Wahr PREFACE ANTHROPOLOGY is the study of man. It is obviously the "proper study of mankind." This book has not been written for the anthropologist, but for the layman who desires a knowledge of some of the elementary and fundamental principles and facts concerning the development of man in his relationships with his fellow-beings, and who cares to acquaint himself with the general points of view of American Anthropology. I feel that many sins are committed in the name of this science, especially in America. The content of these lectures is not, for the most part, original research and speculation. It is intended to be a presentation of basic facts and admitted hypotheses concerning human institutions. To this end an attempt has been made to present these lectures with the utmost simplicity, without the utilization of cryptic professional terminology; and to refrain from ambitious attempts to inject into the discussion of stabilized subjects personal opinions and pet theories, preferring to offer a practical and intelligible multiplication table rather than an abstract and debatable theory of relativity. Some material has been added to the lectures as given, since it was found impossible to cover adequately all the subjects discussed. In 1911 another course of Lowell Lectures in the field of anthropology was published. The Mind of Primitive Man by Dr. Franz Boas remained for almost ten years the sole account of the general American point of view towards Anthropology. Since that time, and more espe cially during the last four years, several of his students have produced books which now cover the field very adequately. This book was projected several years ago, before we had available the most excellent text on early society by Lowie, Kroeber's near-approach to a general text-book for the field of Anthropology, Goldenweiser's able work, and also those of Wissler and others. By my delay I have profited greatly from these books. Lowie's Primitive Society covers the whole field of social relations in a way I could not hope to do in a course of six lectures, and I found myself constantly dependent upon many of his theoretical discussions of the social phases of early society. I am under obligations to Dean Greenough and Dr. P. E. Goddard, who have read the manuscript and offered several valuable suggestions. My greatest thanks, however, are due to my colleague, Professor E. A. Hooton, who has inspired several of the ideas contained here, and who has unfailingly been willing to sacrifice time and thought upon the problems that have come up. Trained in the European field, he has often given me a different point of view. I also wish to thank Dr. Edouard Sandoz, Dr. Spinden, and Dr. Glover Allen, to whom I have appealed for advice on special topics. I have availed myself of the material in a large number of books, to which reference has been made at the end of the text. In the Appendix will be found a collection of Freshman themes on superstitions, with a few comments. CHOCORUA, NEW HAMPSHIRE, 30 August, 1924. |