It affects every aspect of our lives, is often said to be the root of all evil, and the analysis of the world that it makes possible – what we call “the economy” – is so important to us that economists have become the high priests of our society. Yet, oddly, there is absolutely no consensus among economists about what money really is.
People’s Economic Forum: money
Nov 2008
David Graeber - what is money?
David Graeber, speaking at the People’s Economic Forum, held by Global Justice Action on the same weekend as the G20 meeting November 14, 2008.
Graeber expands on what he’s talking about here:
https://www.metamute.org/editorial/articles/debt-first-five-thousand-years