Basically, there is a tradition of conceited liberal academics who try to use anthropological research to construct social theories that justify colonialism, imperialism, and the capitalist world order, despite not being anthropologists themselves. Because they're not anthropologists and because they're too arrogant and politically motivated to properly engage with anthropology, their theories are dogshit, but because they're cheerleaders for capitalism they're taken seriously by the media and their "research" ends up overshadowing actual anthropology in the popular discourse.
Steven Pinker is one of these academics, he's a famous professor who wrote books such as " The Better Angels of our Nature " and " Enlightenment Now " that try to argue that human society has steadily improved and become less violent over time because of the development of the state, capitalism, etc.
Basically, there is a tradition of conceited liberal academics who try to use anthropological research to construct social theories that justify colonialism, imperialism, and the capitalist world order, despite not being anthropologists themselves. Because they're not anthropologists and because they're too arrogant and politically motivated to properly engage with anthropology, their theories are dogshit, but because they're cheerleaders for capitalism they're taken seriously by the media and their "research" ends up overshadowing actual anthropology in the popular discourse.
Steven Pinker is one of these academics, he's a famous professor who wrote books such as " The Better Angels of our Nature " and " Enlightenment Now " that try to argue that human society has steadily improved and become less violent over time because of the development of the state, capitalism, etc.