Ancient Society (ePub)

Lewis Henry Morgan (1818-1881) was a pioneering American anthropologist and social theorist, hailed for his work on kinship and social structure among indigenous peoples of the Americas. Born in Aurora, New York, Morgan studied at Union College before commencing a career in law. However, his interactions with the Iroquois, particularly the Seneca, spurred his interest in social patterns and led to his groundbreaking research in anthropology and ethnology. His magnum opus, 'Ancient Society,' published in 1877, revolutionized the understanding of human development and cultural evolution, positing a framework that categorized human societies from 'savagery' through 'barbarism' to 'civilization.' Despite the fact that modern anthropology has largely discarded these ethnocentric and evolutionary categories, Morgan's comparative methodologies laid the groundwork for future anthropological and ethnographic studies. His detailed analysis of kinship systems and the concept of consanguinity and affinity expanded the intellectual horizons of his time and remained influential in both the social sciences and the burgeoning field of sociology. Morgan is remembered not only for his empirical contributions to anthropology but also for the way he applied his findings to broader theoretical constructs concerning social progress and development. His work informed and was admired by eminent thinkers such as Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels, influencing their own writings on historical materialism and societal organization.