Moral Economy of the Peasant

James C. Scott (1936–2024) was Sterling Professor of Political Science and Professor of Anthropology Emeritus at Yale University. His many books include Seeing Like a State, Agrarian Studies, The Art of Not Being Governed, and Against the Grain.

“A major work on peasant economy and cultural configurations which provides an original theoretical framework for comprehending peasant behavior and which explains the peasant’s existential dilemma.”—Sociology“In this major work, . . . Scott views peasants as political and moral actors defending their values as well as their individual security, making his book vital to an understanding of peasant politics.”—Library Journal“This book will last. No one interested in peasant societies in Southeast Asia, or for that matter elsewhere, can afford to ignore it, and paying it the attention it deserves causes little pan, because it is as well written as it is sophisticated and enlightening. It should be assigned, at least in parts, to undergraduates in ‘Third World’ courses, recommended as a matter of course to graduate students working on social change, and mentioned always to anyone puzzled by the intricacies of economic, social, and political structure in countries with large peasant populations.”—Daniel S. Lev, The Journal of Politics “In many ways this is a gem of a book. To a high level of scholarhsip conceptualization, analysis, and an original and consistent approach, it adds clear and readable prose. . . . The book should be useful to a wide variety of readers.”—The Annals“Scott bases his explanation of the technical, social and moral conditions of peasantry on the fear of food shortages. He states that their relationships with each other and with the government form an integral part of the peasant’s leanings towards rebellion and revolution. Based on several case studies, Scott’s investigation into the behavior of these people is rare and sympathetic.”—Asia Mail“[This book] is regarded in the field of Southeast Asian studies as one of the most important works of its time.”—Asia Bulletin“In this excellent discussion of social change in agrarian society Scott argues compellingly that problems of a secure subsistence are basic to an understanding of peasants’ reactions to development. His evenhanded, well-written argument uses this central theme and its implications for social justice to examine the violence wrought on peasants’ ‘moral economy’ during the colonial histories of Burma and Vietnam, but it goes far beyond by stressing regional variation and making use of an impressive range of comparisons.”—John W. Gatrell, Rural Sociology