wiilin anilropology, mucl las bccn wriiicn aboui ilc possi-

biliiy o a posilumanisi criiical social scicncc ilai is ablc io

cmancipaic ilings (objccis, aricacis, maicrialiiy, cic.i rom ilc
cnsnaring cpisicmological and oniological bonds o lumanism,
logiccnirism and oilcr modcrnisi imaginarics.

1lc aim o ilis

cssay is io ialc ilis projcci urilcr by cploring ilc possibili-
iics or an anilropological analyiics ilai is ablc io allow ilings
by wlicl I mcan somciling alin io ilings ilcmsclvcs, ilougl
only in ilc sirici lcurisiic scnsc ilai I slall spcciy prcscnily
io gcncraic ilcir own icrms o analyiical cngagcmcni. Migli
ilc cicd posilumanisi cmancipaiion o ilc iling bc slown io
consisi in iis pcculiar capaciiy io unsciilc wlaicvcr oniologi-
cal assumpiions wc, as analysis, migli malc aboui ii (includ-
ing, pcrlaps, ilc oniological prcmiscs o a posilumanisi iurn
iiscli? Migli ilings dccidc or ilcmsclvcs what they are, and
in so doing cmancipaic ilcmsclvcs rom us wlo would prcsumc
E.g. Marilyn Sirailcrn, 'Aricacis o lisiory: cvcnis and ilc inicrprciaiion o
imagcs', inCulture andHistoryinthe Pacic, cd. ). Siilala(Bclsinli: 1ransaciions
o ilc iinisl Anilropological Sociciy, jjoi, :j-; Alrcd ucll, Art and Agency:
An Anthropological Theory (uord: Clarcndon ircss, jj8i; Bruno iaiour, Reas-
sembling the Social (uord: uord univcrsiiy ircss, :ooji; Danicl Millcr, 'Maic-
rialiiy: an iniroduciion', in Materiality, cd. D. Millcr (Durlam u iondon: Dulc
univcrsiiy ircss, :ooji, -jo.
Things as concepts:
anthropology and pragmatology
Mti1i Boiiittu
17
THI NGS AS CONCEPTS: ANTHROPOLOGY AND PRAGMATOLOGY
18
SAVAGE OBJ ECTS
19
io icll ilcm? Migli ilcy, i you lilc, bccomc ilcir own iling-ilc-
orisis, aciing as ilc originaiors (railcr ilan ilc objccisi o our
analyiical conccpiualisaiions?
2

Sucl qucsiions, I ialc ii, would consummaic ilc promisc
o a propcrly savagc ilougli: objccis aciing noi mcrcly as con-
duiis or ilc ilinling o ilc pcoplc anilropologisi siudy (ilosc
ilcy uscd io call savagcsi, bui railcr as a conduii or anilropo-
logical ilinling iiscl. ubjccis, ilcn, bccomc ilc basis noi only
or savagcs scicncc o ilc concrcic, as icvi-Sirauss limscl
would lavc ii,
3
bui also or ilouglis ilai arc savagc cnougl io
unsciilc ilc conccpiual cconomy o analysis iiscl, including
anilropological analysis (wlicl I slall ialc lcrc as my poini
o dcpariurci. ici mc illusiraic wlai sucl a savagc concrciion
o anilropology migli lool lilc wiil rccrcncc io ach onc o
ilc mosi basic noiions involvcd in ilc prcsiigious Aro-Cuban
iradiiion o divinaiion o Ia, wlicl I lavc bccn siudying cilno-
graplically in Cuba sincc jj8.
The power of powder
Mucl lilc ilc noiorious noiion o mana in uccania, ach is a
icrm ilai babalawos, wlicl is wlai mcn wlo arc iniiiaicd inio
ilc culi o Ia arc callcd, usc in a widc variciy o conicis. Mosi
salicniy, ilcy usc ii io rccr boil in ilc absiraci io ilcir powcr
(poder) or capaciiy (facultad) io divinc, or wlicl ilcy arc mosi
rcnown (io divinc you musi lavc ach, as ilcy sayi; and, mucl
: Cf. Lduardo vivciros dc Casiro, And (Manclcsicr: Manclcsicr iapcrs in Social
Anilropology, :oo:i.
