David Wengrow, “The Elementary Forms of Human Freedom”

is Professor of Comparative Archeology at University College London. He has written on the origins of inequality, freedom and social domination, and the archaeology of early states and civilizations in Mesopotamia, Egypt, and beyond.

His recent book, , co-written with David Graeber, challenges long-held assumptions about the transition from hunter-gatherer societies to agriculture and permanent settlement. His other books include (Oxford University Press) and (Princeton University Press). He posts on X/Twitter as .

Discussion of The Dawn of Everything:

• “Humans Have Always Been Wrong About Humans” — Virginia Heffernan, Wired
• “What if Everything You Learned About Human History Is Wrong?” — Jennifer Schuessler, The New York Times
• “’I’m certainly open to criticism’: David Wengrow and the trouble with rewriting human history” — Andrew Anthony, The Guardian
• “Do Things Have to Be This Way?” — David Wengrow and David Graeber, Sapiens
• “How ‘The Dawn of Everything’ Speaks to the Current Moment” — C. Brandon Ogbunu, Undark

See also: March 25, . Participants: Rosemary Joyce, Rohan Chatterjee, Akinwumi Ogundiran, Eric Herschthal, Anthony Bogues, and Ella Myers.

About the Tanner Lectures on Human Values

Founded by Grace and Obert Tanner in the mid-1970s, the Tanner Lectures are dedicated to enriching the intellectual and moral life of humankind. Annual Tanner Lectures are delivered at nine universities: Stanford, Berkeley, Utah, Michigan, Harvard, Princeton, Yale, Oxford, and Cambridge. More information at .

Views expressed at Tanner Humanities Center events do not reflect the official views of the Center or the University of Utah.

Know what’s Happening Next — before everyone else does.

Get App

Host or Publisher Tanner Humanities Center