On Jun 5, 2012, at 11:45 AM, Carrol Cox wrote:
> Doug gives (or cites) an excellent definition of historicism -- which is
> Graebeer's quite false mode of analysis. Origins of a phenomenon DO NOT
> EXPLAIN IT. Historicists assume that origins define meaning. That fallacy
> pervades Graeber's thought..
You've been making this point for a while and I think I've finally grasped its importance. Also, the way we understand things backwards. Those historical "roots" often only make sense - or even seem like roots - through the lens of the present.
Doug