Claudc icvi-Sirauss, The Savage Mind (uord: uord univcrsiiy ircss, j66i.
morc concrcicly, io ccriain powdcrs ilai ilcy considcr io bc a
primc riiual ingrcdicni or maling diviniiics appcar and spcal
during divinaiion. Among ilc many ways in wlicl spccially prc-
parcd powdcrs arc dccmcd ncccssary io Ia riiual, pcrlaps ilc
mosi siriling is iis rolc as a rcgisicr (registroi or ilc divinaiory
conguraiions ilrougl wlicl urula, ilc god o divinaiion, is
said io bc ablc io spcal during ilc riiual. Sprcad on ilc suracc
o ilc consccraicd diving-iray ilai babalawos usc or ilc mosi
ccrcmonious divinaiions ilcy conduci or ilcir clicnis (pariicu-
larly during ilc iniiiaiion o ncoplyicsi, ilis powdcr bccomcs ilc
mcdium ilrougl wlicl urulas words appcar. 1lis ilcy do in ilc
orm o a scrics o signs (signos, also rccrrcd io in ilc original
Yoruba as oddu) ilai arc marlcd (marcar) by ilc babalawo on
ilc suracc o ilc powdcr, ollowing a complc divinaiory pro-
ccdurc in wlicl consccraicd palm-nuis arc uscd io gcncraic dis-
iinci divinaiory conguraiions, cacl corrcsponding io iis own
sign. Somciimcs considcrcd as guiscs o urula limscl (or lis
pails or rcprcscniaiivcsi, ilcsc gurcs, comprising cigli sin-
glc or doublc lincs drawn by ilc babalawo wiil lis middlc and
ring ngcr in ilc powdcr, arc considcrcd as poicni diviniiics in
ilcir own rigli ilai comc oui (salen) in ilc divinaiion: croucl-
ing around ilc divining board as ilcy marl ilc sign, ilc babala-
wos and ilcir consulianis arc in ilc prcscncc o a divinc bcing,
a symbol ilai siands or iiscl i cvcr ilcrc was onc.
4

Crucially, babalawos cmplasisc ilai ilc powdcr iiscl is an
indispcnsablc ingrcdicni or ccciing ilcsc cliciiaiions o ilc
divinc. iropcrly prcparcd according io sccrci rccipcs ilai only
Sensu Roy wagncr, Symbols that Stand for Themselves (Clicago: univcrsiiy o
Clicago ircss, j86i.
THI NGS AS CONCEPTS: ANTHROPOLOGY AND PRAGMATOLOGY
20
SAVAGE OBJ ECTS
21
babalawos lnow, ach de Orula, as ilc powdcr is rccrrcd io in
ilis conici, las ilc powcr io rcndcr diviniiics prcscni. Ach-
powdcr docs ilis noi only by providing ilc suracc on wlicl ilcy
can appcar on ilc divining-iray, bui also bccausc ii consiiiuics a
ncccssary ingrcdicni in ilc consccraiion o cacl o ilc various
objccis uscd in ilc divinaiion, including ilc divining iray, ilc
palm-nuis and various oilcr iicms babalawos musi lavc con-
sccraicd or divinaiory usc during ilcir own iniiiaiion. As ilcy
cplain, nonc o ilcsc iicms worl unlcss ilcy arc propcrly con-
sccraicd, and ilis musi involvc clarging ilcm wiil acheses, i.c.
wiil ach-powdcrs, according io sccrci proccdurcs.
Concepts versus things
Llscwlcrc I lavc cplaincd ways in wlicl ilc noiion o ach so
blaianily ccmplics somc o ilc ccniral prcoccupaiions ilai
inorm icvi-Sirausss ilcorizaiion o savagc ilougli, sucl as
ilc aniinomics lc associaicd wiil oaiing signicrs ilai can
signiy anyiling c.g. boil powcr and powdcr bccausc, in ilcm-
sclvcs, ilcy mcan noiling.

