OF THE FOUNDİNG PATHERS OF THE ANTHROPOLOGY OF RELİGİON: JAMES GEORGE FRAZER (1854- 1941)
Abstract
Amongst the last leading Victorian evolutionists was James George Frazer, a student of
Tylor who was celebrated, far beyand anthropologlcal drcles, for his masterpiece works for
example, his Golden Bough, which was first publlshed as a two-volume set in 1890, and
later expanded to fill twelve glgantic tomes. _As explained ın this article, his researches are
consldered a vast, comparative investigatlons on the history of myth, religion, folklore and
other 'exotic beliefs', with examples drawn from all ·over the world. Uke so many of the
evolutionists, Frazer believed in a three-step model of cultural evolution: a 'magical' stage
is replaced by a 'religious' stage, which gives way to a 'scientific' stage. Though Frazer
clearly considered magical rites lrrational, and assumed that 'primitives' based thelr lives on
a completely mlstaken understandlng of nature, his main concern was to ldentify patterns
and universal traits in mythical thought.
Keywords
Details
Primary Language
English
Subjects
-
Journal Section
Research Article
Authors
Mustafa Alıcı
This is me
Publication Date
December 15, 2010
Submission Date
August 15, 2010
Acceptance Date
September 15, 2010
Published in Issue
Year 2010 Volume: 14 Number: 2