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  • Franz Boas and The Humboldtian Tradition: From Volksgeist and Nationalcharakter To An Anthropological Concept of Culture.

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    Matti Bunzl Professor of Anthropology, Germanic Languages and Literatures, Gender and Women's Studies, History, Jewish Culture and Society, Russian, East European, and Eurasian Studies, and Center for Global Studies

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    Franz Boas and the Humboldtian Tradition: From Volksgeist and Nationalcharakter to an Anthropological Concept of Culture.

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    Matti Bunzl Professor of Anthropology, Germanic Languages and Literatures, Gender and Women's Studies, History, Jewish Culture and Society, Russian, East European, and Eurasian Studies, and Center for Global Studies

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    © All Rights Reserved
    Download as PDF or read online from Scribd
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    231 views32 pages

    Franz Boas and The Humboldtian Tradition: From Volksgeist and Nationalcharakter To An Anthropological Concept of Culture.

    Uploaded by

    lost.bifurcation4327
    Matti Bunzl Professor of Anthropology, Germanic Languages and Literatures, Gender and Women's Studies, History, Jewish Culture and Society, Russian, East European, and Eurasian Studies, and Center for Global Studies

    Copyright:

    © All Rights Reserved
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    of 32
    6 rane Boas 1 pceraphial ayers fara they do no serve this pupoxe must be con “dere welts and claifcations mun de only at fat eopapeal ‘henemena of ml kind mst be explained by diferent cae. Bur ther is another branch of eeogtphy besides chi equal ot in value— the physognony of the earth ceannot afd a atfactoy object of sty to he psi, tt nis a merely sbjerve one and the geopraphe, -ewing thee subjects, approaches the domain ofa theres of ity ‘incpllyaflet the ling, nd therefore mat be Svein an arti wey norer satis the eligi which originate, ‘Our consderation lead us to the canclason tht ropaphy ep of cs: ography, and har fs source inthe active impute desi to under and the phenomena and hitry ofa emt or ofthe whole ear, the oe 2 mankind Te depends upon the inclination ofthe scent sowars phy 2c easmographical method whether he ses the history af the whole earth, 2e whether he fest lam that of asingle country Frm our point f view, ‘he dacs whether geology or meteorology belongs to geography of ile rmporance nd we are willing to call all sient geographers who stl ‘hephenomena ofthe earths sutace. Wesjve geology no peerence over the athe branches of ence af many mem scientist inclined odo. The stay of the och sce implies geclogalesearches at well ax meter ‘gia enolgia, and other, ae none of them ever the scope of gros ahy co delineate the plc ofthe erste, Many az the scences that mast help reach thi ends many are theses und retarches that mast be parsed to a new fgures tothe incomplete ple Sure; bu every sep thar bets ws nearer dhe end ives ample station t9 dhe imple which incest devote car time and wok otis su, rat ing the love or the county we inkl, an the notre tt suround Velksgect as Melled ud Cte Fhe deeds futher reared Ihstory of Aathenlegy Volome & Edited by Geoge W. Stockwg Jr. The University of Wisconsin’ Press 1996 3449p. FRANZ BOAS AND THE HUMBOLDTIAN TRADITION From Volksgeist and Nationalcharakter oan Anthropological Concept of Culture MATTI BUNZL In 187, the yer Fans Bou seed reomanenly in the United Stats he babe a aril on "The Say of Geograph More than yer er vnclaed ve cn arg with The A of Eloy” mites in 855 ince calleson Rae, Lang on Cale, Decne the wo le nent “he pneu unde ewok” (940) In "The Say of apy” Boas conrad to ente metho the pies and Si foteta he ie eerie am of nce nao dec ls om TKenomens" tad the “single ghoncrenon