Lewis Henry Morgan's Comparisons

Georg Pfeffer re-examines the work of Lewis Henry Morgan on relationship terminologies, societal forms, and ideas of property and the relationship between these three domains. He concludes that reciprocal affinal relations determine most `classificatory' terminologies and regulate many non-state societies, their property notions, and their rituals.

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About 150 years ago Lewis Henry Morgan compared relationship terminologies, societal forms and ideas of property to recognize the interdependence of the three domains. From a new perspective, the book re-examines, confirms and criticizes Morgan’s findings to conclude that reciprocal affinal relations determine most ‘classificatory’ terminologies and regulate many non-state societies, their property notions and their rituals. Apart from references to American and Australian features, such holistic socio-cultural constructs are exemplified by elaborate descriptions of little known contemporary Indigenous societies in Highland Middle India, altogether comprising many millions of members.