Here I go meandering . . .

Today is the birthday of Marcel Mauss (May 10, 1872 – February 10, 1950), sociologist and anthropologist. He is best known for his classic work The Gift, in which he states that gifts are never "free" and his other popular work, The General Theory of Magic.

He was fascinated with the nature of "the gift" and sought the answer to the question: "What power resides in the object given that causes its recipient to pay it back?"

"Work could be co-operatized, effective social security guaranteed and, gradually, a new ethos created whereby the only possible excuse for accumulating wealth was the ability to give it all away. The result: a society whose highest values would be "the joy of giving in public, the delight in generous artistic expenditure, the pleasure of hospitality in the public or private feast." - Marcel Mauss

“Any unusual interest in the sacred may bring about an accusation of magic” - Marcel Mauss

"Magic is a social phenomenon: public opinion creates the magician." - Marcel Mauss

"No gift is ever free." - Marcel Mauss

"In 'The Gift', Mauss (1924) explores gift-exchanges in various cultures and highlights the reciprocal nature of gifts and the obligation of the receiver to repay the debt. The object that is given carries the identity of the giver, and hence the recipient receives not only the gift but also the association of that object with the identity of the giver.

Mauss describes the Maori hau, which means the 'spirit of the gift'. The hau demands that the gift be returned to its owner. In Polynesia, failing to reciprocate means losing mana, the person's spiritual source of authority and wealth. Gift-giving is thus a critical mechanism for creating social bonds. Mauss describes three obligations:

Giving: the first step in building social relationships.
Receiving: accepting the social bond.
Reciprocating: demonstrating social integrity."
-direct quote source (1)

Trivia bit: Marcel Mauss stood up for the truth about Alfred Dreyfus and was very active in the events of the Dreyfus Affair.

Image source (1)