Classical Social Evolutionism: Origins, Theories, and Critiques

we have seen the evolution in the biological sense the organism's evolution

from simpler to complex human evolution evolution

so what do you understand by evolution gradual change okay

gradual and progressive change let's modify it so what we have studied in the

biological anthropology primatology or paleoanthropology that evolution this term we have understood

evolution is gradual and

progressive change progressive is very very important

don't forget progressive changes see on this same lines so this is in the sense we have

understood evolution from the biological perspective how the organism may have evolved from

very simpler like single cell organisms say ethanol

multi complex organisms that do multitude of forms got diversified it got formed into

different different organisms now the same concept around

like 17 to 18 century many people started applying the same concept

in the social cultural sphere see this concept by 17 to 18th century lamarck

then came darwinism so by mid 19th century this biological evolution concept is very well developed

and experiments were going on for their experiments we have seen 20th century earlier 20th century it has

seen the post-modernism in the biological evolution various people through genetics contributed

so on the parallel lines of it during the 19th and 20th century particularly 19th century

efforts have been made to define to understand

social cultural progress through the system of evolution so they have applied

social cultural evolution evolution model

matlab that is what has been identified and highlighted by 19th century evolutionist

this may say important evolution is see the reason why they are called classical is because of their

thought process is because of the methods they have employed

easily classical evolutionist and they all believed that

social cultural evolution that has happened from simplest form to the complex societies and here harper

mainly three proponents are very very important one is

evie taylor edward brunette taylor l h morgan

that is lewis henry morgan and another function person is james fraser though he believed belonged

to the 20th century but he was a classical evolutionist he

now what we are going to understand here is as a generalistic

point what all three of them said with respect to the evolutionism see

when we are talking about evolutionism here evolution here this is the social evolution that these guys are talking

about not the biological evolution of course the premise is same

on the premises of mark and darwin who has given who have given the biological evolution concept these guys are trying

to apply the same to the social evolution social cultural evolution

and you may ask why classical because of their approaches because of their mindset that is the reason why these are

called classical evolutionist or 19th century evolutionist of course an exception phrasal thank you so yeah

let's look at these guys and what they have given the basic premises of it on the basis of

this theory how can we conclude some things so heading

up classical evolutionism and yeah

introduction liquid then we will enter into the matter okay please introduction likely

in the early years of anthropology early years of anthropology matlab and anthropologist may division

1835 formally the beginning so in those earlier times 1859 charles darwin

origin of spaces so this is what we are talking about in the early years of anthropology

the focus revolved around evolution centric

origin and development of origin and development of human culture

and society human culture and society

take it mainly focused on the theory is mainly focused on

evolution of family evolution of family

marriage kinship religion religion

etc etc so it will be easy to understand all of them okay etc

which are seen as which are seen as

common to all societies common to all societies we can talk about herbert spencer's

contributions also but let us stick to our syllabus what is given in the syllabus and through which we will try

to understand the evolution of these primary institutions in different societies and how they got diversified

that is our primary goal which we have studied while beginning our journey from 2.1 section

so all those points can be recalled here take it so please

yes it's me after writing that introduction

paragraph next to point military next paragraph military

the classical evolutionism was proposed was proposed

in 19th century in 19th century in 19th century

on the presumption of on the presumption of existence of single model of

civilization presumption of existence of

single model of civilization

will stop it is also known as unilineal evolution

lineal evolution uni method of single but a key direction is simple one direction from primitive or simple

societies to complex societies in one direction progressively changing

this form of social evolution was this form of social evolution was built upon the success of

built upon the success of darwin's darwin's

theory of evolution darwin's theory of

evolution there is like evolution from smaller organism to

multitude of bigger and complex organisms classical evolutionist and the

contributions of all these three persons one by one take it the contributions of all these persons

one by one we will look at it and then later we will do the critical analysis of the same at the bottom we will

conclude that will be the structure structure say first we will look at the

basic premises or basic tenants okay see it is actually creating problem

this board see basic premises

or assumptions under what assumptions these theory have been made

then we will look at contributions contributions in general with exactly your contributions

then we will do the criticism of it critical analysis of it then finally

the conclusion of the same okay structure let us look at

uh what are the basic premises and on what modes these theories got developed okay say first point wisely executive up

one by one see these people are called arm chair or

classical evolutionist or arm jay evolutionist ramchair anthropologist the reason is

they were sitting in their offices and collecting the data through the secondary sources

that is one of the reasons we can write one by one the data

is collected the data is

collected by traders

missionaries who's time for colonialism on the rise so there were so many christian

missionaries missionaries come up

tenses britishers used to conduct these sensors work as well ticket sensors etc

therefore these methods are called secondary methods of data collection

secondary methods of data collection

stop and the anthropologists are called armor chair anthropologists arm chair

anthropologists they were sitting in their office tk that's the meaning of arm chair

so yeah first point here next second presumption our basic tenant is

that all of them believed in the psychic unity of mankind

matlab they believed that humans all around the world take jesus

they simply uh go from one stage to another stays in the similar manner they think in the

alike manner same exact they believe in psychic unity of psychic

unity of human mind they believe in psychic unity of human

mind that is human mind

human minds share human minds share

similar characteristics all over the world similar characteristics all over the

world a belief psychic unity of mind

that also goes through the same stages similar stages so that is the reason why they have given the theory of uni linear

evolution direction please write it

down this means that all the people and their societies

all people and their

societies go through go through

same process of development same process of

development this is the reason why it is also called as linear already we have written i

think uni linear

evolution what it indicates is that so that's what

this particular theory believes it is direction made from simple

all of these societies passes through the same stages you have a different stages you can find

taken so that's the reason why you have because of different stages of their

development you have different different cultures that is the reason why nasara no diversities are there ultimately

these diversities are also going to merge with this present thing present contemporary societies where civilized

people are there a income belief ticket so this is another point next equal point likely

they believed in western superiority they believed in

western is christianity

is superior religion superior

english and as a result of it there is a ethnocentric

ethnocentric view of evolution

they believe that the technology processed by europe is the superior one and christianity is the supreme of all

the religions and true religion religions okay this is another basic tenet then

they they they assumed that in the initial times there was promiscuous promiscuity in the

society madam sexual promiscuity was there in the simplest societies that we have seen here there is sexual

promiscuity and as they are progressing towards this monogamous marriages evolved

this is another presumption that they made please write they

believed that they believed that simple societies have

simple societies how

promiscuity come on there is

no social there is no

social no a silicon there is no incest taboo

which we have studied about insist taboo and other

social rules another social roles

regarding social rules regarding sexual relations and marriage

sexual relations and marriage yes

there are so many societies simple societies where they have uh uh

taboos related to this social taboos were there we have seen while

studying in sustainable it is a universal it can be found in all societies

another see another thing they have done is since ethnocentric view on the basis of

it they have done the comparative analysis comparative studies have been done

comparative methods have been employed please write next point likelihood they have extensively used

they have extensively used

comparative methods comparative

methods