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GraysonHull
Dr.DaymonSmith
ANTH1010
03May2016

Chapter7:HonorandDegradation
InchaptersevenofDavidGraebersDebt:TheFirst5000Yearstheauthorcontinueshis
explorationofthethegenesisofmarketeconomiesbyreconstructingthehistoryofnotionsof
honoranddegradation.Heoffersexplorationsoftheseconceptsinthecontextofpreindustrial
societiessuchasMedievalIreland,Mesopotamia,AncientGreeceandRome.Byreconstructing
thishistory,GraeberhopestodemonstratethatWesternmoralityandnotionsoffreedomtook
shapewithininstitutionsnotably,butnotonly,slavery(p.166).Healsoseekstoshowhow
profoundlythemoralconfusionintroducedbydebthasshapedourtraditionsofthought,and
howextensivelyithasinformedevenourmostfamiliarinstitutions(198).
Graebermakesthedistinctionearlyonbetweenhumanandcommercialeconomies,describing
theformerasaneconomyinwhich,whatisconsideredreallyimportantabouthumanbeingsis
thefactthattheyareeachauniquenexusofrelationswithotherstherefore,thatnoonecould
everbeconsideredexactlyequivalenttoanythingoranyoneelse.Undersuchanarrangement,
moneyisnotthemeansbywhichsomeonepurchasesthingsorpeople,butanexpressionofthe
limitsonsuchbehavior(p.208).Heshowshowthesehumaneconomies,wherepeoplewerethe
primaryformofcurrencyandownershiporcontroloverthemwasthemainsignifierofstatus,
eventuallygavewaytoeconomiesbasedoncommerce.Graeberarguesthatriseofmonetary


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exchangecreatedamoralcrisisthatwascharacterizedbyadeepconfusionovernotionsof
masculinity,theroleofwomen,andmostfundamentallywhatitmeanttobeanhonorable
person.
Graeberusesprostitutionasawayofilluminatingthismoralcrisis.Hedescribeshowinancient
Mesopotamiaprostitutionasacontemporaryobservermightunderstandthewordprobablydid
notexist:womenwhoworkedinthetemplesweretechnicallyprostitutesinthattheyexchanged
theirsexualservicesformoney,butsuchpracticeswereviewedasnobleanddivine.Allof
Mesopotamiansocietywasgearedtowardsupportingthelifeofthetemplesandbyextensionthe
Gods,sothosewholaboredmostintimatelyinthatcontextwereconsideredtobesacredbeings
andprovidingasacredservice.Procreationwasconsiderednatural,whilesexforpleasurewas
consideredtobedivine.However,asmonetarysystemsbegantocrystallize,ideasregarding
sexualityandpromiscuityalsoexperiencedradicalchanges.Prostitutionbecameapractice
synonymouswithshameandpersonalmoraldegradation.

Graebergoesontoclaimthattheemergenceofpatriarchalattitudesandsocialstructures

canbeviewedassignificantlylinkedtotheriseofcommercialeconomies.Hepointsoutthat
womenplayedaprominentroleinpubliclifeinmanysocietiesupuntiltheBronzeAge,when
maledominationemergedasaclearrule.Whetherforprotectionorexploitation,societiesbegan
developingalongatrajectoryinwhichwomenweresubjecttogreatercontrol.Theoverarching
questionis:whydidthisoccur?GraeberreliesheavilyontheworkoffeministhistorianGerda
Lernertoshowthatwiththeriseofcentralizedstatesandthegrowingimportanceofwarfare,
women'sfreedomsweregraduallyrestrictedoverthecenturies.Heobserves,lookingatancient
Mesopotamia,thatthepushofcommoditizationwhichalloweddaughterstobecomehuman


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capitalfortherepaymentofdebtswassimultaneouslyandironicallyaccompaniedbyanattempt
toprotectwomen'sdignityfromeffortstocommoditizethem.Graeberthenturnstothe
examplesofAncientGreeceandRometodrivehisargumenthome.

MuchlikeMedievalIreland,GraeberpositsthatbeforecoinagesystemsdevelopedinGreecethe
economywasdrivenbyimmaterialconceptionsofhonoranddegradation.Suchconceptswere
givenmaterialexpressionwiththeownershipandcontrolofhumanbeingsandtreasures.Within
thisformofsocialorganization,Moneyexisted,butitwasnotusedtobuyanythingimportant
menlivedtheirlivesinpursuitofhonor,whichtookmaterialforminfollowersandtreasure(p.
186)Asmonetarysystemsdeveloped,however,Graeberclaimsthey,introduceda
democratizationofdesire.Insofaraseveryonewantedmoney,everyone,highandlow,was
pursuingthesamepromiscuoussubstance(p.190).ThesamemoralconfusionGraeber
describespreviouslyinthecontextofMesopotamiaalsotookrootinAncientGreeksocieties
whenthischangeoccurred.HeusesadiscussionofPlatosRepublictoshedgreaterlightonthis
moralcrisis,andtoaddressmorefullythequestionalludedtoearlierinthisessay,WhatIwant
toemphasize...isthedegreetowhichweconsiderourcoretraditionofmoralandpolitical
politicaltheorytodayspringsfromthisquestion:Whatdoesitmeantopayourdebts(197).The
chaptercontinueswithananalysisofRomanlawandslaverythatservestoelaborateon
Graebersassertionthatthemostfundamentalinstitutionsofmodernsocietyhavebeenshaped
bytheethicalanxietiescreatedbydebt.InthiscasetheinstitutionthatGraeberhasinmindisthe
Westernlegalsystem.Heprovidesaparticularlyinterestingdiscussionofhowproblematicthe
notionofhavingorowningrightscanbe(thebasisoftheWesternlegalandmoraltradition),
andiskeentopointoutthatthisquestionisrarelyaddressedtoday.


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Bydescribingtheproblemsthatoccurredinthetransitionfromhumantocommercialeconomies
inseveraldifferentcases,Graeberconcludesthatwhatissignificantintheseinterrelatedstories
ishowhumanbeingsultimatelybecameobjectsofexchange.Awomanbecameanobjectboth
intermsofherdirectrelationshipwithherhusbandandintheprocessofbeingsoldinto
marriage.Slavesbecameobjectswhentheywereseizedbythevictoriouspowerinagivenwar.
Heargues,quiteaccurately,thatwhatalloftheserelationshaveincommonisthattheydepend
onthenakeduseofforce.Thereaderisledtoonesoberingconclusion:physicalviolencehas
playedapivotalroleintheevolutionofdebtandthusthesolidificationofmarketeconomies.

WorksCited
Graeber,David.Debt:TheFirst5,000Years.N.p.:n.p.,n.d.Print.