In 1957, karl wittfogel famously made much of marxs use of the phrase oriental despotism to try and understand the development of stalinist russia in a problematic fashion. Asian traditions and contemporary international law on the. Developmental aspects of hydraulic societies columbia university. Oriental despotisma comparative study of total power by karl a wittfogel. The synthesis of the african and asian pastoral religions is thin. John hobson claims that throughout its history most international theory has been embedded within various forms of eurocentrism. The amp was only rediscovered following karl wittfogel s famous 1957 book oriental despotism as well and the subsequent publication of a famous section of marxs grundrisse entitled precapitalist economic formations. Aron wrote extensively on a wide range of other topics. They resurfaced aroundbut by wtitfogel wittfogel was of course a nonperson in communist eyes. By revisiting the history of eurasia in this context, the book offers a serious challenge to existing ideas about the aims and goals of economic growth. Karl august wittfogel was born 6 september 1896 at woltersdorf, in luchow, province of hanover. Under stalin, marxs ideas on the amp were simply suppressed.
Sanguinettis title echoes the title of a wellknown work by karl august wittfogel, oriental despotism. He came to believe that the stateowned economies of the soviet bloc inevitably led to despotic governments even more oppressive than those of traditional asia and that those regimes were the greatest threat to the future of all mankind. Wittfogel argued that most of the earliest states were formed in hydraulic civilizations, by which he meant civilizations where leaders controlled people by controlling the water supply. The goal has been a full and definitive treatment of marxs political theory, policies, and practice. Originally a marxist and an active member of the communist party of germany, after the second world war wittfogel was an equally fierce anticommunist. Anthropological conversations with karl wittfogels. China and the writing of world history in the west pdf. Ours is an age of second thoughts, and of going back to earlier writers for inspiration and new insights. A comparative study of total power karl wittfogel download bok. Anthropological conversations with karl wittfogels ghost this epilogue provides a last word to this rich collection of papers engaging in lively dialogue with. All footnotes by the translator, except where indicated. Jan 18, 2020 karl august wittfogel oriental despotism. Such a state would inevitably be despotic, powerful, stable.
Ulrich menzels excellent online presentation in the personenlexikon internationale beziehungen virtuell. Iranian studies journal of the society for iranian studies. Le despotisme oriental wittfogel pdf pdf file today. Such a state would inevitably be despotic, powerful, stable and wealthy. A comparative study of total power, first published in 1957. Critics have denied that ceylon or bali are truly hydraulic in the wittfogel sense. Divided sovereignty in the genghisid states as exemplified by. May 11, 2020 wittfogel is best known for his monumental work oriental despotism. This theory was articulated by german american historian karl august wittfogel in his book 1957 oriental despotis.
Wittfogel, for example, in his classic oriental despotism 1957, argued that complex societies are underwritten by an agricultural base supported by irrigation. Babylon mesopotamia and the birth of civilization paul. A comparative study of total power yale university press, 1957. Whether youve loved the book or not, if you give your honest and detailed thoughts then people will find new books that are right for them. Full text of karl august wittfogel oriental despotism. According to one early theory of state formation, the centralized state was developed to administer large public works systems such as irrigation systems and to regulate complex economies. In a comprehensive survey of oriental despotism, karl a.
It is shown that the fiscal exploitation inherent in. He studied philosophy, history, sociology, geography at leipzig university and also in munich, berlin and rostock and in 1919 again in berlin. Needless to say, this goal is unattainable, but it has served to determine the form and contents, scope and. An awareness of the developmental peculiarity of irrigationbased oriental society. Etude comparative du pouvoir total karl a wittfogel on free shipping on qualifying offers. After oriental despotism questions conventional oppositions between europe and asia. Wittfogel, adjunct professor of chinese history at columbia. It is no longer a specific skin color but a specific asiatic institution, and the way of life stemming therefrom, which imperils western civilization. Because the maya are not known to have built largescale irrigation systems, he claimed that the maya were a marginal agrarian wittfogel 1957. Karl wittfogel in the american communist newspaper. Edition temmen, bremen, with very few others he took marxs idea of a genuine asiatic way of precapitalist development seriously. Wittfogels studies of oriental society have influenced studies of chinese social and.
