Reading Radical Thinkers Past: Marshall Sahlins Redefines Affluence

Wednesday May 13th 2026

Doors & drinks at 6.30pm; Discussion starts 7pm

We are very sorry that due to illness, and with much regret, we're having to cancel this event. We plan to reschedule and will announce a new date shortly. Apologies for any disappointment or inconvenience.

For a new collaborative series, Reading Radical Thinkers Past, we're going to be exploring radical ideas by key thinkers that have a particular relevance today.

To tie in with our focus on money during "Everything Must Go", we're starting with anthropologist Marshall Sahlin's challenge to modern notions of affluence.

In his 1968 essay, "The Original Affluent Society", Sahlins, one of the most creative and influential anthropologists of the 20th century, argued that far from being an epoch of misery and deprivation, as has commonly been presumed, life in Stone Age societies was in fact affluent in a meaningful economic sense.

Drawing on a diverse range of ethnographic evidence, he showed that hunter-gatherer groups worked only a few hours a day to secure food and resources, leaving substantial time for leisure, social life, and rest. Their mobility and limited material possessions were not signs of deprivation but deliberate adaptations that minimised labour and maximised well-being.

In doing so, Sahlin’s asked fundamental questions about modern economics. How should we think about poverty and plenty today, in a world in which we can create all manner of technical wonders while “other men [are] dying of hunger in the market places of Asia”? Is scarcity a natural human condition, or something created by particular economic systems? Do technological advancement and increased production really lead to greater well-being? And how should we rethink social organisation in light of Palaeolithic affluence?

The new series, Reading Radical Thinkers Past, is a collaboration with Adrienne Buller and John Merrick of The Breakdown, a podcast and soon to be publication.

The evening will begin with a short introduction to Sahlin's essay from John and Adrienne, followed by group discussion. All are welcome to attend, but please do read as much of the text as you can. The evening will include a break for a one-pot vegan supper.

Download "The Original Affluent Society" by Marshall Sahilins here.

Kairos, 84 Tottenham Court Road, London W1T 4TG

Doors open at 6.30pm for drinks. Event starts at 7pm.

£15 Standard (includes Community Members); £10 Struggling financially; £10 Under 30s; £20 with Donation; £8 Frequent Visitor and Supporter Members. Food complimentary.

Before requesting a discounted ticket, please consider sincerely: Are you struggling to meet your basic needs? Would you have to make a genuine sacrifice to buy a full priced ticket? Do you have reduced earnings through a lifestyle choice or rather because you're dedicating your time to unpaid work relating to the climate and nature crises or as a result of structural inequality? If you're struggling to pay even the reduced price please contact us on events@kairos.london.

Please note that most of our events take place in our basement space and we do not have a lift so our venue is not fully accessible. Please get in touch if you have accessibility issues via events@kairos.london.

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