Bcrc wc may draw aiicniion only io

ilc aci ilai, vicwcd rom wiilin ilc prism o ilc linds anilro-
pological prcoccupaiions icvi-Sirausss argumcni on oaiing
j Claudc icvi-Sirauss, Introduction to the Work of Marcel Mauss, irans. i. Barlcr
(iondon: Rouilcdgc u Kcgan iaul, j8,i. Scc Mariin Bolbraad, ' 1lc powcr o
powdcr: muliipliciiy and moiion in ilc divinaiory cosmology o Cuban Ia (or
mana againi', in Thinking Through Things: Theorising Artefacts Ethnographi-
cally, cd. A. Bcnarc et al. (iondon u icw Yorl: Rouilcdgc, :oo,i, 8j-::j. Scc also
Mariin Bolbraad, Truth in Motion: the Recursive Anthropology of Cuban Divina-
tion (Clicago: univcrsiiy o Clicago ircss, :o:i.
signicrs iiscl ccmplics, ilc casc o ach raiscs classical
anilropological conundrums aboui ilc raiionaliiy crcdcniials
o wlai lc playully callcd savagc ilougli. Mucl as wiil clas-
sic anilropological conirovcrsics aboui so-callcd apparcnily
irraiional bclics (iucr iwins bcing birds, Bororo mcn bcing
rcd macaws, and so oni, wc sccm lcrc io bc conronicd wiil a
scrics o noiions ilai arc counicr-iniuiiivc io say ilc lcasi. Ccr-
iainly, ii would appcar ilai ilc icrminological coincidcncc o
ach as boil powcr and powdcr corrcsponds io an oniological
onc, sincc, as babalawos arm, a divincrs powcr io clicii divini-
iics inio prcscncc is irrcducibly a unciion o lis capaciiy io usc
ilc consccraicd powdcrs ai lis disposal as an iniiiaic. iowdcr, in
ilis scnsc, is powcr. And ilis would sccm io raisc ilc classical
anilropological qucsiion: wly migli Cuban divincrs and ilcir
clicnis bclicvc sucl a noiion? Bow do wc cplain ilis appar-
cnily irraiional bclic anilropologically?
Ii slould bc noicd, lowcvcr, ilai ilis classical way o pos-
ing ilc qucsiion draws iis powcr rom wlai onc migli call iis
own inlcrcni perversity. In ordcr cvcn io asl wly ccriain pco-
plc migli bclicvc ilai a ccriain orm o powdcr las ilc powcr
io clicii ccriain diviniiics inio prcscncc, onc las rsi io ialc or
granicd ilai ilis could noi (or slould noii bc ilc casc in ilc rsi
placc. In pariicular, assuming ilai ilc pcriincni anilropological
qucsiion is wly pcoplc migli bclicvc in ilis way ilai powdcr is
powcr iurns on ilc corollary assumpiion ilai sucl a bclic can
bc parscd as ilc pariicular way in wlicl ilc pcoplc in qucsiion
rcprcscni ilc objccis in ilcir midsi, namcly, in ilis casc, rcprc-
scniing (signiying, imagining, socially consiruciing cic.i powdcr
as powcr. And ilis in iurn rclics on ilai oundaiional oniological
aiom o siraigli-ilinling modcrnism, namcly ilc disiinciion
THI NGS AS CONCEPTS: ANTHROPOLOGY AND PRAGMATOLOGY
22
SAVAGE OBJ ECTS
23
bciwccn ilings as ilcy arc in ilc world and ilc various and vari-
ablc conccpis ilai pcoplc may aiiacl io ilcm. Indccd, as long as
ilc analysis o ach rcmains wiilin ilc icrms o an aiomaiic
disiinciion bciwccn ilings and conccpis, ii cannot but asl ilc
qucsiion in icrms o rcprcscniaiions, bclics, social consiruc-
iions and so on. Sincc wc lnow ilai powdcr is jusi ilai dusiy
iling ilcrc on ilc divincrs iray, ilc qucsiion cannoi bui bc wly
Cubans migli ilinl ilai ii is also a orm o powcr.
