The History of Human Marriage
.jpg) The second edition | |
| Author | Edvard Westermarck |
|---|---|
| Subject | Marriage |
Publication date | 1891 |
| Media type | |
| Pages | 670 (2012 Forgotten Books edition) |
| ISBN | 978-1297574238 |
The History of Human Marriage is an 1891 book about the history of human marriage by the Finnish philosopher Edvard Westermarck. The work is a classic in its field.
Summary
The History of Human Marriage is an overview of the world history of human marriage.[1]
Westermarck argues that marriage is a social institution that rests on a biological foundation, and developed through a process in which human males came to live together with human females for sexual gratification, companionship, mutual economic aid, procreation, and the joint rearing of offspring.[2]
Scholarly reception
David Blankenhorn calls the book one of the best histories of human marriage, and considers it deservedly famous. He comments, however, that it leaves out a great deal of material while "skimming too quickly over too much."[1] Blankenhorn believes, however, that scholarship subsequent to Westermarck's has tended to support his conclusions.[2]
Finnish philosopher Jaakko Hintikka calls the work a monumental study and a classic in its field, but notes that it is now antiquated.[3]
References
Footnotes
- ^ a b Blankenhorn 2007. pp. 9-10.
- ^ a b Blankenhorn 2007. p. 37.
- ^ Hintikka 2005. p. 303.
Bibliography
- Books
- Blankenhorn, David (2007). The Future of Marriage. New York: Encounter Books. ISBN 1-59403-081-2.
- Hintikka, Jaakko (2005). Honderich, Ted (ed.). The Oxford Companion to Philosophy. Oxford: Oxford University Press. ISBN 0-19-926479-1.
External links
- The History of Human Marriage. Volume I, 5th edition (1921)
- The History of Human Marriage. Volume II, 5th edition (1921)
- The History of Human Marriage. Volume III, 5th edition (1921)