Primitive Culture: Researches Into the Development of Mythology, Philosophy, Religion, Art, and Custom, Volume 1Tylor's ideology is best described in his most famous work, the two-volume Primitive Culture. The first volume, The Origins of Culture, deals with various aspects of ethnography including social evolution, linguistics, and myth. The second volume, titled Religion in Primitive Culture, deals mainly with his interpretation of animism. On the first page of Primitive Culture, Tylor provides an all-inclusive definition which is one of his most widely recognized contributions to anthropology: "Culture, or civilization, taken in its broad, ethnographic sense, is 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." Primitive Culture remained the pinnacle of Tylor's career, important not only for its thorough study of human civilization and contributions to the emergent field of anthropology, but also for its undeniable influence on a handful of young scholars. |
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Common terms and phrases
actual Africa ages ancient animals appears bear become belief belong body called carried cause century civilization comes common condition counting course culture custom dead death described direct doctrine early earth English especially European evidence examples existence express fact fancy father fingers funeral give hand head higher hold human idea imitative Indian instance interjectional kind known language laws legend less living look lower man's mankind meaning mind Moon mother myth native nature night notion numerals objects once opinion origin passed philosophy practice present processes races reason relation religion remarkable savage seems seen sense shape similar soul sound spirit stages stand stone story taken tells theory things thought tion traced tribes turned various whole
Popular passages
Page 1 - Civilization, taken in its wide ethnographic sense, is 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.
Page 436 - And they shall not lie with the mighty that are fallen of the uncircumcised, which are gone down to hell with their weapons of war: and they have laid their swords under their heads...
Page 381 - ... a thin unsubstantial human image, in its nature a sort of vapor, film or shadow; the cause of life and thought in the individual it animates; independently possessing the personal consciousness and volition of its corporeal owner, past or present; capable of leaving the body far behind to flash swiftly from place to place; mostly impalpable and invisible, yet also manifesting physical power, and especially appearing to men waking or asleep as a...
Page 30 - The discoveries of ancient and modern navigators, and the domestic history or tradition of the most enlightened nations, represent the human savage naked both in mind and body, and destitute of laws, of arts, of ideas, and almost of language.
Page 353 - French, a speech compact thirty years since of English and a great number of odd words of their own devising, without all order or reason ; and yet, such is it as none but themselves are able to understand.
Page 166 - There prevailed in those days an indecent custom : when the preacher touched any favourite topic in a manner that delighted his audience, their approbation was expressed by a loud hum, continued in proportion to their zeal or pleasure. When Burnet preached, part of his congregation hummed so loudly and so long, that he sat down to enjoy it, and rubbed his face with his handkerchief. When Sprat preached, he likewise was honoured with the like animating hum; but he stretched out his hand to the congregation,...
Page 385 - Among the Seminoles of Florida, when a woman died in childbirth, the infant was held over her face to receive her parting spirit, and thus acquire strength and knowledge for its future use...
Page 379 - Animism is, in fact, the groundwork of the Philosophy of Religion, from that of savages up to that of civilized men.
Page 381 - ... behind, to flash swiftly from place to place; mostly impalpable and invisible, yet also manifesting physical power, and especially appearing to men waking or asleep as a phantasm separate from the body of which it bears the likeness; continuing to exist and appear to men after the death of that body; able to enter into, possess, and act in the bodies of other men, of animals, and even of things.
Page 379 - Spiritual beings are held to affect or control the events of the material world, and man's life here and hereafter; and it being considered that they hold intercourse with men, and receive pleasure or displeasure from human actions, the belief in their existence leads naturally, and it might almost be said inevitably, sooner or later to active reverence and propitiation.
Bibliographic information
| Title | Primitive Culture: Researches Into the Development of Mythology, Philosophy, Religion, Art, and Custom, Volume 1 Primitive Culture: Researches Into the Development of Mythology, Philosophy, Religion, Art, and Custom, Edward Burnett Tylor |
| Author | Edward Burnett Tylor |
| Publisher | J. Murray, 1871 |
| Original from | the University of Michigan |
| Digitized | 30 May 2006 |
| Export Citation | BiBTeX EndNote RefMan |