Explaining Human Origins
Myth, Imagination and Conjecture

This book argues the influence of Western folk ideas on human origin theories from the nineteenth century onwards.

Wiktor Stoczkowski (Author), Mary Turton (Translated by)

9780521651349, Cambridge University Press

Hardback, published 16 May 2002

246 pages, 7 tables
22.9 x 15.2 x 1.7 cm, 0.53 kg

Wiktor Stoczkowski, a palaeo-anthropologist, argues that the theories of human origins developed by archaeologists and physical anthropologists from the early nineteenth century to the present day are structurally similar to Western folk theories, and to the speculations of earlier philosophers. Reviewing a remarkable range of thinkers writing in a variety of European languages, he makes a convincing argument for this case. Even though the book criticises the lack of development in theories of human origins, its conclusion is optimistic about the power of the scientific approach to deliver more reliable theories - but only if the influences of popular discourse on its thinking are properly identified.

1. Introduction
2. Prehistory and the conditioned imagination
3. Anthropogenesis and science
4. In search of causes
5. A double game.

Subject Areas: Anthropology [JHM], History of ideas [JFCX]