Dissertation
Our sense of the beautiful that has dwindled: reconsidering (not forgiving) E.B. Tylor
University of Iowa
Doctor of Philosophy (PhD), University of Iowa
Spring 2022
DOI: 10.17077/etd.006373
Abstract
In this dissertation I examine E.B. Tylor’s dream theory of animism. In his theory Tylor postulates that the idea of the soul and, by extension, animism, are the results of dream experiences. He argues that “primitive” people witnessed human-like figures in dreams and came to the conclusion that there was a separate part of the body that could interact with others in dreams. From here, Tylor argues, primitive people naturally extended the concept of the spirit or soul to include nature. Through a thorough examination of Tylor’s many publications, I show that Tylor’s original emphasis on dreams is more insightful than previously held.
Tylor has largely fallen out of favor with anthropologists. His use of words such as “primitive” and “savage” are racist, of course, but in his era, they were unfortunately common terms. I am not suggesting that anthropologists forgive Tylor’s language, but I do suggest that it is time to look beyond his era-related baggage and see that he helped build the foundations of anthropology.
In Chapter 2 I examine Irving Hallowell’s fieldwork among the Ojibwa, primarily focusing on the role of dreams in the Ojibwas’ cosmology, showing the connection between Tylor’s theory and Ojibwa dreaming. I present case studies showing that in animic cosmologies there are many variances in the concept of the “soul,” including how many a person might have. In dreams, at least one soul detaches from the body and interacts with other souls in dreams.
In Chapter 3 I examine Eduardo Viveiros de Castro’s concept of “perspectivism,” where humans and animals have the same interior (the soul) but different exteriors (bodies), resulting in differing points of view. Because humans and animals have souls, indigenous hunters are bonded with animals in a moral code of respectful reciprocity. Indigenous hunters take on the perspective of their prey during the hunt, though they run the risk of permanently transforming into the animal.
From here I discuss the ontological turn and the reflexive feedback loop, each of which propose ways for anthropologists to rethink our traditional approach to fieldwork, recognizing how our presence, and the presence of missionaries, colonizers and other outsiders, effects changes to native cosmologies. This is a transitory chapter, from theories of animism, perspectivism, the ontological turn and the reflexive feedback loop, leading to new ways of evaluating the missionary encounter in animic-perspectival cosmologies.
In Chapter 4 I examine the impact of missionization and colonization on native cosmologies. I discuss the concept of “conversion,” showing that missionaries were not able to determine if a person’s conversion was sincere or superficial. I then discuss the role of Native Christians in converting native peoples, something often omitted from missionaries’ testimonies.
In Chapter 5 I examine missionaries’ failed attempts to translate Christian concepts into native terminology. Despite missionaries’ accusation that native peoples were immoral, I present evidence that native peoples demonstrated morality in their daily lives, centered around a place in the community. I specifically connect this with Tylor’s contention that native peoples had a “secular morality” that was seen in the act itself and did not have a connection to life after death. And with all of the upheavals to animic-perspectival cosmologies native peoples often turned to dreams as a way to reconcile the differences between their animic-perspectival cosmologies and Christianity.
In Chapter 6 I show that native peoples often use the rhetoric of ecological nobility, a stereotype placed upon them by Euro-Americans, in land campaigns. This gives native peoples the power and agency to reclaim and protect their land. I then show that science and indigenous knowledge need to be merged, allowing for quicker theories for saving the world. I focus on how we can regain our connection with the larger-than-human world through the anthropological lens that began with Tylor. Realizing that humans are not the only beings with sentience, we can change our treatment of a world that is largely broken.
My focus here is on Tylor, but such a rethinking can be extended to other theorists who have been cast aside. This open approach can benefit the field of anthropology as we engage in larger conversations about both the beginnings and future of our field. I will show that animism carries on, not as a religion, but as a way to engage with, and reconnect to, a world filled with sentient beings.
Details
- Title: Subtitle
- Our sense of the beautiful that has dwindled: reconsidering (not forgiving) E.B. Tylor
- Creators
- Natalie Luna-Renek
- Contributors
- Scott Schnell (Advisor)Erica Prussing (Committee Member)Meena Khandelwal (Committee Member)Kristy Nabhan-Warren (Committee Member)
- Resource Type
- Dissertation
- Degree Awarded
- Doctor of Philosophy (PhD), University of Iowa
- Degree in
- Anthropology
- Date degree season
- Spring 2022
- DOI
- 10.17077/etd.006373
- Publisher
- University of Iowa
- Number of pages
- xi, 163 pages
- Copyright
- Copyright 2022 Natalie Luna-Renek
- Language
- English
- Description bibliographic
- Includes bibliographical references (pages 151-163).
- Public Abstract (ETD)
- In this dissertation I examine British anthropologist E.B. Tylor’s dream theory of animism, where he postulates that animism developed from “primitive” people’s experiences in dreams. In his theory, Tylor says that native peoples witnessed human-like figures in dreams and determined that they were spirits. From there, they extended spirits into nature, resulting in animism. Early theorists criticized Tylor, saying that he only used source material that supported his theory. Later theorists criticized his racist language, using words like “primitive” and “savage.” For many years anthropologists have continued to cast aside Tylor’s theory because of his language, but they do not recognize that it was a product of his era when such terms were “appropriate.” I am not suggesting that anthropologists forgive Tylor, but I argue that it is time to reconsider his contributions to anthropology. To this end, I trace Tylor’s animism from its conception up until today. I use various sources that show that dreams are real experiences in many cultures, supporting my contention that Tylor was not far off in linking dreams to animism. Ultimately, I show how animism can serve us well in these days when the world is crumbling.
- Academic Unit
- Anthropology
- Record Identifier
- 9984271053702771
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