
Height: 23.0mm
Weight: 1006g
Pages: 556
About the Author
David Graeber is professor of anthropology at the London School of Economics and the author, most recently, of The Utopia of Rules. Marshall Sahlins is the Charles F. Grey Distinguished Professor Emeritus of Anthropology at the University of Chicago and the author, most recently, of Confucius Institutes.
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