clifford geertz

"... human beings are caught in their own web of meaning. we can perceive and interpret the world only by looking at the systems that are preexisting and unique to each culture in order to give meaning to reality. this perspective determines the cognitive order between us and the world ..."

for me, this is exactly the answer to "why should we read history?"

(see thick description)

anthropologist about whom two points in particular fall prey to a general misunderstanding.
first, the metaphor of the wink belongs not to him, but to gilbert ryle, geertz attempted to explain his method through this metaphor, in thick description.
second, geertz does not have a sentence saying "historians do not study villages, they study in villages". "anthropologists do not study villages (tribes, towns, neighborhoods ...); they study in villages."

famous anthropologist who taught at princeton. is known especially for his work on the nation-state creation process and minorities. he became famous with his article "integrative revolution" dated 1963.

"the world cannot be divided into pious or superstitious. there are sculptures in forests and paintings in deserts; without central power, a principled justice can be established; the norms of reason are not regulated in greece; the evolution of morality is not complete in england."

the phrase "historians do not study villages, they study in villages" has opened many doors, especially for micro historians.

(see: interpretive anthropology)

"the purpose is not to reach the core of the onion while peeling it, but to be able to perceive and interpret the bond between the layers."

they have an argument with talal asad about religion. as far as i can see, uncle asad criticized the book "religion as a cultural system" wonderfully.

he is an anthropologist who has an important influence on the italian microstoria tradition.

giovanni levi has a detailed examination of geertz and his interpretive anthropology in his article "on microhistory".