"Who Put the Devil Into the Pig? (How Human Society Absolved Itself From Blame For Almost Everything)" is a nonfiction social history that blends anthropology, political history, law, and economics to explore how societies have long sought scapegoats through which guilt or evil could be punished, especially when their laws and institutions were too weak to confront transgressors directly.
The title is a play of words and images. "The devil" refers to society's guilt or failures and "the pig," refers to Man's oldest domesticated food animal. To "put the devil Into the pig" is an allegory for blaming nature, in other words absolving ourselves of guilt for our failures through history.
This moral relationship between humans and nature has evolved over time. The domestication of food animals introduced major changes into society, such as economic concepts of capital gains and compound interest, as well as social concepts such as inclusion, hierarchy, and class. As our earliest domesticated food animal, the pig became both a social symbol and an economic asset, and served as the ideal scapegoat when conflicts escalated into existential value clashes. The pig became a proxy for the evils society saw in itself.
The book recounts vivid stories of pigs as defendants in animal court trials; as psychological weapons of war; as traps for heretics during the Inquisition; as pawns in the Underground Railroad, and as a symbol of social solidarity. Through these stories, "Who Put the Devil Into the Pig?" illustrates how religious, legal, and political systems used nature to express guilt, and debunks some of today's most persistent myths.
Ultimately, the "arc of social evolution" traces how humanity moved beyond blaming nature toward a more reflective relationship with it. The book introduces the notion of Governance Anthropology, and places governance at the center of the Anthropocene.
1147665148
The title is a play of words and images. "The devil" refers to society's guilt or failures and "the pig," refers to Man's oldest domesticated food animal. To "put the devil Into the pig" is an allegory for blaming nature, in other words absolving ourselves of guilt for our failures through history.
This moral relationship between humans and nature has evolved over time. The domestication of food animals introduced major changes into society, such as economic concepts of capital gains and compound interest, as well as social concepts such as inclusion, hierarchy, and class. As our earliest domesticated food animal, the pig became both a social symbol and an economic asset, and served as the ideal scapegoat when conflicts escalated into existential value clashes. The pig became a proxy for the evils society saw in itself.
The book recounts vivid stories of pigs as defendants in animal court trials; as psychological weapons of war; as traps for heretics during the Inquisition; as pawns in the Underground Railroad, and as a symbol of social solidarity. Through these stories, "Who Put the Devil Into the Pig?" illustrates how religious, legal, and political systems used nature to express guilt, and debunks some of today's most persistent myths.
Ultimately, the "arc of social evolution" traces how humanity moved beyond blaming nature toward a more reflective relationship with it. The book introduces the notion of Governance Anthropology, and places governance at the center of the Anthropocene.
Who Put the Devil Into the Pig?: How Human Society Absolved Itself From Blame For Almost Everything
"Who Put the Devil Into the Pig? (How Human Society Absolved Itself From Blame For Almost Everything)" is a nonfiction social history that blends anthropology, political history, law, and economics to explore how societies have long sought scapegoats through which guilt or evil could be punished, especially when their laws and institutions were too weak to confront transgressors directly.
The title is a play of words and images. "The devil" refers to society's guilt or failures and "the pig," refers to Man's oldest domesticated food animal. To "put the devil Into the pig" is an allegory for blaming nature, in other words absolving ourselves of guilt for our failures through history.
This moral relationship between humans and nature has evolved over time. The domestication of food animals introduced major changes into society, such as economic concepts of capital gains and compound interest, as well as social concepts such as inclusion, hierarchy, and class. As our earliest domesticated food animal, the pig became both a social symbol and an economic asset, and served as the ideal scapegoat when conflicts escalated into existential value clashes. The pig became a proxy for the evils society saw in itself.
The book recounts vivid stories of pigs as defendants in animal court trials; as psychological weapons of war; as traps for heretics during the Inquisition; as pawns in the Underground Railroad, and as a symbol of social solidarity. Through these stories, "Who Put the Devil Into the Pig?" illustrates how religious, legal, and political systems used nature to express guilt, and debunks some of today's most persistent myths.
Ultimately, the "arc of social evolution" traces how humanity moved beyond blaming nature toward a more reflective relationship with it. The book introduces the notion of Governance Anthropology, and places governance at the center of the Anthropocene.
The title is a play of words and images. "The devil" refers to society's guilt or failures and "the pig," refers to Man's oldest domesticated food animal. To "put the devil Into the pig" is an allegory for blaming nature, in other words absolving ourselves of guilt for our failures through history.
This moral relationship between humans and nature has evolved over time. The domestication of food animals introduced major changes into society, such as economic concepts of capital gains and compound interest, as well as social concepts such as inclusion, hierarchy, and class. As our earliest domesticated food animal, the pig became both a social symbol and an economic asset, and served as the ideal scapegoat when conflicts escalated into existential value clashes. The pig became a proxy for the evils society saw in itself.
The book recounts vivid stories of pigs as defendants in animal court trials; as psychological weapons of war; as traps for heretics during the Inquisition; as pawns in the Underground Railroad, and as a symbol of social solidarity. Through these stories, "Who Put the Devil Into the Pig?" illustrates how religious, legal, and political systems used nature to express guilt, and debunks some of today's most persistent myths.
Ultimately, the "arc of social evolution" traces how humanity moved beyond blaming nature toward a more reflective relationship with it. The book introduces the notion of Governance Anthropology, and places governance at the center of the Anthropocene.
15.99
In Stock
5
1
Who Put the Devil Into the Pig?: How Human Society Absolved Itself From Blame For Almost Everything
Who Put the Devil Into the Pig?: How Human Society Absolved Itself From Blame For Almost Everything
Related collections and offers
15.99
In Stock
Product Details
| BN ID: | 2940184648736 |
|---|---|
| Publisher: | Bertrand Laurent |
| Publication date: | 06/17/2025 |
| Sold by: | Barnes & Noble |
| Format: | eBook |
| File size: | 591 KB |
About the Author
From the B&N Reads Blog