SKU: 62156038362

Society Against the State: Essays in Political Anthropology

Sale price$20.62 Regular price$22.91
Save 10%

Pay in installments of $5.73 with ShopPay, AfterPay and Klarna

Shipping Estimate
USA
  • USA
  • CAN

Ships within 48 hours · Estimated delivery Jul 25 - Jul 30

Promo Codes Available:

For Your Every Summer RSVP, with Code: SUMMER15

Description

Society Against the State: Essays in Political AnthropologyIn this seminal, founding work of political anthropology, Pierre Clastres takes on some of the most abiding and essential questions of human civilization: What is power? What is society? How, among all the possible modes of political organization, did we come to choose the monolithic State model and its accompanying regimes of coercion? As Clastres shows, other and different regimes do indeed exist, and they existed long before ours regimes in which

In this seminal, founding work of political anthropology, Pierre Clastres takes on some of the most abiding and essential questions of human civilization: What is power? What is society? How, among all the possible modes of political organization, did we come to choose the monolithic State model and its accompanying regimes of coercion? As Clastres shows, other and different regimes do indeed exist, and they existed long before ours -- regimes in which power, though it manifests itself everywhere, is nonetheless noncoercive.

In such societies, political culture, and cultural practices generally, are not only not submissive to the State model, but they actively avert it, rendering impossible the very conditions in which coercive power and the State could arise. How then could our own "societies of the State" ever have arisen from these rich and complex stateless societies, and why?

Clastres brilliantly and imaginatively addresses these questions, meditating on the peculiar shape and dynamics of so-called "primitive societies," and especially on the discourses with which "civilized" (i.e., political, economic, literate) peoples have not ceased to reduce and contain them. He refutes outright the idea that the State is the ultimate and logical density of all societies. On the contrary, Clastres develops a whole alternate and always affirmative political technology based on values such as leisure, prestige, and generosity.

Through individual essays he explores and deftly situates the anarchistic political and social roles of storytelling, homosexuality, jokes, ruinous gift-giving, and the torturous ritual marking of the body, placing them within an economy of power and desire very different from our own, one whose most fundamental goal is to celebrate life while rendering the rise of despotic power impossible. Though power itself is shown to be inseparable from the richest and most complex forms of social life, the State is seen as a specific but grotesque aberration peculiar only to certain societies, not least of which is our own.

Not for sale in the U.K. and British Commonwealth, South Africa, Burma, Jordan, and Iraq.

Binding Type: Paperback
Publisher: Zone Books
Published: 10/01/1990
ISBN: 9780942299014
Pages: 224
Weight: 0.80lbs
Size: 8.90h x 6.00w x 0.80d
Shipping Notes
  • Free Standard Shipping on $100+ Orders to the USA.
  • Except Preorder products are shipped in 48 hours.
  • Delivery to the USA:
  1. Standard Shipping : 3-10 business days
  • If time is of the essence, please consider selecting expedited delivery for faster service.
Exchange/Return Notes
  • We offer a 30-day return/exchange service after receiving.
  • Final sale items are not eligible for returns or exchanges.
  • To process your return/exchange, please contact us at [email protected]
  • Please click here for more details>>> Return & Exchange Policy
SKU: 62156038362

Discover Niche Categories That Outsell

Top-Converting Item to Boost Your Average Order

4.2 ★★★★★
Based on 14 reviews
Sort
Highest Rating
Newest First
Oldest First
Product Reviews
A
Verified Purchase
Amazon Customer
Natrona Heights, US
★★★★★ 5
Great job by Asurion!
Asurion handled my claim quickly and efficiently. My return was picked up by UPS and an Amazon gift card for the full amount was received as promised. Very happy with the process.
WAS THIS REVIEW HELPFUL?YesReportShare
Reviewed in the United States on April 17, 2026
K
Verified Purchase
Kelleen S.
San Leandro, US
★★★★★ 1
Make sure you read the terms and conditions and don't let them off the hook
Asurion is counting on the fact that you don't know how to read. They made the claim process aggravating and as difficult as possible. I CAN read and had to review the terms and conditions with them on the phone and threaten to involve an attorney before they would honor the coverage. They tried to say my product was not portable, when the word "portable" is literally in the name of the product. Then they tried to say the the accidental drop was not covered, but it clearly states in the terms and conditions that an accidental drop and a cracked screen is a covered event. I buy the coverage almost every time I am offered it, but I will be rethinking that going forward and Amazon should consider finding a different company to issue the protection plans for their products because I fear this is the beginning of a lot of complaints. I have filed a claim in the past and it was very straightforward and easy, but they must have a new company managing the plans now, because it was anything but easy. If I was an older person who was not tech savy, or who just took someone's word at face value, I would be out the cost of my item and the protection plan. BUYER BEWARE
WAS THIS REVIEW HELPFUL?YesReportShare
Reviewed in the United States on August 20, 2025
H
Verified Purchase
Hugh Conley
Chelsea, US
★★★★★ 5
Refunded money quickly
Good service
WAS THIS REVIEW HELPFUL?YesReportShare
Reviewed in the United States on May 3, 2026
A
Verified Purchase
Aury
Waukegan, US
★★★★★ 5
Easy and convenient to use
Love my product is easy to use, I truly recommend 100% price and quality.
WAS THIS REVIEW HELPFUL?YesReportShare
Reviewed in the United States on May 26, 2026
L
Verified Purchase
Librax2
Waukegan, US
★★★★★ 5
Knowledgeable and helpful
I purchased a new Sony TV and was having a lot of trouble coordinating the settings. After struggling for 1.5 days, I gave up and called the number for Asurion. There was a reasonable wait while I found the "right" tech person, but it was worthwhile. He was knowledgeable and patient. He gave me confidence and we worked together to solve all my issues. At the end he became pressuring, wanted me to buy a monthly gig with them.
WAS THIS REVIEW HELPFUL?YesReportShare
Reviewed in the United States on January 18, 2026

recommand products