1lc movc io posilumanisi analyscs o ilings in anilropol-
ogy las bccn moiivaicd parily by a dcsirc io avoid prcciscly ilis
way o raising qucsiions, and in pariicular io ovcrcomc ilc bla-
iani pcrvcrsiiy o sccling io parsc alicrnaiivcs io our own mcia-
plysic o conccpis vcrsus ilings in icrms o jusi ilai mciaplysic
(or Cuban divincrs powdcr is powcr; wc, on ilc oilcr land, asl
wly ilcy migli bclicvc ii io bc so, sincc, rom rsi mciaplysi-
cal principlcs, ii canii. Bcncc ilc pcnclani in rcccni wriiings on
maicrial culiurc (and noic ilc iclling oniological oymoroni or
so-callcd rclaiional oniological prcmiscs wlicl sccl, in onc way
or oilcr, io crasc or oilcrwisc compromisc ilc conccpi vcrsus
iling dividc.
6
Siill, railcr ilan placaiing ilc conccpiual impc-
rialism o modcrnisi mciaplysics by binding ilings io an alicr-
6 E.g. Bruno iaiour, We Have Never Been Modern, irans. C. ioricr (iondon: ircn-
iiccBall, jji; Brunoiaiour, Reassemblingthe Social (uord: uordunivcrsiiy
ircss, :ooji; 1im Ingold, Perceptions of the Environment: Essays on Livelihood,
Dwelling and Skill (iondon u icw Yorl: Rouilcdgc, :oooi; 1im Ingold, ' Maicri-
als againsi maicrialiiy', Archaeological Dialogues , no. (:oo,i: -6; Bjrnar
ulscn, In Defense of Things: Archaeology and the Ontology of Objects (ianglam:
AliaMira ircss, :ooi; )anc Bcnncii, Vibrant Matter: A Political Ecology of Things
(Durlam u iondon: Dulc univcrsiiy ircss, :ooi.
naiivc (c.g. rclaiional, symmcirical, viial, vibranii oniologi-
cal ordcr, my inicrcsi lcrc is in ilc possibiliiy o rccing ilings
rom any a priori oniological dcicrminaiion wlaisocvcr, so as
io allow them io diciaic, as ii wcrc, ilcir own icrms o analyiical
cngagcmcni. As I proposc io slow, ilis mosi crucially involvcs
cliding ilc conccpiiling dividc, noi as a maiicr o subsianiivc
oniological rcvision, bui railcr as poini only o analyiical mcil-
odology. uivcn spacc consirainis, I prcscni sucl a prospcci as a
scrics o ilrcc mcilodological movcs.
1
Step I: thing-as-heuristic
I in any givcn cilnograplic insiancc ilings may bc considcrcd,
somclow, also as non-ilings (c.g. a puiaiivcly maicrial powdcr
ilai is also a puiaiivcly immaicrial powcr, as in our camplci,
8

ilcn, anilropologically spcaling, ilc noiion o a iling can ai
mosi lavc a lcurisiic, railcr ilan an analyiical, rolc. 1lc iniiial
, ior morc dciailcd discussion scc Amiria Bcnarc, Mariin Bolbraad and Sari was- ior morc dciailcd discussion scc Amiria Bcnarc, Mariin Bolbraad and Sari was- Amiria Bcnarc, Mariin Bolbraad and Sari was-
icll, 'Iniroduciion', in Thinking Through Things: Theorising artefacts ethno-
graphically, cd. wcnarc et al (iondon u icw Yorl: Rouilcdgc, :oo,i, -; Mariin
Bolbraad, 'uniology, cilnograply, arclacology: an aicrword on ilc oniograply
o ilings', Cambridge Archaeological Journal vj n (:ooj o oi: -; Mar-
iin Bolbraad, Can ilc 1ling Spcal?, OAP Press, Working Paper Series #7 (:oi,
availablc ai: liip:opcnanilcoop.nciprcssliip:opcnanilcoop.nciprcsswp-
conicniuploads:ooBolbraad-Can-ilc-1ling-Spcal:.pd
8 ior classic argumcnis io ilis ccci wiil rccrcncc io ilc ilings anilropologisis
call giissccMarccl Mauss, The Gift: Forms andFunctions of Exchange inArchaic
Societies, irans. w.D. Balls (iondon: Rouilcdgc, jjoi; Cf. Amiria Bcnarc ci al.,,
Iniroduciion, 6-:.
