Edward Burnett Tylor

Edward Burnett Tylor (1832-1917) was an English anthropologist who is often referred to as the "father of anthropological science." He played a pivotal role in establishing anthropology as an academic discipline in the Victorian era. Born in London to a Quaker family, Tylor was educated at home due to health concerns. Although he never completed a university degree, his intellectual curiosity and independent study laid the groundwork for his later contributions to anthropology. Tylor's interests in anthropology were piqued during an American trip he took in 1856 for health reasons, where he developed a fascination with the culture of the people he encountered. After his travels, Tylor published a book in 1861 entitled "Anahuac: Or Mexico and the Mexicans, Ancient and Modern," where he detailed his observations. His most influential work, "Primitive Culture," was released in 1871 and is recognized as a foundational text in cultural anthropology. In this book, Tylor introduced the concept of "culture" as a complex whole which includes knowledge, beliefs, art, morals, law, customs, and any other habits acquired by a human as a member of society. He is best known for defining the anthropological concept of culture in this broad and holistic sense. Tylor is also credited with introducing the idea of "survivals," cultural elements that persisted into modern times but originated from a society's historical past. Additionally, he is known for his theory of animism, positing that religion originated from primitive peoples' beliefs in spirits and that it evolved from animism to polytheism, and eventually to monotheism. His work in establishing anthropology as a rigorous field of scientific inquiry paved the way for future scholars. In addition to "Primitive Culture," Tylor's significant works include "Researches into the Early History of Mankind" (1865). Tylor was appointed the first Reader in Anthropology at Oxford in 1883 and later became the first Professor of Anthropology there in 1896.