Edward Bernett Was An English Anthropologist And The...

Edward Bernett Tylor was an English anthropologist and the founder of cultural anthropology. Tylor was focused on defining the context of the scientific study of anthropology that was based on evolutionary theories inspired by Darwin and Lyell. His stance as an evolutionist fueled his belief that researching the prehistory and the history of man could be used to compare and reform modern societies. Therefore, through the use of the comparative method and historical ethnography, which included travel logs, Tylor attempted to reveal the stages of development of cultures/civilizations. Tylor’s defines culture and civilization as a â€Å"phenomena related according to definite Laws-Methods of classification and discussion of evidence- Connexion of successive stages of culture by, Permanence, Modification, and Survival†¦ it 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† (28). His definition of culture led him to believe that uniformity was manifested in culture, which resulted in uniform actions enabling uniform causes. Furthermore, Tylor states that â€Å"stages of culture may be compared without taking into account how far tribes who use the same implement, follow the same custom, or believe the same myth, may differ in their body configuration and the color of their skin and hair† (31). Meaning that although groups of humans are different through the analysis of parallel