Theory of Knowledge - Course Companion for Students Marija Uzunova Dang Arvin Singh Uzunov Dang
with barter, discover money, andbegineventually develop credit systems.thenhappened precisely the other wayItThe reason that economicaround.…now begin with imaginarytextbooksis because it has been impossiblevillagestalk about real ones. Even sometohave been forced to admiteconomistsSmith’s Land of Barter doesn’t reallythatThe question is why the myth isexist.has this myth been perpetuated forWhylong? The issue before us presents a richsoof knowledge claims, questions andstudyDoes the myth of barter supportimplications.myths, mainly the inevitability of money?otherassuredly, it displaces the importantMoreof gift and casual credit economies.historiesthe nature and popular understandingIndeed,tells how one day, after coming home hungryFreuchenan unsuccessful walrus-hunting expedition, hefromone of the successful hunters dropping off severalfoundpounds of meat. He thanked him profusely.hundredman objected indignantly: ‘Up in our country weThehuman!’ said the hunter. ‘And since we are humanarehelp each other. We don’t like to hear anybody saywefor that. What I get today you may get tomorrow.thankshere we say that by gifts one makes slaves and byUpone makes dogs.’whipslast line is something of an anthropologicalTheand similar statements about the refusal toclassic,barter myth naturalizes a calculating,Thepro quo version of human nature,quid“it possible to imagine a world thatmakingnothing more than a series of cold-bloodedissays Graeber (2011). The risk iscalculations”,alternative systems of exchange slowlythatit would be an absurd mistake toButthe ills of our economic systemsattributethe impersonal, acontextual, intertemporaltowardslogic of money; bought and soldbyand investors far-removed from thetradersenforced by watertight legal contractsdebtors,asset-seizure, and almost never, everandforgiven.may not be a coincidence that the governingItof many economic modelsassumptionshold onto the myth of the rationalsimilarlymaximizing their profits and benefits.human,is a very different understanding andThisof debt, and human life, than whatrealitynot very long ago. Let’s contrast thisexisteda story provided by Graeber, recountingwithFreuchen’s encounter with an InuitPeterfrom Greenland. Whether lyricalhunterliteral, the story reveals another form oforthat is entirely different from theexchangecredits and debits can be found throughoutcalculateanthropological literature on egalitarian huntingtheIt’s not that [the hunter], like untold millionssocieties.similar egalitarian spirits throughout history, wasofthat humans have a propensity to calculate.unawarehe wasn’t aware of it, he could not have said whatIfdid. Of course we have a propensity to calculate.hehave all sorts of propensities. In any real-lifeWewe have propensities that drive us in severalsituation,contradictory directions simultaneously… .differentreal question is which we take as the foundationTheour humanity, and therefore, make the basis of ourofthe supposed misguided acceptance oftoand money, and to lament our lost andbarterpast. The point being made hereromanticizedthat the way things are is not the way theyisto be, that by examining the buildinghaveof our knowledge, and undoing theblocksand taken-for-granted falsehoods, wemythsimagine a different future, and begin tocanII. PerspectivesII. Perspectivesperpetuated anyway.” (Graeber 2011)“quid pro quo” of barter.of credit, and debt, has shifted over timecivilization.” (Graeber 2011)disappear from our perceived possibilities.work towards it.221
II. PerspectivesIII. Methods and tools8.3 shows one of the foundational stories ofBoxbeing disputed by other disciplineseconomicsTo what extent is this kind of disagreement1.different disciplines desirable?betweenWhich factors determine whether it2.unproductive?becomesfollowing words of wisdom and warningTheWade Davis conclude this section.fromwe drift towards [a] blandly amorphous genericasview not only would we see the entire rangeworldabout human nature and societiesExplanationscome from the human sciences tend to bethatas having authority and legitimacy. This isseenwe believe there is something about thebecausethrough which they are producedmethodologywarrants it. This section takes a closerthatat the knowledge production practices,lookmethods and tools used by the differenttheand their associated challengesdisciplines,strengths.andhuman sciences study human phenomenaThethe goals of understanding andtowardsWould you say it is useful for students3.critically explore and understand thetoassumptions of a discipline beforefoundingon to acquire knowledge in thatgoingDoes having more knowledge in a4.make it easier or harder todisciplinethe assumptions on which itquestionbuilt? wasand preserving a plurality ofCultivatingin the human sciences keeps aliveperspectiveskind of moral imagination. Davis warns thatais being impoverished by the promotionthisnarrow and singular interpretations ofofnature.humanpatterns of activity, makingexplainingabout outcomes and guiding policypredictionsAs an AOK, this study caninterventions.impact human life in the present andprofoundlyHowever, in the last decade there hasfuture.a growing awareness, particularly withinbeenbehavioural sciences, that only a very smalltheof humankind is being systematicallysectiona 2003–07 study “of the top psychologystudied:found that 96% of subjects were fromjournalsindustrialized countries—which houseWestern12% of the world’s population” (Henrichjustal 2010a). There is even a WEIRD acronym foretWestern, Educated, Industrialized, Rich andit:As well as forming the acronym,Democratic.authors contend that “weird” is an accuratethe8For ref lectionCritical explorationsdiscipline?in the human sciences.the human imagination reduced to a more narrowofof thought … we would wake from a dreammodalityday having forgotten there were even otheronepossibilities.(Davis2003)I I I . M E T H O D S A N D T O O LSIII.1 Who are the humans in the humansciences?222
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II. Perspectives
III. Methods and tools
8.3 shows one of the foundational stories of
Box
being disputed by other disciplines
economics
To what extent is this kind of disagreement
1.
different disciplines desirable?
between
Which factors determine whether it
2.
unproductive?
becomes
following words of wisdom and warning
The
Wade Davis conclude this section.
from
we drift towards [a] blandly amorphous generic
as
view not only would we see the entire range
world
about human nature and societies
Explanations
come from the human sciences tend to be
that
as having authority and legitimacy. This is
seen
we believe there is something about the
because
through which they are produced
methodology
warrants it. This section takes a closer
that
at the knowledge production practices,
look
methods and tools used by the different
the
and their associated challenges
disciplines,
strengths.
and
human sciences study human phenomena
The
the goals of understanding and
towards
Would you say it is useful for students
3.
critically explore and understand the
to
assumptions of a discipline before
founding
on to acquire knowledge in that
going
Does having more knowledge in a
4.
make it easier or harder to
discipline
the assumptions on which it
question
built? was
and preserving a plurality of
Cultivating
in the human sciences keeps alive
perspectives
kind of moral imagination. Davis warns that
a
is being impoverished by the promotion
this
narrow and singular interpretations of
of
nature.
human
patterns of activity, making
explaining
about outcomes and guiding policy
predictions
As an AOK, this study can
interventions.
impact human life in the present and
profoundly
However, in the last decade there has
future.
a growing awareness, particularly within
been
behavioural sciences, that only a very small
the
of humankind is being systematically
section
a 2003–07 study “of the top psychology
studied:
found that 96% of subjects were from
journals
industrialized countries—which house
Western
12% of the world’s population” (Henrich
just
al 2010a). There is even a WEIRD acronym for
et
Western, Educated, Industrialized, Rich and
it:
As well as forming the acronym,
Democratic.
authors contend that “weird” is an accurate
the
8
For ref lection
Critical explorations
discipline?
in the human sciences.
the human imagination reduced to a more narrow
of
of thought … we would wake from a dream
modality
day having forgotten there were even other
one
possibilities.
(Davis2003)
I I I . M E T H O D S A N D T O O LS
III.1 Who are the humans in the human
sciences?
222