ek” wae ingen bt ‘ner sevedan'an exempt of i aes" fr ew vo teeonebornead ones” In cont, he hol nt bad io invenigaton ofphanomena thrashed war"uniling to consfercher saeco gent I” The two motos od theo in" die ‘neds ofthe human ind.” Asan os" sth wants” ph ‘Slit eghe to range the mya of phenome ofthe weld ye tml so oe “pt the conf impremins ar® The iso tnt in oan, ge our afte” imple ie ocarence ares” aed the dee to ey ree toy” (188 40-4) ‘ating ths dchotony ws the tain German scram ewe the Nausea te ieee, othe woke Bost ‘ntempory Hema Pu the ennen hs lngi che inton att Bula gates he paren of sopology ry tthe Univer of Chao Hee caren andeling dinero exch onc ‘ce cli ede and susy Lae lnpeal Vena fost partearon the ‘ents fhe ney ele ang Wi, " 18 Marr Besa, Jwzen the Geist (ih lawn cen) and the Ge “Shcksuisenthfn (he histone ener Thefomes ch apie ‘perientl phology soit ofthe cnet as gvering the tl ‘Shaman stay he ter eco the tr of pte owe Sd oes on nil phenomena ws hitral procs (Pol 16801) “Thatch hat Boas had in mind eee a i example. the French sostorst Aue Cte td the Bash tran of ltion HT. Bc le fore piel method od the Geran expe nd aul ison Alcan: von Hamtoli rhe hora ot afer Fanfare ao—conmogrpbie” mths Whe Boke call ou wcenen the aw oreming the hor of anki” he ao “dere en ed thir actos ring fo thelr ow canter and the evens cnelng thi lies” Samay, Comes “em fxn” abel inal thererena othe ns dedced them. Cannery on he ter and Comierel “every phenomenon o worthy of eng led fr avn ke fs mere exerted etal she ofr atin” (15s 640). satin the comeogapical method, Bas ued Gxt, who bal" pres this iden th ie lees Terms fo me thy every = thosenon, every ft, ol te ely nesting ect. ge cece iesing, ot eae i expanse, bt bene Te cae For Bow, twig opiegé ane method over the ther evry scent hal chow ect to "which dent this penal feling toward he phenomena surwndeg Bn ot is into fr a> suction whether he peer to eae the vay in the ty ot ‘beta the nd (648). Bu the afte a sete a fale wee toh rene dhoughout Bo eer, the ech fo grea laws ‘os als ctine bythe comaaphers dete to debe and under ‘and india phenomena. While he never completely abandoned the serch fer the Ls of oman hv, hepa came leone of ter fing them, an the cops ois wer age compel deal de ‘erin of perce rater thon ates a geerliton (Stok 1968-15438 Klackhcn & Pr 1959-24-25 Tea commonplace hat Bou poopy wast cea epee te roc of isle soetaistion in Germany Yee“"The Sy of: ‘apy ony begat ene! th de Bow? thiking to German tong theeihtenth and nineteenth centres We know the Boar ed an ape tel Herr and Kant. baa afisty fx G ap Frosch Homboles “admible woke” with ar aus” (B87 59, 19H Cle 19839; lsh & Pre 19596), Dutt pete tren of German hol have oot ben spematlyeorepe ly he nee ofthe otben Wieland Aland va laa ‘ho betwen them shape nineteen Ouran slap Franz Boas ano Tae Hoxtotama Taasiion 0 arable orn in 167, Withln on Hunld wa bth acho and Smiter As Prin secretary of edoaion in het deca ft inet century he spemented gear cholo sd faded the Universo Bein (Smee 1980:33~ 7), Avance ndueced he development of seve branches of the Gebtonnonchfien, includ no ‘ny gusty buco hy apply Tio yeas younger tan Wilhl, Alene on Hamblin the fstot Nason hinday. An exw uaragher, and natunlBacrenhscorcer was cdl fo generations of ata cent, peli Chases Dawn (Kage & Bachem 1959364). lites athe easy bevee una nd ther envionment coneatd tothe develpmeat of edo wel [Eooh. one ofthe aalenie sti into which Boe ws ebisate “When Bow abononed peop fo ancpsagy he nepal sony fll pacology ard lingiics en his theoreti aewaks Thm Bon? whroqoogy may he vewe uit te elect ents Coating ‘rmoch Wilma Alexander vo Hume Wilhelm von Humbolts Plan fora Comparative Anthropology Witeln apd Alesnder vor Humboldt pene thelr childhscd at Potdam, neat Bet, and were ediated by pte tat at home, a vas common practice smong the aii. They were intrdced early int the ces the Berlin algheenment,acending ecuresby the lang scholars equ {ng the houshol