He came to believe that the stateowned economies of the soviet bloc inevitably led to despotic governments even more oppressive than those of traditional asia and that those regimes were the. Apr 18, 2020 le despotisme oriental wittfogel pdf le despotisme oriental. Wittfogels theory of oriental society or hydraulic society and the. The asiatic mode of production, philosophy and social criticism 8. Rather than producing valuefree and universalist theories of interstate relations, international theory instead provides provincial analyses that celebrate and defend western civilization as the subject of, and ideal normative referent in, world politics. The concept of oriental despotism has shaped the european interpretation and. A comparative study of total power wittfogel, karl on. A comparative study of total power, first published in starting from. Featured image all images latest this just in flickr commons occupy wall street flickr cover art usgs maps.
Software sites tucows software library software capsules compilation shareware cdroms cdrom images zx spectrum doom level cd. Karl marx and frederick engels, collected works mecw, 12 london, 1979, p. Kodi archive and support file vintage software community software apk msdos cdrom software cdrom software library. This is the legacy of the ancient empires of sumer and assyria in mesopotamia, described by karl wittfogel. In the 20th century, karl august wittfogel 18961988. Jan 16, 2020 karl wittfogel oriental despotism pdf oriental despotism. Karl august wittfogel oriental despotism internet archive. The book offers an explanation for the despotic governments in oriental societies, where control of water was necessary for irrigation and floodcontrol. Our understanding of the grand prairie experience begins with karl wittfogels 1957 work, oriental despotism. A comparative study of total power is a book of political theory and comparative history by karl august wittfogel 18961988 published by yale university press in 1957.
Disrespect for nature has been a major cause for the demise of such despotic empires. A comparative study of total power new haven, 1957. Other readers will always be interested in your opinion of the books youve read. Starting from a marxist analysis of the ideas of max weber on china and indias hydraulicbureaucratic officialstate and building on marxs sceptical view of the asiatic mode of production, wittfogel came up with an analysis of oriental despotism which. Confessions of a rightwing liberal mises institute.
Since the war, however, a critical tendency has rather prevailed in regard to wittfogels theory, and while his oriental despotism, published in. Nov 04, 2019 karl wittfogel in the american communist newspaper. Wittfogel is best known for his monumental work oriental despotism. The economic analysis of the power to tax and spend, or what franz oppenheimer called the political means, is applied to democracies and to dictatorships. Despotic government as such is not unlawful or arbitrary. It should be useful to begin with a statement of what this book attempts to do. Karl august wittfogel oriental despotism as only a centralized administration could organize the building and maintenance of largescale systems of irrigation, the need for such systems made bureaucratic despotism inevitable in socalled oriental lands.
The german historian karl august wittfogel 18961988 was a very influential orientalist economic historian. In calling his book a comparative study of total power, the author is doing himself justice, for the book indeed is an immense file case of characteristics which at various times have been common to many societies of oriental type. This classic piece appeared in ramparts, vi, 4, june 15, 1968. Wittfogel, famously known for his hydraulic thesis, was a german historian and sinologist. The book offers an explanation for the despotic governments in oriental societies, where control of water was. Starting from a marxist analysis of the ideas of max weber on china and indias hydraulicbureaucratic officialstate and building on marxs sceptical view of the asiatic mode of production, wittfogel came up with an analysis of oriental despotism which emphasized. The concept of negotiation is important, because i will use it to challenge the ideas of karl wittfogel on the connection between largescale water management projects and the nature of despotic power. Aron points to imaginary elections and hypocritical welcome exclamations at congresses and demonstrations as symbols of the power of the soviet dmocgatie clique. The basis of despotism economic and political weekly. Such a state orienta inevitably be despotic, powerful, stable and wealthy. It was the fulfillment of an ideological trend that began a few years earlier when consistent libertarians, led by rothbard, sensed an estrangement from the american rightwing due to its support of militarism, police power, and the corporate state. The constraints imposed by democracies and dictatorships on the iron law of political redistribution and the law of hierarchical centralization are examined.