The Structure of World History
From Modes of Production to Modes of Exchange
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Narrated by:
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Bob Dunsworth
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By:
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Kojin Karatani
About this listen
In this major, paradigm-shifting work, Kojin Karatani systematically re-evaluates Marx's version of world history, shifting the focus of critique from modes of production to modes of exchange.
Karatani seeks to understand both capital-nation-state, the interlocking system that's the dominant form of modern global society, and the possibilities for superseding it. He traces different modes of exchange, including the pooling of resources that characterizes nomadic tribes, the gift exchange systems developed after the adoption of fixed-settlement agriculture, the exchange of obedience for protection that arises with the emergence of the state, the commodity exchanges that characterize capitalism, and, finally, a future mode of exchange based on the return of gift exchange, albeit modified for the contemporary moment. He argues that this final stage - marking the overcoming of capital, nation, and state - is best understood in light of Kant's writings on eternal peace. The Structure of World History is in many ways the capstone of Karatani's brilliant career, yet it also signals new directions in his thought.
The book was published by Duke University Press.
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The preeminent historian of the American Revolution explains why it remains the most significant event in our history
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Sophisticated analyses
- By Roger on 01-25-12
By: Gordon S Wood
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The Demon in Democracy
- Totalitarian Temptations in Free Societies
- By: Ryszard Legutko, John O'Sullivan, Teresa Adelson
- Narrated by: Liam Gerrard
- Length: 9 hrs and 6 mins
- Unabridged
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Ryszard Legutko lived and suffered under communism for decades - and he fought with the Polish anti-communist movement to abolish it. Having lived for two decades under a liberal democracy, however, he has discovered that these two political systems have a lot more in common than one might think. They both stem from the same historical roots in early modernity, and accept similar presuppositions about history, society, religion, politics, culture, and human nature.
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Important book on political philosophy
- By Wayne on 08-02-19
By: Ryszard Legutko, and others
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The Origins of Totalitarianism
- By: Hannah Arendt
- Narrated by: Nadia May
- Length: 23 hrs and 23 mins
- Unabridged
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This classic, definitive account of totalitarianism traces the emergence of modern racism as an "ideological weapon for imperialism", beginning with the rise of anti-Semitism in Europe in the 19th century and continuing through the New Imperialism period from 1884 to World War I.
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Vast and intricate analysis of horror
- By Roger on 08-04-08
By: Hannah Arendt
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Capitalism
- The Unknown Ideal
- By: Ayn Rand
- Narrated by: Anna Fields
- Length: 14 hrs and 13 mins
- Unabridged
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The foundations of capitalism are being battered by a flood of altruism, which is the cause of the modern world's collapse. This was the view of Ayn Rand, a view so radically opposed to prevailing attitudes that it constituted a major philosophic revolution. In this series of essays, she presented her stand on the persecution of big business, the causes of war, the default of conservatism, and the evils of altruism.
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Ashame this is not taught in our
- By Karen on 08-18-07
By: Ayn Rand
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The Declaration of Independence (Revolutions Series)
- Michael Hardt Presents Thomas Jefferson
- By: Thomas Jefferson, Michael Hardt
- Narrated by: Eric Myers
- Length: 5 hrs and 5 mins
- Unabridged
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In 1776 Thomas Jefferson, a future president, authored the most explosive document in the history of America: "The Declaration of Independence", formally severing the link between America and the British state. Michael Hardt, co-author of the groundbreaking "Empire and Multitude", examines this and other texts by Jefferson, arguing that his powerful concept of democracy is, seen through contemporary eyes, a biting critique of the current American administration's tyranny.
By: Thomas Jefferson, and others
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The Sovereign Individual
- Mastering the Transition to the Information Age
- By: James Dale Davidson, Peter Thiel - preface, William Rees-Mogg
- Narrated by: Michael David Axtell
- Length: 19 hrs and 20 mins
- Unabridged
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Two renowned investment advisors and authors of the best seller The Great Reckoning bring to light both currents of disaster and the potential for prosperity and renewal in the face of radical changes in human history as we move into the next century. The Sovereign Individual details strategies necessary for adapting financially to the next phase of Western civilization.
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Unfortunately distopian for mosty of humanity
- By Phil on 09-29-20
By: James Dale Davidson, and others
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Communism [Modern Library Chronicles]
- By: Richard Pipes
- Narrated by: George Wilson
- Length: 5 hrs and 46 mins
- Unabridged
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From the acclaimed Modern Library Chronicles comes an exploration of a promising theory that when put to practice wreaked havoc on the world. An expert on communism, Richard Pipes follows the history of the Soviet Union from the 1917 revolution to the Cold War, and finally, to its deterioration and collapse.
