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, this book opens up new
avenues for the anthropological study of this fascinating and ubiquitous
political figure.
On Kings - David Graeber & Marshall Sahlins
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£22.50