Tylor, Edward

Edward Tylor (1832-1917) was a British anthropologist considered one of the founding figures of cultural anthropology. He is best known for his definition of culture, which encompasses the beliefs, customs, arts, and knowledge shared by a society. Tylor emphasized the importance of studying cultures to understand human behavior and development. His influential work, "Primitive Culture," argued that cultures evolve over time, leading to what he called "cultural evolution." Tylor’s ideas laid the groundwork for later anthropological research and highlighted the value of understanding the diversity of human experiences across different societies.