Marcel Mauss, "Essay on the Gift"

Résumé du document

What key-problem does Marcel Mauss address in his essay on the Gift? How does he resolve the problem and repose it for modern-day society? How are the issues in the Gift revisited in the essay on the Sacrifice? How do the two visions of “transaction” differ? What are the larger moral and political implications of the two essays? What is Mauss criticizing through these studies in ethnology and the history of religions? What is the deeper subtext of these essays?

I would not say that Marcel Mauss is facing A problem in his essay on the Gift but rather a pack of problems, linked with one another. Indeed, these problems are situated each one on a slightly different scale e.g. a social scale versus a historical scale. For instance, Mauss considers both the problem, or at least the question it raises, of the social economy of the gift within “primitive” societies, and the relationships between gifts and modern-day society. Though, Mauss gathers these various questions in one concept, the so-called “phénomènes sociaux totaux” (chap.1): clearly, the gift is not only economical but juridical, religious … His essay on the gift is more a way of thinking about modern-day society than about Polynesian Indians. In that way, he tried to understand the roots of his society which were being hidden, or destroyed by modern capitalism. This is almost true nowadays too.

Extraits

[...] we should not resist tells us Mauss, we should accept our real nature. The gift can free us: “let's be human” tells Mauss. This is really his only aim: encouraging us of being what we are. Thus, we cannot behave like humans in a society where death, life and danger are no longer allowed. Death disappeared from the social space; without it, life does not mean a thing. Danger also is not still seen as a risk of losing one's proper life. [...]

[...] And this may be why this essay on the gift can be seen as a global piece of advice to present-day society. For Mauss, exchanges nowadays are obviously valueless and anomic still, there is a hope choses ont encore une valeur de sentiment. [ ] Nous n'avons pas qu'une morale de marchand” Conclusion chap. Conclusion de morale). The fact itself that Mauss made a moralistic conclusion before his sociological and economical conclusion points out the importance of considering the gift as a possible solution to our current anomy. [...]

[...] There will never be a sacrifice in order to beg the pardon of another man. But before going further on the relationships between sacrifice and gift, some points may keep our attention. For instance the complete reversal of the social order made by the presence of the given object and its hau: objects become sacred whereas individuals belong to the profane. Which is of main interest when we consider our current society where, by tradition, human life is sacred and normal objects are completely profane. [...]

[...] Marcel Mauss, “Essay on the Gift” What key-problem does Marcel Mauss address in his essay on the Gift? How does he resolve the problem and repose it for modern-day society? How are the issues in the Gift revisited in the essay on the Sacrifice? How do the two visions of “transaction” differ? What are the larger moral and political implications of the two essays? What is Mauss criticizing through these studies in ethnology and the history of religions? What is the deeper subtext of these essays? [...]

[...] Nevertheless, the fact that the gift is voluntary and yet compulsory implies the presence of a real web of social, religious and juridical interactions. These interactions lie upon the principle (in the case of the “potlatch”) of rivalry and antagonism (“prestations totales de type agonistique”) and are fully linked to religious influence and nature nature religieuse des personnes impliquées et des choses échangées ou détruites ne sont en effet pas indifférentes à la nature même des contrats, pas plus que les valeurs qui leur sont affectées''). Which creates a link with the other essay of Mauss on Sacrifice. [...]