Primitive Culture, published in 1871, established the framework for cultural anthropology by proposing that societies develop through predictable stages of evolution. Edward Burnett Tylor, a central figure in nineteenth-century British intellectual life, utilized comparative ethnography to argue that human belief systems, specifically religion, followed a functional trajectory from primitive concepts like animism toward complex civilization.
Formative Travels and Early Research
Born in Camberwell in 1832 to a Quaker family, Edward Burnett Tylor initially prepared for a career in the family brass business. Following a tuberculosis diagnosis at age 23, he departed England in 1855 for the Americas. During this period, he encountered Henry Christy, whose work in archaeology influenced Tylor’s transition toward ethnographic study. His early findings in Mexico resulted in his first publication, Anahuac: Or Mexico and the Mexicans, Ancient and Modern, released in 1861.
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Tylor secured his professional reputation through extensive writing, including the 1865 release of Researches into the Early History of Mankind and the Development of Civilization. His academic career centered at the University of Oxford, where he served as Keeper of the University Museum starting in 1883. He held the position of Reader in Anthropology from 1884 until 1895, subsequently becoming the university’s first Professor of Anthropology in 1896. His institutional influence extended to the Pitt Rivers Museum, and he served as an anthropological consultant for the initial edition of the Oxford English Dictionary.
Evolutionary Theory and Scholarly Legacy
As a prominent member of the Classical British Evolutionary School, Tylor hypothesized that human societies progressed from savagery through barbarism to civilization. He analyzed cultural manifestations as universal outcomes of uniform causes, aiming to provide a scientific basis for social reform. His work earned him recognition as a Fellow of the Royal Society. By his 75th birthday in 1907, his status in the field was underscored by a celebratory festschrift, Anthropological Essays presented to Edward Burnett Tylor, which contained an extensive bibliography of his publications.
Fast facts
- Born: 1832, Camberwell
- Died: 1917, Wellington
- Educated at: Grove House School
- Notable work: Primitive culture
- Notable work: Quetelet on the Science of Man
- Member of: Royal Society
- Positions held: Professor of Anthropology, University of Oxford
Questions readers ask
What did Tylor consider to be the primary phase of religion?
He identified animism, or the belief in the individual soul or anima of natural manifestations, as the initial stage in religious development.
How did Tylor contribute to the Oxford English Dictionary?
He served as an anthropological consultant for the first edition of the dictionary.
Achievements
- Notable work: Quetelet on the Science of Man
- Notable work: Primitive culture
- Affiliated with University of Seville and University of Oxford
- Worked as anthropologist, writer and sociologist
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