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Interesting but lacks objectivity
- By Mazen on 07-06-06
By: Richard Pipes
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Why You Think the Way You Do
- The Story of Western Worldviews from Rome to Home
- By: Glenn S. Sunshine
- Narrated by: Patrick Lawlor
- Length: 8 hrs and 21 mins
- Unabridged
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Why You Think the Way You Do traces the development of the worldviews that underpin the Western world. Professor and historian Glenn S. Sunshine demonstrates the decisive impact that the growth of Christianity had in transforming the outlook of pagan Roman culture into one that—based on biblical concepts of humanity and its relationship with God—established virtually all the positive aspects of Western civilization.
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"Christian's view of the western world"
- By Bradley on 03-21-10
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The Decline and Rise of Democracy
- A Global History from Antiquity to Today
- By: David Stastavage
- Narrated by: Tom Perkins
- Length: 11 hrs and 34 mins
- Unabridged
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Historical accounts of democracy's rise tend to focus on ancient Greece and pre-Renaissance Europe. The Decline and Rise of Democracy draws from global evidence to show that the story is much richer - democratic practices were present in many places at many other times. David Stasavage makes the case that understanding how and where these democracies flourished - and when and why they declined - can provide crucial information not just about the history of governance, but about the ways modern democracies work and where they could manifest in the future.
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Informative
- By Frank on 12-22-20
By: David Stastavage
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The Victory of Reason
- How Christianity Led to Freedom, Capitalism, and Western Success
- By: Rodney Stark
- Narrated by: Bob Souer
- Length: 8 hrs and 3 mins
- Unabridged
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In The Victory of Reason, Rodney Stark advances a revolutionary, controversial, and long overdue idea: that Christianity and its related institutions are, in fact, directly responsible for the most significant intellectual, political, scientific, and economic breakthroughs of the past millennium. In Stark's view, what has propelled the West is not the tension between secular and non-secular society, nor the pitting of science and the humanities against religious belief. Christian theology, Stark asserts, is the very font of reason.
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Absolutely incredible history book!
- By Daniel on 01-02-20
By: Rodney Stark
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The Constitution of Liberty
- The Definitive Edition
- By: Ronald Hamowy - Edited by, F. A. Hayek
- Narrated by: Mike Chamberlain
- Length: 20 hrs and 7 mins
- Unabridged
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The Constitution of Liberty is considered Hayek's classic statement on the ideals of freedom and liberty, ideals that he believes have guided - and must continue to guide - the growth of Western civilization. Here, Hayek defends the principles of a free society, casting a skeptical eye on the growth of the welfare state and examining the challenges to freedom posed by an ever-expanding government.
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very detailed and important
- By Big Kyle 570 on 06-17-20
By: Ronald Hamowy - Edited by, and others
What listeners say about The Structure of World History
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- Jessica Zu
- 11-06-24
Thought provoking
Not sure about the kantian kingdom of ends—a white peoples paradise only since only white races are considered by Kant as capable of rationality.
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- steve foster
- 03-05-16
Work Through It and Be Rewarded In Its Relevance
Would you listen to The Structure of World History again? Why?
I had read the print version previous to listening. I'll refer back to the print version for key points.
What other book might you compare The Structure of World History to and why?
There are a number of "longue duree" (Braudel) examinations of broad historical sweeps out over recent decades, with titles of long centuries (the Long Twentieth Century), 5000 Years of Debt, multivolume sets from studies of the rise of capitalism as world system [Wallerstein] or evolving structures of power [Mann}, global South perspectives on the ubiquitous nature of imperialism of the modern period (Amin). Structure of World History takes a long, broad, multidisciplinary look at human processes of social exchange.
Who would you have cast as narrator instead of Bob Dunsworth?
It must be someone that has a much better grasp of western intellectual history and associated individuals from that history than the reader of this work. The mispronunciation of names (Kant pronounced Can't), technical philosophical terms (he murdered the term utilitarianism), blending of section headings with narrative text portions; these miscues, though forgivable nevertheless became grating and took away from a certain intellectual authority that is expressed by the author in the text. That is, the lack of precision on the part of the narrator impedes the credibility of the work being read.
What’s the most interesting tidbit you’ve picked up from this book?
Karatani's emphasis on modes of exchange for purposes of human connection and the approaches to power and domination, humans over other humans, or human domination over the nonhuman world is not only cogent in looking at history; but, the future projection of that history as call to abandon the modes of exchanges based on plunder, exploitation and capital accumulation to something of our earlier human beginnings.
That is, he sees our need to recapture a life of exchange of pure gift-giving, or exchanges of reciprocity and mutuality, even if this is just an ideal to stretch towards. These alternative modes of exchange from our ancient past are still with us, never having totally left. They must be done because our alternative future based on the modes of exchange based on conquest and capitalism is a potential state of Hobbesian nature of all out war of all against all, the Schopenhauerian end we are already getting our bellies full of in our current life together on our finite planet.
Any additional comments?
This was an appropriate book of intellectual history for narration because of the clear writing style and the author's systematic return to his themes in circular and repetitions fashion. Please keep offering recordings of newer more academic works-regardless of the previous review that lacked exposure to understand the work. Some of us like to listen to works that we've read, or will read, to help give a different way approach and interpret the text.
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