Plough, Sword, and Book: The Structure of Human History"British philosopher/anthropologist Gellner offers a comprehensive theory of history: humans settle into agriculture, produce surpluses, and divide into complex subgroups. Communication becomes pressing. Written language emerges as a controlling super-reality, bringing a Platonic illusion of an eternal world. Gradually, facts take precedence over concepts and "objective knowledge" is born. This scheme takes us from the tribal society to the Royal Society, but Gellner has not met all the challenges. There are still those who think that real knowledge is offered only by theology, or Platonic mathematical and logical reality, or a society free of class tension. And Franz Borkenau urged in End and Beginning (LJ 1/11/81) that all knowable reality is powerfully shaped by language. Thought-provoking but not conclusive."--Www.amazon (Nov. 8, 2010) |
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activities agrarian age agrarian society agrarian world Alan Macfarlane ancien régime argument authority become central claims clerisy codified coercion cognitive complex concepts condition conflict constitute context contrast course criteria crucial culture David Hume deity diverse division of labour doctrine dominant economic effective egalitarian emergence endowed engendered Enlightenment ethos external fact faith favoured genetic genuine growth hence human ideas ideological important independent individual industrial inherent innovation instrumental rationality internal Karl Marx Karl Polanyi kind legitimation liberal linked logic Louis Dumont mankind Marxism Max Weber means ment merely modern society moral nature of things neolithic revolution normative notion once orderly organization perhaps perpetual pervasive Platonic political possess possible primitive problem production question radical reason referential religion ritual role rulers rules S. N. Eisenstadt salvation sense single situation social order sphere status surplus theory tion traditional transcendent transformation truth unified unique valid values vision wealth