This reminds me of three things: the foundational idea that humans are the “the animal that trades”, Mark Fisher’s concept of Capitalist Realism, and finally Da

This reminds me of three things: the foundational idea that humans are the “the animal that trades”, Mark Fisher’s concept of Capitalist Realism, and finally David Graeber’s observations regarding debt and his unpublished works regarding ‘play’ being the fundamental element of human satisfaction. The composition of all three strongly suggests to me that exchange is fundamental to the human condition (as it is fundamental to humans’ social capabilities) but that elevating trade to a position of preeminence is a dangerous decision indeed, one that (as an economist) I believe has been oversubscribed by a wide margin.