Marvin Harris Quotes

In many ways the rise of the state was the descent of the world from freedom to slavery

Marvin Harris

Hindus and Westerners alike see in the meat-eating taboos of India a triumph of morals over appetite. This is a dangerous misrepresentation of cultural processes. Hindu vegetarianism was a victory not of spirit over matter but of reproductive over productive forces.

Marvin Harris

In view of the frequent occurrence of modern domestic groups that do not consist of, or contain, an exclusive pair-bonded father and mother, I cannot see why anyone should insist that our ancestors were reared in monogamous nuclear families and that pair-bonding is more natural than other arrangements.

Marvin Harris

I don't see how you can write anything of value if you don't offend someone.

Marvin Harris