Clifford Geertz

1926–2006 (age 80)

Anthropologist

Biography

Clifford Geertz, born in 1926, reshaped cultural anthropology with a brilliant intellect and empathetic curiosity, inviting scholars to see culture as a dense web of symbols illuminated by “thick description.”

His many writings and mentorships at Princeton and beyond continue to influence generations of thinkers, and those who visit Princeton Cemetery remember him as a generous mind and treasured colleague.

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