Primitive Culture (book)
This article includes a list of references, related reading, or external links, but its sources remain unclear because it lacks inline citations. (September 2021) |
Author | Edward Burnett Tylor |
---|---|
Subject | Cultural anthropology |
Published | 1871 |
Primitive Culture is an 1871 book by Edward Burnett Tylor. In his book, Tylor debates the relationship between "primitive" societies, and "civilized" societies, a key theme in 19th century anthropological literature.
Evolutionism
Tylor's work can be connected to theories present in 19th century literature including Lewis Henry Morgan's "ethnical periods". Among 19th century anthropologists, many saw what now may be called "tribal" states and societies, as lacking in form, progress, and development. Both Tylor and Morgan aligned somewhat with this viewpoint, Morgan believing in stages in order from savagery, barbarism, to civilization, and Tylor concluding that savagery is the lower stage of civilization. Tylor; unlike Morgan however; believed in "Prichardian Ethnological Monogenism", something he learnt in turn during his travels in Mexico from Henry Christy (1810-1865). Today, most anthropologists generally believe these views to be unsubstantiated.