THI NGS AS CONCEPTS: ANTHROPOLOGY AND PRAGMATOLOGY
24
SAVAGE OBJ ECTS
25
analyiical iasl, in oilcr words, cannoi bc io add io ilc ilcorcii-
cal purclasc o ilc icrm iling by proposing ncw ways io ilinl
o ii c.g. as a siic o luman bcings objcciicaiion,
9
an indc
o agcncy,
u
an on-going cvcni o asscmblagc,

or wlai lavc you.

Railcr ii musi bc ccciivcly io dc-ilcorisc ii, by cmpiying ii oui
o iis many analyiical connoiaiions, rcndcring ii a purc cilno-
graplic orm rcady io bc llcd oui coniingcnily according only
io iis own cilnograplic cigcncics. 1o rciurn io our camplc: i
calling ilc powdcr babalawos usc a iling implics ilai ii could
noi, propcrly spcaling, also be a orm o mciaplysical powcr,
ilcn lci us not call ii a iling in any scnsc oilcr ilan mcrcly as
an oniologically and analyiically vacuous lcurisiic idcniicr
mcrcly a iag or idcniiying ii as an objcci o siudy, wiil no
mciaplysical prcjudicc, and pariicularly wiil no prcjudicc as io
wlai ii migli bc, including qucsiions o wlai ii bcing a iling
migli cvcn mcan.
Step II: concept = thing
I ilc rsi sicp iowards lciiing ilings sci ilcir own icrms o ana-
lyiical cngagcmcni involvcs cmpiying ilcm oui o any a priori
j Danicl Millcr, Material Culture and Mass Consumption (uord: Basil Blaclwcll,
j8,i; Danicl Millcr, Maicrialiiy: an iniroduciion, in Materiality, cd. D. Millcr
(Durlam u iondon: Dulc univcrsiiy ircss, :ooji, -jo.
o Alrcd ucll, Art and Agency: An Anthropological Theory(uord: Clarcndon ircss,
jj8i.
Bruno iaiour, We Have Never Been Modern, irans. C. ioricr (iondon: ircniicc
Ball, jji; Bruno iaiour, Reassembling the Social (uord: uord univcrsiiy
ircss, :ooji.
mciaplysical conicnis, ilc sccond is gcarcd iowards allowing
ilcm io bc llcd by (poicniiallyi alicrnaiivc oncs in cacl cilno-
graplic insiancc. wc may brand ilis mcilodological injunciion
by way o a urilcr lcurisiic ormula, namcly conccpis ilings.
According io ilis mcilodological cdici, insicad o ircaiing all
ilc ilings ilai pcoplc say o and do io or wiil ilings as modcs
o rcprcscniing ilcm (i.c. as manncrs o aiiacling various con-
ccpis io ilc ilings in qucsiion by way o social consiruciion, as
pcr ilc siandard anilropological way o ilinlingi, wc may ircai
ilcm as modcs o dening what these things are. 1lis rcndcrs
widc opcn prcciscly qucsiions aboui wlai linds o ilings ilings
migli bc: what maicrialiiy migli bc, objcciicaiion, agcncy all
ilai is now up or grabs, as a maiicr o cilnograplic coniingcncy
and ilc analyiical worl ii orccs upon us.
