Primitive Man as Philosopher

Primitive Man as Philosopher is the influential anthropologist and ethnologist Paul Radin’s enduringly relevant survey of an array of aboriginal cultures and belief systems, including those of the Winnebago, Oglala Sioux, Maori, Banda, the Buin of Melanesia,Tahitian and Hawaiian, Zuni, and Ewe. Radin examines the conditioning of thought and religion practiced among the members of each society and the freedom of individuals to deviate from the group and to effect change. Written in an almost conversational style, Radin’s discourse is rooted in firsthand accounts. He allows his subjects to speak for themselves by quoting extensively from interviews (many of which he conducted in the course of his own fieldwork), and includes a veritable anthology of poems and songs from the varied traditions. Fascinating topics include cultural views of the purpose of life, marital relations, freedom of thought, death, resignation, the nature of reality, the structure of the ego, human personality, the systemization of ideas, and concepts of deities. In addition, Radin offers brilliant interpretations of myth and symbolism in his exploration of their deeper meanings in each culture. Readers both in and out of the field will appreciate the rich and varied insights of this classic of anthropology.