David Graeber

David Graeber (1961–2020) was an American anthropologist, anarchist activist, and prolific author whose work fundamentally challenged mainstream economic and political thinking. He earned his PhD in anthropology from the University of Chicago and held academic positions at Yale University and the London School of Economics, though his outspoken anarchist politics and criticism of academic bureaucracy often put him at odds with institutional hierarchies.

Graeber is best known for his 2011 book *Debt: The First 5,000 Years*, which reframed the history of human economic relations by arguing that credit systems preceded barter and that debt has been a tool of social control. His other major works include *Bullshit Jobs* (2018), which examined the proliferation of meaningless work in modern capitalism, and *The Utopia of Rules* (2015), exploring bureaucracy as a form of violence. He was a key intellectual voice in the Occupy Wall Street movement and contributed significantly to anarchist theory and practice.

Beyond academia, Graeber was a public intellectual who wrote for major publications and engaged in direct activism. His work synthesized anthropology, history, philosophy, and political theory to offer radical critiques of contemporary institutions. He died in September 2020 at age 59, leaving behind an influential body of work that continues to shape debates about economics, labor, and social organization.

American anthropologist and anarchist activist (1961–2020) who became a leading public intellectual through works challenging capitalism and bureaucracy. His *Debt: The First 5,000 Years* and *Bullshit Jobs* reshaped contemporary discourse on economics and labor. A key voice in Occupy Wall Street, he bridged academic anthropology and radical activism.