Clifford Geertz (1926–2006) was one of the main figures to build a new kind of anthropology, beginning in the 1960s. In doing so, he borrowed many ideas from philosophy. Although some of his works have been read by philosophers too, the influence of his anthropology on philosophy is negligible. The reception of his thoughts does not conform to the generally accepted significance of his writings, appropriate to their philosophical content. Most often, Geertz is read only superficially and the reading is confined to his two most famous texts – ‘Thick Description’ (1973) and ‘Deep Play: Notes on Balinese Cockfight’ (1972).

With this chapter, an attempt is made to treat two questions more deeply: 1) which are the main philosophical concepts that are used by Geertz? and 2) how and why did he succeed in transforming anthropology? The first step in trying to answer these questions has to be a short biographical sketch.

A Life of Learning

Looking back on his long and outstanding academic career, Geertz claimed, ‘I am an ethnographer, and a writer about ethnography from beginning to end; and I don't do systems’ (2000b, x). Because Geertz refrained from expounding a systematic theory, we have to reconstruct his theoretical and philosophical thinking from his many publications.

After World War II, at the age of 20, Geertz began his studies of English literature and philosophy at Antioch College in Yellow Springs, Ohio because he wanted to become a writer and/or journalist. His teacher in philosophy, George Geiger, was a student of John Dewey and he introduced Geertz to the pragmatist way of looking at philosophical problems.