Michael Taussig

Anthropology United States 1940 102 quotes

Australian-American anthropologist who explored mimesis, shamanism, and colonial perceptions.

Most quoted

"To understand the present, we must delve into the past, not as a static archive, but as a living, breathing force."

— from Mimesis and Alterity: A Particular History of the Senses, 1993

"The magic of the state lies not in its power, but in the illusion it weaves around our perceptions of reality."

— from The Magic of the State, 2012

"The commodity is not just an object, but a social hieroglyph, a condensed history of human labor and desire."

— from The Nervous System, 1992

All quotes by Michael Taussig (102)

In the nervous system of society, every tremor signals change.

The Nervous System 1992

Personal wisdom: Embrace the chaos; it births new worlds.

Law in a Lawless Land 2004