Edward Burnett Tylor

Tylor's seminal work is the 1871 book 'Primitive Culture.' In this text, he provided a foundational definition of culture and popularized the concept of animism as an early stage of religious belief.

In his 1871 work, Tylor defined culture as 'that complex whole which includes knowledge, belief, art, morals, law, custom, and any other capabilities and habits acquired by man as a member of society.' This definition became the cornerstone of modern cultural anthropology.

Tylor was primarily an armchair anthropologist, meaning he relied heavily on reports, questionnaires, and historical documents from missionaries rather than conducting extensive personal fieldwork. Despite this, his theories heavily influenced the academic discipline.

Tylor played a foundational role in establishing cultural anthropology as a rigorous academic discipline in England. In 1896, he became the first reader in anthropology at the University of Oxford, helping to legitimize the field in higher education.