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Hi Martin!
When you start out suggesting a viewpoint as being 'European, racist,
white'; and then go on attacking quotes taken from my previous message, it
does feel as if you have implied me to be those things. Indeed, I am two
out of three (your pick). Certainly I slide to the Eurocentric perspective,
as from within my 'circle of incommensurability' I cannot see beyond my
conceptual limitations etc. - that is inevitable though I do my best not
to. Furthermore, I have read a book by M. Mauss and some works developing
on him from an anti-capitalist angle, and clearly you have researched
deeply into the subject, so I bow to your greater knowledge in aboriginal
culture. And - no - I didnt get to the end of you mail without skipping
half of the aboriginal story, but then I dare to say you did equally bad
when reading/interpreting my mail.
I recaptured my reading of how Mauss (and some other writers) defined a
'Gift economy'. Though their concepts might/might not be weighted down by
'noble salvage logic', it doesn't automatically make me into that from
recapturing their writings. So, for example, your use of my note on
'purposeless things' is gravely missinterpreted. According to Mauss & other
writers (to the best of my knowledge) - the products subject to gift
swapping tended to be purposless in the sense that their use value were not
lifesupportive necessities (tools, cloth, food). This does not imply that
Mauss, nor I, think of 'gift economy' as a system without purpose (and
hence market economy as purposeful). Just as you say gift has a tremendous
importance in ordering sociability in the community. I dont even know if
our viewpoints on Gift differs very much - maybee it does or maybee it
doesnt. It does feel, however, as you were too eager to read things into my
email to get the chance of attacking a 'strawman'. Thats ok, but I get
upset when the attack is connected to those three words in the beginning of
your message.
sincerely
Johan
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