So, io rciurn again io ilc Cuban camplc, ilc idca lcrc is
io ircai all ilc ilings babalawos and ilcir clicnis supposcdly
bclicvc aboui ilcir ach-powdcrs as clcmcnis o a conccpiual
dcniiion o wlai sucl a iling migli aciually be: Cuban divincrs
do noi bclicvc ilai powdcr is a orm o powcr, bui railcr dene
ii as sucl. 1o ilc cicni ilai our own dcauli assumpiion is ilai
powdcr is not io bc dcncd as powcr (iis jusi a dusiy iling, wc
assumci, ilc clallcngc ilcn musi bc io reconceptualise ilosc
vcry noiions and ilcir many cmpirical and analyiical corollarics
(powdcr, powcr, dciiy cic. bui also iling, conccpi, diviniiy cic.i in
a way ilai would rcndcr ilc cilnograplically-givcn dcniiion
o powdcr as powcr rcasonablc, railcr ilan an absurd bclic.
I lavc sougli ai lcngil clscwlcrc io spcciy ilc ull gamui
o ways in wlicl dicrcni linds o daia may cnicr inio ilc coris
o analyiical conccpiualizaiion ilai problcms o ilc powdcr-is-
THI NGS AS CONCEPTS: ANTHROPOLOGY AND PRAGMATOLOGY
26
SAVAGE OBJ ECTS
27
powcr ncccssiiaic or anilropologisis.
2
Crucially, a sound cil-
nograplic undcrsianding is ncccssary in ordcr cvcn io ormu-
laic sucl problcms in ilc rsi placc, lci alonc solvc ilcm. ior
camplc, sincc wlai powdcr migli bc in Ia divinaiion dcpcnds
on ilc noiion o powcr ilai is ai sialc in ilis riiual aciiviiy, pari
o an aiicmpi io ariiculaic ilc qucsiion involvcs dcvcloping ilc
cosmological conundrum ilai lics ai iis corc: i powcr, in ilis
cilnograplic conici, rccrs io babalawos abiliiy io rcndcr
diviniiics prcscni as signs during divinaiion, ilcn arc wc noi
in somc pcriincni scnsc dcaling lcrc wiil a vcrsion o ilc agc-
old ilco-oniological conundrum, so amiliar in ilc anilropology
o rcligion,
3
o low cniiiics ilai arc imagincd as iransccndcni
migli undcr ccriain condiiions in ilis casc by riiual mcans
ilai involvc ilc usc o powdcr as an indispcnsablc componcni
bc rcndcrcd immancni? Conccpiualising powdcr as powcr, ilcn,
rcquircs us io undcrsiand low Aro-Cuban divinaiion ccciivcly
solves somciling alin io ilc so-callcd problcm o iransccndcncc
in )udco-Clrisiian ilcology alilougl immcdiaicly onc wanis
io add ilai ilis may wcll bc a misnomcr, ai lcasi insoar as ilc
vcry noiions o iransccndcncc and immancncc may ilcmsclvcs
lavc io bc rcconccpiualiscd in ilis conici.
: Mariin Bolbraad, 'uniology is jusi anoilcr word or culiurc: againsi ilc moiion',
Dcbaic u Discussion ai ilc uDA1 :oo8, Critique of Anthropology o, : (:ooi:
,j-8j, 8j-:oopassim; MariinBolbraad, TruthinMotion: the Recursive Anthro-
pology of Cuban Divination (Clicago: univcrsiiy o Clicago ircss, :o:i.
E.g. Maiilcw Lngcllc, A Problem of Presence: Beyond Scripture in an African
Church (Bcrlclcy: univcrsiiy o Caliornia ircss, :oo,i; wcbb Kcanc, Christian
Moderns: Freedom and Fetish in the Mission Encounter (Bcrlclcy: univcrsiiy o
Caliornia ircss, :oo,i.
wlai I wisl io malc cplicii lcrc, lowcvcr, is ilc irrcduc-
iblc coniribuiion ilai, lcurisiically undcrsiood, ilings ilcm-
sclvcs can malc io ilis worl o conccpiualizaiion. Indccd, wiil
rccrcncc io ilc casc o powdcr in Ia, onc migli say ilai wlilc
cilnograplic inormaiion dcrivcd rom babalawos scrvcs io sci
up ilc anilropological conundrum ilai ach in iis dual aspcci,
so io spcal, poscs, ii is wlai I slall call ilc pragmaiograplic
inormaiion cullcd rom iis pcculiar qualiiics as a iling (viz. as
powdcri ilai dclivcrs ilc mosi crucial clcmcnis or iis soluiion.
