Ancient Society

Ancient Society

Ancient Society

Ancient Society

Hardcover(Reprint 2014 ed.)

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Overview

"This book, first published in 1877, is believed to be the first modern inquiry into social evolution. Receiving much attention from Karl Marx and Frederick Engels, Ancient Society made a great impact on historians of the last century and influenced general anthropology."--Lore and Language (England)

Product Details

ISBN-13: 9780674865648
Publisher: Harvard
Publication date: 10/01/2013
Series: John Harvard Library Series , #67
Edition description: Reprint 2014 ed.
Pages: 516
Product dimensions: 6.14(w) x 9.21(h) x 1.13(d)

About the Author

Lewis Henry Morgan (November 21, 1818 - December 17, 1881) was a pioneering American anthropologist and social theorist who worked as a railroad lawyer. He is best known for his work on kinship and social structure, his theories of social evolution, and his ethnography of the Iroquois. Interested in what holds societies together, he proposed the concept that the earliest human domestic institution was the matrilineal clan, not the patriarchal family.

Table of Contents

Introduction to the Transaction Editionxv
Prefacelv
Part I.Growth of Intelligence Through Inventions and Discoveries
Chapter I.Ethnical Periods3
Progress of Mankind from the Bottom of the Scale
Illustrated by Inventions, Discoveries and Institutions
Two Plans of Government
One Gentile and Social, giving a Society (Societas); the other Political, giving a State (Civitas)
The former founded upon Persons and Gentilism; the Latter upon Territory and Property
The First, the Plan of Government of Ancient Society
The Second, that of Modern or Civilized Society
Uniformity of Human Experience
Proposed Ethnical Periods
I.Lower Status of Savagery
II.Middle Status of Savagery
III.Upper Status of Savagery
IV.Lower Status of Barbarism
V.Middle Status of Barbarism
VI.Upper Status of Barbarism
VII.Status of Civilization
Chapter II.Arts of Subsistence19
Supremacy of Mankind over the Earth
Control over Subsistence the Condition
Mankind alone gained that Control
Successive Arts of Subsistence
I.Natural Subsistence
II.Fish Subsistence
III.Farinaceous Subsistence
IV.Meat and Milk Subsistence
V.Unlimited Subsistence through Field Agriculture
Long Intervals of Time between them
Chapter III.Ratio of Human Progress29
Retrospect on the Lines of Human Progress
Principal Contributions of Modern Civilization
Of Ancient Civilization
Of Later Period of Barbarism
Of Middle Period
Of Older Period
Of Period of Savagery
Humble Condition of Primitive Man
Human Progress in a Geometrical Ratio
Relative Length of Ethnical Periods
Appearance of Semitic and Aryan Families
Part II.Growth of the Idea of Government
Chapter I.Organization of Society Upon the Basis of Sex49
Australian Classes
Organized upon Sex
Archaic Character of the Organization
Australian Gentes
The Eight Classes
Rule of Marriage
Descent in the Female Line
Stupendous Conjugal System
Two Male and Two Female Classes in each Gens
Innovations upon the Classes
Gens still Rudimentary
Chapter II.The Iroquois Gens62
The Gentile Organization
Its Wide Prevalence
Definition of a Gens
Descent in the Female Line the Archaic Rule
Rights, Privileges and Obligations of Members of a Gens
Right of Electing and Deposing its Sachem and Chiefs
Obligation not to marry in the Gens
Mutual Rights of Inheritance of the Property of deceased Members
Reciprocal Obligations of Help, Defense and Redress of Injuries
Right of Naming its Members
Right of Adopting Strangers into the Gens
Common Religious Rites, Query
A Common Burial Place
Council of the Gens
Gentes named after Animals
Number of Persons in a Gens
Chapter III.The Iroquois Phratry88
Definition of a Phratry
Kindred Gentes Reunited in a Higher Organization
Phratry of the Iroquois Tribes
Its Composition
Its Uses and Functions
Social and Religious
Illustrations
The Analogue of the Grecian Phratry; but in its Archaic Form
Phratries of the Choctas
Of the Chickasas
Of the Mohegans
Of the Thlinkeets
Their Probable Universality in the Tribes of the American Aborigines
Chapter IV.The Iroquois Tribe102
The Tribe as an Organization
Composed of Gentes Speaking the same Dialect
Separation in Area led to Divergence of Speech, and Segmentation
The Tribe a Natural Growth
Illustrations
Attributes of a Tribe
A Territory and Name
An Exclusive Dialect
The Right to Invest and Depose its Sachems and Chiefs
A Religious Faith and Worship
A Council of Chiefs
A Head-Chief of Tribe in some Instances
Three successive Forms of Gentile Government
1A Government of One Power
2Of Two Powers
3Of Three Powers
Chapter V.The Iroquois Confederacy122
Confederacies Natural Growths
Founded upon Common Gentes, and a Common Language
The Iroquois Tribes
