The history of human marriage

Metadata

Gutenberg ID

59386

Title

The history of human marriage

Language

en

Book source

Project Gutenberg

Description max 80 words

Edward Westermarck challenges the prevailing sociological hypothesis that primitive humanity lived in a state of promiscuity. Through a critical examination of historical accounts and ethnographic data, he argues that even among so-called 'savage' nations, some form of marriage or pair-bonding existed. The text explores the evolution of marital customs, debunking myths of communal wives and analyzing the relationship between population density, resource scarcity, and the prevalence of polyandry or polygyny.

Summary up to 500 words

In *The History of Human Marriage*, Edward Westermarck systematically challenges the 19th-century anthropological consensus that early human society was defined by promiscuity. Prominent thinkers like Bachofen, McLennan, and Morgan argued that marriage evolved from a primitive state of sexual license, a view Westermarck deems unsupported by rigorous analysis. He contends that evidence from ancient writers and modern travelers often misinterprets specific customs or loose marital ties as total promiscuity. For instance, accounts of 'communal marriage' among groups like the South Australians or the Todas are scrutinized; Westermarck demonstrates that even in these cases, specific rules governed relationships, distinguishing them from true indiscriminate promiscuity. He notes that while terms of relationship in some tribes imply group marriage, actual practice often involved individual contracts or distinct rules, rendering the theory of universal promiscuity untenable. Westermarck also investigates the prevalence of polyandry in resource-scarce regions such as Tibet and the Himalayas. He argues that this practice is an economic adaptation to limited arable land and population control rather than a primitive relic. Statistical anomalies in sex ratios further inform his analysis. He observes that mixed-race populations often exhibit an excess of female births, whereas endogamous groups or those practicing polyandry frequently show an excess of males. This biological data suggests that the degree of differentiation between parents influences offspring sex, contradicting speculative evolutionism. Ultimately, Westermarck concludes that marriage forms vary widely based on environmental and demographic pressures, but the hypothesis of a universal primitive promiscuity lacks factual foundation. His work serves as a foundational text in anthropology, shifting the discourse from speculative theories to evidence-based ethnography.

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Categories

• History
• Marriage