Lawrence Krader

Lawrence Krader (1919-1998) was an American philosopher and anthropologist. His extensive writings addressed a wide range of subjects in the fields of history, ethnology, philosophy, anthropology, linguistics, and political economy. Much of his work remained unpublished at the time of his death. This book contains excerpts from Krader’s unpublished manuscripts held at McMaster University. These include writings on the peoples of Central and Northeast Asia, the persona in Western thought, the beginnings of capitalism in Central Europe, myth and ideology, noetics and the theory of nature, linguistics and semantics, as well as assessments of Marx’s theory of value, considerations of the Russian Revolution and a critical view of Leninism. The book also provides readers with a biographical overview of Krader’s intellectual development and his involvement with leading intellectuals – including Meyer Schapiro, Karl Korsch, Isaiah Berlin, Karl August Wittfogel, Roman Jakobson, Alfred Tarski, Morris R. Cohen, and Rudolf Carnap – in the 1930s, ‘40s and ‘50s. This book will appeal to anyone interested in Lawrence Krader’s life, work, influence, and legacy.