Their Settlement in New York
Formation of the Confederacy
Its Structure and Principles
Fifty Sachemships Created
Made Hereditary in certain Gentes
Number assigned to each Tribe
These Sachems formed the Council of the Confederacy
The Civil Council
Its Mode of Transacting Business
Unanimity Necessary to its Action
The Mourning Council
Mode of Raising up Sachems
General Military Commanders
This Office the Germ of that of a Chief Executive Magistrate
Intellectual Capacity of the Iroquois
Chapter VI.Gentes in Other Tribes of the Ganowanian Family151
Divisions of American Aborigines
Gentes in Indian Tribes; with their Rules of Descent and Inheritance
I.Hodenosaunian Tribes
II.Dakotian
III.Gulf
IV.Pawnee
V.Algonkin
VI.Athapasco-Apache
VII.Tribes of North-west Coast
Eskimos, a Distinct Family
VIII.Salish, Sahaptin, and Kootenay Tribes
IX.Shoshonee
X.Village Indians of New Mexico, Mexico and Central America
XI.South American Indian Tribes
Probable Universality of the Organization in Gentes in the Ganowanian Family
Chapter VII.The Aztec Confederacy186
Misconception of Aztec Society
Condition of Advancement
Nahuatlac Tribes
Their Settlement in Mexico
Pueblo of Mexico founded, A.D. 1325
Aztec Confederacy established, A.D. 1426
Extent of Territorial Domination
Probable Number of the People
Whether or not the Aztecs were organized in Gentes and Phratries
The Council of Chiefs
Its probable Functions
Office held by Montezuma
Elective in Tenure
Deposition of Montezuma
Probable Functions of the Office
Aztec Institutions essentially Democratical
The Government a Military Democracy
Chapter VIII.The Grecian Gens215
Early Condition of Grecian Tribes
Organized into Gentes
Changes in the Character of the Gens
Necessity for a Political System
Problem to be Solved
The Formation of a State
Grote's Description of the Grecian Gentes
Of their Phratries and Tribes
Rights, Privileges and Obligations of the Members of the Gens
Similar to those of the Iroquois Gens
The Office of Chief of the Gens
Whether Elective or Hereditary
The Gens the Basis of the Social System
Antiquity of the Gentile Lineage
Inheritance of Property
Archaic and Final Rule
Relationships between the Members of a Gens
The Gens the Center of Social and Religious Influence
Chapter IX.The Grecian Phratry, Tribe and Nation235
The Athenian Phratry
How Formed
Definition of Dikaearchus
Objects chiefly Religious
The Phratriarch
The Tribe
Composed of Three Phratries
The Phylo Basileus
The Nation
Composed of Four Tribes
Boule, or Council of Chiefs
Agora, or Assembly of the People
The Basileus
Tenure of the Office
Military and Priestly Functions
Civil Functions not shown
Governments of the Heroic Age, Military Democracies
Aristotle's Definition of a Basileus
Later Athenian Democracy
Inherited from the Gentes
Its Powerful Influence upon Athenian Development
Chapter X.The Institution of Grecian Political Society256
Failure of the Gentes as a Basis of Government
Legislation of Theseus
Attempted Substitution of Classes
Its Failure
Abolition of the Office of Basileus
The Archonship
Naucraries and Trittyes
Legislation of Solon
The Property Classes
Partial Transfer of Civil Power from the Gentes to the Classes
Persons unattached to any Gens
Made Citizens
The Senate
The Ecclesia
Political Society partially attained
Legislation of Cleisthenes
Institution of Political Society
The Attic Deme or Township
Its Organization and Powers
Its Local Self-government
The Local Tribe or District
The Attic Commonwealth
Athenian Democracy
Chapter XI.The Roman Gens277
Italian Tribes Organized in Gentes
Founding of Rome
Tribes Organized into a Military Democracy
The Roman Gens
Definition of a Gentilis by Cicero
By Festus
By Varro
Descent in Male Line
Marrying out of the Gens
Rights, Privileges and Obligations of the Members of a Gens
Democratic Constitution of Ancient Latin Society
Number of Persons in a Gens
Chapter XII.The Roman Curia, Tribe and Populus300
Roman Gentile Society
Four Stages of Organization
1.The Gens
2.The Curia, consisting of TenGentes
3.The Tribe, composed of Ten Curiae
4.The Populus Romanus, composed of Three Tribes
Numerical Proportions
How Produced
Concentration of Gentes at Rome
The Roman Senate
Its Functions
The Assembly of the People
Its Powers
The People Sovereign
Office of Military Commander (Rex)
Its Powers and Functions
Roman Gentile Institutions essentially Democratical
Chapter XIII.The Institution of Roman Political Society323
The Populus
The Plebeians
The Clients
The Patricians
Limits of the Order
Legislation of Servius Tullius
Institution of Property Classes
Of the Centuries
Unequal Suffrage
Comitia Centuriata
Supersedes Comitia Curiata
Classes supersede the Gentes
The Census
Plebeians made Citizens
Institution of City Wards
Of Country Townships
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