The concept of social evolution ?

Question

How did early anthropologists use the concept of social evolution to explain cultural diversity while maintaining the psychic unity of mankind?

Answer 1

It's unfortunate that "early" anthropolgists understood social evolution, while recent anthropolgists have allowed political correctness to direct their thinking and disguise the truth.

Cultures evolve.  At one time, all cultures were stone age tribesmen.  Most of Africa and American traditional cultures never rose beyond the stone age.  Literally, they used rudimentary wooden and stone tools.  Few tribes (if any) had gone so far as to invent the wheel.

The great cultures of China, India and the Middle East rose above stone age/hunter gatherer existence.  From settled agriculture through the development of complex societies, these cultures evolved.  At certain times, one of these cultures advanced above the others, but they evolved in roughly parallel paths.  

With the fall of Rome, the center of the Western culture moved from the Agean and Mediterranean to Europe. With the Renaissance and into present times, European culture exploded into modernity and developed far beyond Asian, Indian and Middle Eastern cultures.  At the time of the European discovery of tribal people in Africa and America, they were evolved to the point that the tribes often looked on them as "gods".  While the other cultures of antiquity remained in largely medieval or feudal societies, Europe evolved into democracies, and became the dominant forces on earth.

Not surpisingly, the ability of other cultures to adapt to modernity is decided by their level of indigenous development.  Asian had the most advanced non-European culture,and they have mastered modernity and are true competitors with Europe.  India has also made some progress, and to a lesser extent the Middle East.  Many Africa and American tribes people have had little success, because their tribal ways do not easily adapt to modernity.