Robert Briffault

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Robert Stephen Briffault (born 1876 ; died December 11, 1948 ) was a British surgeon who became known as an anthropologist and versatile writer (novels and others).

Life

Briffault practiced a time as a doctor in New Zealand , took part in the First World War and then left his medical practice to devote himself to anthropological and socio-philosophical studies. From the outset, Briffault became a politically radical communist , even if he did not always conform to the party. He stayed in France until the Second World War . His most famous works are: The Mothers. A study of the origins of sentiments and institutions ( The Mothers. A Study of the Origins of Feelings and Institutions ) (3 volumes, first 1927), in which he dealt with, among other things, matriarchy and added Edvard Westermarck's The History of Human Marriage , but not overtaken. In The Decline and Fall of the British Empire ( Rise and Fall of the British Empire ) (1938), he turned to British imperialism and social conditions of the country in a sharp criticism. Briffault also wrote novels , often heavily influenced by his political beliefs. He was denied entry to the United States for political reasons.

Publications (selection)

  • The Mothers. A Study of the Origins of Sentiments and Institutions (3 volumes, London 1927)
  • The Decline and Fall of the British Empire (1938)
    • German transl. The Lords of the World: Decline and Fall of the British Empire. Publisher: Berlin: Volk und Reich Verlag, 1941 (abridged version with a foreword by Alan Sinclair Sedgwick; German by Ulrich Steckelberg)
  • The Troubadours (1965)

literature

  • Katz, Edward A. (1976). The Social Philosophy of Robert Briffault: An Appraisal of His Writings, New York University, Graduate School, 1976.
  • Sloan, Pat (1962), "An 'Unknown Soldier' ​​in the Battle of Ideas," Marxism Today, Vol. VI, no. 5.
  • Andrew P. Lyons, Harriet Lyons: Irregular Connections: A History of Anthropology and Sexuality. 2004

Web links

Remarks

  1. ↑ data.bnf.fr - There are different statements about the year of birth, including 1874.
  2. ↑ Alexander Goldenweiser, Anthropology ("supplemented, but not superseded")
  3. ^ Andrew P. Lyons, Harriet Lyons (2004: 340 )
  4. ^ Later, under the title: The mothers: the matriarchal theory of social origins
personal data
SURNAME Briffault, Robert
ALTERNATIVE NAMES Briffault, Robert Stephen (full name)
BRIEF DESCRIPTION British surgeon
DATE OF BIRTH 1876
DATE OF DEATH December 11, 1948