Book · 2017 · Agriculture
Against the Grain
A Deep History of the Earliest States
- mentions
- 13
- people
- 6
- podcasts
- 4
- episodes
- 10
- critical mentions
- 0
It reminds me of James Scott's thing in Against the Grain where he pointed out there were if you look at the history of agriculture there's many examples where people just like choose to run away and live as foragers in the forest.
What they say about it
- Discusses early agriculture“the history of agriculture”4
- References state formation and power3
The best things said about it
The whole book is like, “Agriculture sucked but we were forced to adopt it because it allowed some humans to organize nation states that were very abusive.
One thing is really stuck with me in reading, for instance, James Scott, which talks about this and Against the Grain, it's just whole fragile and not inevitable.
James Scott has an interesting theory in Against the Grain. I don't know if it originates with him, but he argues that one of the reasons that the early agriculturalists were so successful...
For those who have been reading like you know against the grain and you know Greyber's work we would know that states have been pretty ecoidal from their very inception.
There's a great book called Against the Grain written by a by a guy who he's a land he thinks that we need to be easier on the past and harder on the president in this book.
Where and when it comes up
Mentions per year
How it comes up
Most mentions, by podcast
6 people who brought it up
Why people recommend it
Why people recommend it: Challenging traditional assumptions about the rise of human civilization and the origins of state control, Against the Grain by James C. Scott explores the hidden vulnerabilities of early agricultural societies. Andrew Sage referenced the book across multiple episodes of Behind the Bastards to discuss the inherent fragility and non-inevitability of early state formation, as well as anarchist perspectives on human domestication. Kyle Harper and Dwarkesh Patel discussed Scott's provocative theories on the Dwarkesh Podcast, noting how early agriculturalists were forced to adopt grain-based farming because it facilitated the rise of abusive, highly taxable nation-states. Patel and Charles C. Mann further explored historical instances where populations actively fled state authority to live as foragers in the forest, reframing conventional historical understandings of so-called barbarians. Additionally, Omer Moav brought up the book on EconTalk to credit Scott for popularizing foundational arguments surrounding crop taxability. Across historical and economic discussions, commentators continually returned to Scott's insights to deconstruct the myth of inevitable civilizational progress, highlighting instead how early state structures relied on coercion, surveillance, and the systematic subjugation of independent populations.
Every mention
Andrew Sage But one thing is really stuck with me in reading, for instance, Jamesy Scott, which talks about this and ag… 2
“But one thing is really stuck with me in reading, for instance, Jamesy Scott, which talks about this and against the green, it's just whole fragile and not inevitable.”
“You know, Peter Galloo had worship in power. Uh James Scott has against the grain. And in progress, although I don't think he is anarchist or anarchist adjacent, in progress, McDonald's starts with the beginning of recorded civilization in 3000 B.CE.”
Dwarkesh Patel James Scott, who I think just died a couple of weeks ago, wrote his book, Against the Grain. The whole book… 2
“James Scott, who I think just died a couple of weeks ago, wrote his book, Against the Grain. The whole book is like, “Agriculture sucked but we were forced to adopt it because it allowed some humans to organize nation states that were very abusive.””
“It sounds it reminds me of um James Scott's thing in against the grain where he pointed out there were if you look at the history of agriculture there's many examples where people just like choose to run away and live as foragers in the forest”
Alan Levinovitz there's a great book called against the grain written by a by a guy who he's a land he thinks that we need… 1
“there's a great book called against the grain written by a by a guy who he's a land he thinks that we need to be easier on the past and harder on the president in this book”
Charles C. Mann And you you see that in um against the grain, the James Scott book, where you know, you say, "What do you m… 1
“And you you see that in um against the grain, the James Scott book, where you know, you say, "What do you mean barbarians?”
Kyle Harper James Scott has an interesting theory in Against the Grain. I don't know if it originates with him, but he… 1
“James Scott has an interesting theory in Against the Grain. I don't know if it originates with him, but he argues that one of the reasons that the early agriculturalists were so successful...”
Omer Moav so you I could point I mean James Scott is famous for that with his two best sellers not being God the art… 1
“so you I could point I mean James Scott is famous for that with his two best sellers not being God the art of not being governed and against the grain”
Mentioned on the show without a named speaker5
“I think that Scott explores it in a very interesting way in chapter 2 of Against the Grain.”
“But of course, James C. Scott also discussed it years before in Against the Green.”
“Anyway, back to against the grain. Back to against the grain. So, as we're talking about, you know, this reliance on this one staple, whether it be corn or grain or any cereal really, it kind of brings to mind”
“For those who have been reading like you know against the grain and you know Greyber's work we would know that states have been pretty ecoidal from their very inception.”
“I don't see states um and I think you would agree with me being the path out of you know utter climate catastrophe. Um for those who have been reading like you know against the grain and you know Greyber's work we would know that states have been pretty ecoidal from their very inception.”
