Orlando Patterson

Feb 12, 2024 | shepherd.com | William Roberts |Orlando Patterson |James Scott |Karl Marx

I am blown away by the scope, detail, and rigor of Patterson’s scholarship. I think it is easy to imagine that slavery is a simple thing, treating a person like property and forcing them to work. But Patterson showed me that slavery has always been an entire system of meaning, ritual, and social dynamics. I especially appreciate that Patterson demonstrates the ultimate perversity of the delusion that you could master other people. Why should I read it?