Edward Burnett Tylor

Who was Edward Burnett Tylor?

Sir Edward Burnett Tylor, was an English anthropologist.

Tylor is representative of cultural evolutionism. In his works Primitive Culture and Anthropology, he defined the context of the scientific study of anthropology, based on the evolutionary theories of Charles Lyell. He believed that there was a functional basis for the development of society and religion, which he determined was universal. Tylor is considered by many to be a founding figure of the science of social anthropology, and his scholarly works helped to build the discipline of anthropology in the nineteenth century. He believed that "research into the history and prehistory of man... could be used as a basis for the reform of British society."

Tylor reintroduced the term animism into common use. He considered animism to be the first phase of development of religions.