Laying aside the spear: Hobbesian warre and the Maussian gift

Corbey, R.H.A. (2006)

Part of book or chapter of book

The pacification of a primordial, violent natural state of humankind by a social contract based on reciprocal exchange is a widespread preconception, from Thomas Hobbes and Enlightenment social thought to Marcel Mauss and Claude Lévi-Strauss. In this contribution, the structure, historical backgrounds, and current roles of this assumption in several lines of research are analysed. Subsequently, it is argued that socioecological theories of conflict and cooperation can elegantly supplement Durkheimian approaches, and help to avoid a too dualistic, homo duplex view of culture.

• conflict
• violence
• social contract
• Thomas Hobbes
• Marcel Mauss
• gift exchange
• reciprocity

• All authors: Corbey, R.H.A.
• Date: 2006
• Title of host publication: Warfare and Society: Archaeological and Social Anthtopological Perspectives
• Pages: 29 - 36
• Link: https://pure.uvt.nl/portal/en/publications/laying-aside-the-spear(986b091c-04d7-42cd-b39e-cca794c36b44).html