Quotessence
Home / Books / Toward An Anthropological Theory of Value: The False Coin of Our Own Dreams

Toward An Anthropological Theory of Value: The False Coin of Our Own Dreams

Book by David Graeber · 1 quotes · Cynicism, Economics, Economist

Filter quotes by topic

AllCynicismEconomicsEconomistHomo EconomicusPomoRational ChoiceRational Choice TheoryScienceSocial ScienceUtilitarianismUtility Maximizing

Toward An Anthropological Theory of Value: The False Coin of Our Own Dreams Quotes

“But if all maximizing models are really arguing is that “people will always seek to maximize something,” then they obviously can’t predict anything, which means employing them can hardly be said to make anthropology more scientific. All they really add to analysis is a set of assumptions about human nature. The assumption, most of all, that no one ever does anything primarily out of concern for others; that whatever one does, one is only trying to get something out of it for oneself. In common English, there is a word for this attitude. It’s called “cynicism.” Most of us try to avoid people who take it too much to heart. In economics, apparently, they call it “science.”

UtilitarianismHomo EconomicusPomoRational Choice Theory
Book:Toward An Anthropological Theory of Value: The False Coin of Our Own Dreams
Create image