Step III: thing = concept
Considcr wlai powdcr aciually odcs in ilc divincrs lands. As wc
saw, sprcad on ilc suracc o ilc divining board, ii providcs ilc
bacldrop upon wlicl ilc oddu, ilougli o as dciiy-signs, comc
oui. So powdcr is ilc caialysi o divinaiory powcr, wlcrc ilai
powcr is undcrsiood as ilc capaciiy io malc diviniiics comc oui
and spcal. iow, noic ilai, considcrcd prosaically as a iling,
powdcr is ablc io do ilis duc io iis pcrvious claracicr, as a collcc-
iion o unsiruciurcd pariiclcs iis purc muliipliciiy, onc migli say.
In marling ilc oddu on ilc board, ilc divincrs ngcrs arc ablc
io draw ilc conguraiion jusi io ilc cicni ilai ilc inicnsivc
capaciiy o powdcr io bc movcd (io bc displaccd lilc Arclimcdcan
bailwaicri allows ilcm io do so. 1lc cicnsivc movcmcni o ilc
oddu as ii appcars on ilc board, ilcn, prcsupposcs ilc inicnsivc
mobiliiy o powdcr as ilc mcdium upon wlicl ii is rcgisicrcd.
In ilis way powdcr rcndcrs ilc prcmisc o ilc oddus rcvclaiion
explicit, as a maiicr o ilcsc signs inlcrcni motility: by way o
gurcground rcvcrsal, oddu gurcs arc rcvcalcd as a icmporary
displaccmcni o ilcir ground, ilc powdcr.
THI NGS AS CONCEPTS: ANTHROPOLOGY AND PRAGMATOLOGY
28
SAVAGE OBJ ECTS
29
Bui ilis suggcsis also a logical rcvcrsal ilai gocs io ilc
lcari o ilc problcm ilai apparcnily iransccndcni oddu migli
bc imagincd io posc. I wc ialc scriously babalawos conicniion
ilai ilc oddu jusi are ilc marls ilcy malc on ach-powdcr (ilc
basic magic o divinaiioni, ilcn ilc consiiiuiion o dciiics as
displaccmcnis o powdcr iclls us somciling prciiy imporiani
aboui ilc oniological prcmiscs o Ia cosmology: ilai ilcsc divin-
iiics arc io bc ilougli o noi, say, as cniiiics ilai may or may
noi cisi in siaics o iransccndcncc or immancncc, bui railcr as
motions. And i ilc oddu jusi arc moiions, ilcn ilc oniological
disconiinuiiy bciwccn iransccndcncc and immancncc (and wiil
ii ilc onio-ilcological problcm ilcy may bc imagincd io posci is
rcsolvcd. In a logical univcrsc wlcrc moiion is primiiivc, wlai
lools lilc iransccndcncc bccomcs disiancc and wlai lools lilc
immancncc bccomcs proimiiy. Indccd: qua moiions, ilc divini-
iics lavc inlcrcni wiilin ilcmsclvcs ilc capaciiy immancnily
io rclaic io lumans, ilrougl ilc poicniial o directed movement
ilai ach-powdcr guaraniccs, as a soluiion io ilc gcnuinc prob-
lcm o ilc disiancc dciiics musi iravcrsc in ordcr io bc rcndcrcd
prcscni in divinaiion.
