ANTH 004 Lecture Notes - Lecture 4: Polytheism, Edward Burnett Tylor, Anthropomorphism

• School: Pasadena City College
• Department: Anthropology
• Course: ANTH 004
• Professor: Coltman

Document Summary

All living things have a spirit non human entities- such as animals, plants and inaminate (like rocks, mountains, bodies of water) objects possess a spiritual essence. No separation between the spiritual and physical world earliest form of religion. Foragers, horticulturalists, pastoralists everyone is the same also the spirits are all kind of the same -> not very powerful similar abilities: polytheism. Poly is many and theism is gods. Ancient egypt, ancient rome, ancient greece, inka (south america) Gods showing labour specialization (different gods do different things inequality) ---- > kind of mirrors how things are in societies of agriculture- - some people are richer than others and they do different jobs and etc. Greg swanson: life on earth mirrors life in the spiritual realm, spirit world, heavens. Holds society together, maintains social harmony, people commit to a religion and the group, provides answers to universal questions. Emile durkheim- sociologist, bromislow malinowski- anthropologist: social function.