Marxism and anthropology: the history of a relationship

191 Pages·1983·8.76 MB·English

by  Maurice Bloch

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Routledge Library Editions
Anthropology and Ethnography
THEORY OF ANTHROPOLOGY
In 10 Volumes
I Political Systems and the Distribution of Power
Banton
II Marxist Analyses and Social Anthropology Bloch
III Marxism and Anthropology Bloch
IV The Observation of Savage Peoples Degerando
V Primitive Law Past and Present Diamond
VI Anthropology and the Greeks Humphreys
VII Theory in Anthropology Manners &
Kaplan
VIII The Theory of Social Structure Nadel
IX Readings in Early Anthropology Slotkin
X Classification and Human Evolution Washburn
MARXISM AND
ANTHROPOLOGY
The History of a Relationship
MAURICE BLOCH
First published in 1983
Reprinted in 2004 by
Routledge
11 New Fetter Lane, London EC4P 4EE
J?olltledge is an imprillt of the Taylor & Fra1lcis Group
Printed and bound in Great Britain by CPl Antony Rowe, Eastbourne
© 1983 Maurice Bloch
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reprinted or
reproduced or utilized in any torm or by any electronic, mechanical,
or other means, now known or hereafter invented, including
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The publishers have made every effort to contact authors/copyright
holders of the works reprinted in J?ol{tledge Library Editions -
Anthro/lOlogy and Ethnography. This has not been possible in every case,
however, and we would welcome correspondence from those
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These reprints are taken from original copies of each book. In many
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British Library Catctiogllillg in Publication Data
A CIP catalogue record tor this book is available from the British Library
Marxism and Anthropology
ISBN 0-415-33061-0
Miniset: Theory of Anthropology
Series: Routledge Library Editions - Anthropology and Ethnography
~Marx.ism an-d
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MAURICE BLOCH
Clarendon Press·o O>< x] ford
1983
Oxford University Press. Walton Street. Oxford OK2 6DP
London Glasgow New York'Ibronto
Delhi Bombay Calcutta Madras Karachi
Kuala Lumpur Singapore Hong Kong 'Ibkyo
Nairobi Dar es Salaam Cape 'Ibwn
Melbourne Auckland
ond associates in
Beirut Berlin Ibadan Mexico City Nicosia
Published in the United Stotes by
Oxford University Press. New York
© Maurice Bloch 1983
AU rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced.
stored in a retrieval system. or transmitted. in any form or by any means.
electronic. mechanical. photocopying. recording. or otherwise. without
the prior permission of Oxford University Press
British Library Cataloguing in Publication Data
Bloch. Maurice
Marxism and anthropology. -(Marxist introduction)
1. Anthropology
I. Title II. Series
301 GN25
ISBN 0-19-876091-4
'1Ypeset by Cotswold 'JYpesetting Ltd. • Cheltenham.
Printed and bound in Great Britain by
CPt Antony Rowe, Eastbourne
Preface
Marxism has recently become for anthropologists a new source of
obscurity as a result of recent work which is difficult and bar
barously phrased. On the other hand anthropological topics, which
have always had a major place in Marxism, are often just as
difficult as Marxist writings to understand and evaluate for those
with a more general interest. Neither of these problems seems
unsurmountable, and it is the purpose of this book to explain the
history of the developing relationship between Marxism and
anthropology, in a way which the non-specialist should find
accessible, as well as to contribute something to ongoing debates.
Any technical term used here, whether" from Marxism or anth
ropology, is explained in the body of the text, and the index will
enable the reader to refer back to these explanations.
Because this book is part of a series, I have concentrated mainly
on those topics which principally concern pre-capitalist and pre
feudal societies. It does not seem to me that a reader principally
interested in capitalism, or imperialism, or the theories of such
Marxist writers as Althusser or Gramsci would turn to a book
such as this, and so I have kept discussion of these topics to a
minimum.
I would like to thank the following for valuable comments on a
part or the whole of an earlier draft: S. Day, A. Gell, E. Gellner, P.
Loizos, J. Parry, A. Papataxiarchis, and S. Roberts.
M.B.
v
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Contents
1. Anthropology and the Work of Marx and Engels 1
2. Marx and Engels on Anthropology 21
3. The Present-Day Standing of Marx's and Engels's
Anthropology 63
4. The Direct Successors to Marx and Engels 95
5. Marxism and American Anthropology 124
6. Marxism and British and French Anthropology 141
Bibliography 173
Index 177
vii