Debt: The First 5,000 Years

Traditional economists following in the footsteps of Adam Smith argue “first comes barter, then money; credit only develops later” (21). How does Graeber question this conventional narrative? Provide at least three archaeological or ethnographic examples that counter the prevailing assumptions about the history of money.

Compare and contrast the barter and primordial debt theories. Why does Graeber reject both theories?

What is morality? Why is framing all of morality around the language of commercial transactions problematic? What alternatives does Graeber propose for how to conceive morality?