description Edward Tylor Overview
Edward Burnett Tylor was a British anthropologist whose 1871 book "Primitive Culture" provided a foundational definition of culture as learned behavior and knowledge. He is associated with the theory of cultural evolutionism, which classified societies along a developmental scale. He served as keeper of the University Museum at Oxford.
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Edward Tylor ranks #7 of 304 in the Anthropologist ranking, behind Margaret Mead, ahead of E. E. Evans-Pritchard.
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How did Edward Tylor define culture?
In his 1871 book 'Primitive Culture,' 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 formulation became a foundational reference point for the discipline of anthropology.
What theoretical approach is Edward Tylor associated with?
Tylor is associated with cultural evolutionism, which proposed that human societies progress through developmental stages from 'savagery' to 'barbarism' to 'civilization.' This framework has since been largely rejected by modern anthropologists.
What was Tylor's concept of animism?
In 'Primitive Culture,' Tylor proposed that the earliest form of religion was animism—the belief that spiritual beings inhabit natural objects and phenomena. He argued that more complex religious systems evolved from this foundational concept.
Where did Edward Tylor hold his academic position?
Tylor was associated with Oxford University, where he became a reader in anthropology in 1884 and later was appointed to a professorship. He helped establish anthropology as an academic discipline in Britain.
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