Louis Proyect wrote:
Despite the fact that the Economist article includes the observation that "Friedrich Engels was probably right to identify agriculture with a loss of political innocence," it is basically an attack on the "noble savage" mythology that has been found in a variety of places, including the atrocious "The Ecological Indian" by Shepherd Krech.
Just to make sure that I am being clear, let me restate this: Despite the fact that the Economist article includes the observation that "Friedrich Engels was probably right to identify agriculture with a loss of political innocence," it is basically an attack on what some scholars regard as a "noble savage" mythology. Instead, they seek to show that hunting-gathering societies were ignoble and violent, enough so to give Hobbes nightmares. This kind of specious revisionism has been found in a variety of places, including the atrocious "The Ecological Indian" by Shepherd Krech.
