Marvin Harris and the anthropology Resources Preface: This post is for all those who wonder who this might be Marvin Harris of the often talked about here and why they have never heard before from him.
Marvin Harris was an American anthropologist and author of many popular science books of 2001 at the age of 74 years died. His scientific work was prägenstes "Cultural Materialism, a book not about his anthropological research, but a philosophical work on science theory.
Within the community of ethnologists and anthropologists Marvin Harris is commonly called "black sheep". His theory, which will trace the anthropology of tangible measures might, for they are contrary to anthropocentric Self-understanding of man.
Marvin Harris was looking for an approach which should in its clarity, the theories of physics are close, and found that in a kind of social energy conservation law. This type of approach has been and seemingly suspicious, above all, the European humanities research community. "Can not be that easy" I hear from the answers in a scientific dispute Marvin Harris and Claude Levi-Strauss and his structuralism.
I think that Marvin Harris argument, in the eyes of many social researchers, the human the "free will" in denying his cultural development in that it allows development to a cultural adjustment to the carrying capacity of an inhabited ecosystem back out. However, this seems to me to be an over-interpretation of the term. In Marvin Harris argument is room for an autonomous change in the society.
who read "Cultural Materialism" has knows that it was Marvin Harris to the formulation of a conceptual tool. His approach is a way to gain knowledge of it allowed him to formulate new insights into social processes, an abstraction of the complex processes in a simple size back out.
In science one proceeds similarly. Hamiltonian mechanics is formulated in the simple energy equations to study the movement of bodies. Who theoretical mechanics has studied knows that the boundary conditions in these observations are missing (yet). These conditions are, however, the nuts and bolts of the actual equations of motion. To determine it is hard work (usually impossible because of multi-body problems chaotic behavior).
may be the reason why I like the approach of Marvin Harris as a tool so good. The energy approach leaves room for the underlying chaos of complex systems. Who (like the economy) think this to be able to use mathematical models, imaging, without knowing the conditions fail, you must. A pure energy consideration may already know make statements without the constraints have to.
Marvin Harris is in his book "Cultural Materialism" a common to all schools of thought. He is not squeamish before. Marvin Harris also stressed that although he considers his approach to the best of it but every scientist of a strict scientific approach remains faithful to certify. (Formulated in contrast to the researchers the first a result and then only after a scientific method to find this justified.)
Maybe he has, however, an excessive arrogance of human self-image in relation to the true environment. He set before this distorted self-image of people with scientific arguments may well be a mirror to him the indignation of his contemporaries have introduced. His books, however, had great success and I can advise everyone to take one once in the hand.
book list Marvin Harris on Amazon Note: In the spirit of science is the search for the "best" theory more difficult than in the natural sciences. (See my post on science
theory) I think it wants to be in the humanities like any of his loving separate theory lessons. Also because the community of the humanities to be happy in the scientific controversy over the "best theory" was made. This seems the humanities to prepare a great pleasure.
As A natural science Man you are very confused when a dispute so the first time encountered. At least I was given the so when dealing with Marvin Harris and Claude Levi-Strauss. With Levi-Strauss, structuralism can not do anything with my brain, may be I have to be scholars.
Marvin Harris Cultural Materialism, however, unfolded in my immediate brain activity. I think this is the key in choosing one or the other Humanities epistemology. Everyone must be for him to find the most inspiring theory allows him to new insights.
