Adam Kuper s iconoclastic intellectual history argues that the idea of primitive society is a western myth. The primitive is imagined as the opposite of the civilised . But this is a protean myth. As ideas about civilisation change, so the image of primitive society must be adjusted.
By way of fascinating account of classic texts in anthropology, ancient history and law, Kuper reveals how this myth underpinned academic research and inspired political programmes. Its ancestry is traced back to classical western beliefs about barbarians and savages, and Kuper also tackles the latest...
Adam Kuper s iconoclastic intellectual history argues that the idea of primitive society is a western myth. The primitive is imagined as the opposi...
