Abstract

A human economy puts people first in emergent world society. Money is a human universal and now takes the divisive form of capitalism. This book addresses how to think about money (from Aristotle to the daily news and the sexual economy of luxury goods); its contemporary evolution (banking the unbanked and remittances in the South, cross-border investment in China, the payments industry and the politics of bitcoin); and cases from 19th century India and Southern Africa to contemporary Haiti and Argentina. Money is one idea with diverse forms. As national monopoly currencies give way to regional and global federalism, money is a key to achieving economic democracy.

“Hart’s human economy paradigm is changing the terms of debate in economic anthropology. This volume, which contains essays by the world’s leading experts on new ways of thinking about money, explores fundamental questions about the human condition in today’s unequal world.” · Chris Gregory, Australian National University

Keith Hart’s approach to the theory and practice of money combines state and market, but with people in mind, while focusing on how the communications revolution is transforming money. He has taught in many universities and now co-directs the Human Economy Program at the University of Pretoria. His books include The Memory Bank (aka Money in an Unequal World), The Hit Man’s Dilemma, The Human Economy: A Citizen’s Guide, Economic Anthropology: History, Ethnography, Critique and Economy For and Against Democracy.