The trajectory of anthropological thought

From the Evolutionary School to French Symbolism

Abstract

With the aim of briefly addressing some of the main currents of classical anthropological thought and their main exponents, this article aims, through a bibliographic review and a qualitative approach of an exploratory nature, to present and, above all, to instigate reflection on the methodology, assumptions and concepts defended by some of the anthropological theories of the 19th and 20th centuries. The classification of authors into schools or traditions does not disregard the fact that there are divergences or disputes between members of the same line of thought; what we seek to bring to the readers are the main points that define the anthropological approaches mentioned throughout the article. Although much of what they said is dated, the contributions of the authors discussed here are extremely relevant to the formation of the field and anthropological theory, exerting a significant influence on academic debates and the elaboration of works in the area to this day.