iow, wlai I wisl io draw aiicniion io lcrc is ilc worl pow-
dcr docs or ilis analysis, by viriuc spccically o wlai lcuris-
iically (oncc again!i onc would idcniiy as iis prosaic, maicrial
claracicrisiics. I cilnograply carrics ilc wcigli o ilc analyii-
cal problcm, in ilis argumcni, ii is ilc maicrial qualiiy o powdcr
ilai providcs ilc mosi crucial clcmcnis or iis soluiion. I dciiics
arc conccpiualiscd as moiions io dissolvc ilc problcm o iran-
sccndcncc, aicr all, ilai is only bccausc ilcir maicrial manics-
iaiions arc jusi ilai, motions. And ilosc moiions, in iurn, only
cmcrgc as analyiically signicani bccausc o ilc maicrial con-
siiiuiion o ilc powdcr upon wlicl ilcy arc plysically marlcd:
iis pcrvious qualiiy as a purc muliipliciiy o unsiruciurcd parii-
clcs, amcnablc io inicnsivc movcmcni, lilc ilc displaccmcni o
waicr, in rcaciion io ilc cicnsivc prcssurc o ilc divincrs n-
gcrs, and so on. Lacl o ilis scrics o maicrial qualiiics inlcrcs
in powdcr iiscl, and ii is by viriuc o ilis maicrial inlcrcncc ilai
ilcy can cngcndcr conccpiual cccis, sciiing ilc paramcicrs or
ilc anilropological analysis ilai ilcy aord ilc argumcni. As
an irrcduciblc clcmcni o ilc analysis o ach, ii is powder ilai
brings ilc pivoial conccpis o pcrviouncss, muliipliciiy, moiion,
dircciion, poicniial and so on inio ilc ray o ii own analysis,
providing iis own answcr io iis own problcm iis savagc powcr,
i you lilc, analyiically (conccpiually, oniologicallyi io unsciilc.
So wlai is ai sialc in ilis modc o analysis is ilc capac-
iiy ilai ilings lavc io cngcndcr conccpiual iransormaiions of
themselves, by viriuc o ilc conccpiual dicrcnccs ilcir maic-
rial claracicrisiics can malc. Indccd, ilis irrcducibly pragma-
tological clcmcni, as wc may call ii,
4
o anilropological analy-
sis is noiling oilcr ilan ilc corollary invcrsion o our carlicr
conccpis ilings ormula, namcly things = concepts. I ilc or-
mula conccpi iling dcsignaicd ilc possibiliiy o ircaiing wlai
pcoplc say and do around ilings as ways o dcning wlai ilosc
ilings arc, iis symmcirical rcndiiion iling conccpi raiscs ilc
prospcci o ircaiing ilings as a way o dcning wlai wc as ana-
lysis arc ablc io say and do around them. Ai issuc, io coin a icrm,
Cf. Clrisioplcr wiimorc, in prcss, 1lc rcaliiics o ilc pasi: arclacology, objcci-
oricniaiions, pragmaiology, in Modern Materials: Proceedings from the Contem-
poraryandHistorical ArchaeologyinTheoryConference, cd. B.R. ioricnbcrryand
i. McAiaclncy (uord: Arclacoprcss, :ooji.
THI NGS AS CONCEPTS: ANTHROPOLOGY AND PRAGMATOLOGY
30
arc a ilings conccpiual aordanccs: low ilings maicrial clar-
acicrisiics can givc risc io pariicular orms or ilcir conccpiu-
alizaiion. unc migli cvcn imaginc ilis lind o iransormaiion
movcmcni as a orm o absiraciion, providcd ilai noiion is dis-
cnianglcd rom labiiually corollary disiinciions bciwccn con-
crcic ilings and absiraci conccpis.

Indccd, ilis is jusi wlai ilc

iling conccpi clausc o our analyiical mcilod would suggcsi.
wlcrc ilc analyiical oniology o ilings vcrsus conccpis would
posii absiraciion as ilc abiliiy o a givcn conccpi io comprclcnd
a pariicular iling, cicrnal io iiscl, in iis cicnsion, ilc lcuris-
iic coniinuiiy o iling conccpi casis ilis as a movcmcni inicr-
nal io ilc iling iiscl: ilc iling dicrcniiaics iiscl, no longcr
as an insianiiaiion o a conccpi, bui a scl-iransormaiion as
a conccpi. Savagc ilougli ilinling iiscl.
j SccalsoMariinBolbraadandMoricnA. icdcrscn, ' ilanci M: ilcinicnscabsirac-
iion o Marilyn Sirailcrn', Anthropological Theory j, (:ooji: ,-j.