of ical lminaviee Wilhelm particu enjoyed the com any of che group tha hod gathered sound Mane Mendelsohn, ho even ‘Met his deat sl loomed large a4 major itellectl gue (Sweet 1978:3 19) Inmersng himself a the works of Mendelacha, Leng, and Wolf be ‘ele reverberations ofthe principles the Fench Enlightenment the ani ‘erly of human teson actos space ad time, the objection of an xen. tay ifr hurean nature unchanging satrllvs, the sey rome of evilation through hiory toward an enlightened state of reson, andthe Fessblity of finding the avs that povemed tha proces of. 1980: 1 24; Beier 1987: 1-13). ‘When Wilhela von Hunbold came under the influence of thee ides however their asumgeion were alcady being evecely questioned 0 Mare Bonet saturn. Kant’ contemporary Johann Geors Hamann a fellow ctien of ‘emgsbere, went much farther in hs ergue of Eagheenment docties, rejecting the independent exten of human toni the aberac. To Ha mann, reson was phenomenon Inked 0 apece hstodal fetions and therefore could noe serv ar nivenl external standard forthe clsieatin of human experience, ewe Haman ejection of nivel sion hatin titel the Geman Counter Enlightenment (Belin 1980+1~-25; cf. Beer 1967.9). Hate itor eritigue of Elightenmen rationals was developed father by his pol Johann God Herder, who i 1774 plished Ach cine Phionpe dr Genser Brg de Mensch, «polemical ey di teced primary agit Vole’ pllesophy of history. Rejecting san" bitsy mechani” any ran avd that proplld a uorm develo tment of cvlistion, Herder argued instead for the uniqueness of values ‘canunited thoughout hatory (177454, 57-58). The comparison of any {ve tion or age wth the Enlightenment oe any other exernal standard fre therefore unacceptable each umn group cul be undersco only 83 prodcr off parlor higors Embodying a unique gens, ot Gs, each ‘al formed an orc whole, the vals, belies, erafons, ad ange of ‘which cold onl be unerood fom thin by entering inc the viewint [SF the epee: History ar an cherable process occured not cn un- Ses level, but cnly atone partclar social ents (177433; cles 1683-79) Heer elation of ltr individuality a efleton ofthe pleite of God wos combined however, wth genuine cxmepalitan grok inthe iraitiede, which efimed the commen bond ef human but a expres in the dive) ater than che simi of human forms. n cpp Sitio to the French Enlgheenent, which based its universalism an thee envi sameness of hua ings onal cron, Herder steed the ind ‘kal contribution of each cll entity to humana lage. Ard since Fmaniy was the totality of sulin element, each Vk must be studied nits individuality (177443). Herder progam was ale in anen- ‘ebpedic tentment of itor, the Iden Phish der Gschih der ‘erehi, the ft wlare of which was pula in 1784 (ef. aes 1968 533-38; Beier 1987-14248, 1992:3 2). ‘Wilhelm wor Harned wae deeply imprened with these cts ofthe smnivenal aon ofthe Enlightenment AS a university stadent at Gotcngen (1785-89), be spene the beter prt ofa year inane in Kant Critique of ve Reson ts apunent augmented doubs he had already been harboring 1M i aie Bt “Calne roth ctu Ens attic meat a Fran Boas ano re Hunouoriant TRA n shout dhe Enlightenment project (Sweet 1978:38). Among his fist writings ‘ere tents on the limi of sate intervendion, which wee influenced by Kans programmatic esay "Wasist Aufearng” (“What s Enlightenment”) (Humbolde 245254; cl Moele-Vellmer 198765). He ao developed dsep ines in ancient Gree, and took up phillial ais with FA. ‘Wall, the foremost Greek scholr ofthe dy. Asie fom eransaionsof ancient tet, he produced in 1799 ashor eatse "Uber ds Stam des Alera tod des Guechschen insbesoovere™ ("On the Sy of Anriquy, specially the Oreck) in which in Herlenan fashion, he aval the nteeste sto ofa partial nation (ancient Greece) in itp, religious and domestic ‘ipets in onertogrosp isnational charter 1:262 65) None ofthese eaey texts however, wor pblished, ad in 1794, Humbe, who hd jus matted,

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