Cultural Materialism

Paper Summary:

The paper explains that one of the most persuasive theories in its analysis and relationship with empirical understanding is the theory of cultural materialism. The paper attempts to dissect cultural materialism to give a broader contextual understanding of why this theory is the most plausible explanation for current socio-cultural events and environments. The paper focuses on the theories of Marvin Harris.

From the Paper:

"The concept of materialism can be broadly understood as the general theory that the "ultimate constituents of reality are material or physical bodies, elements or processes". It is a principle that holds everything in existence is reducible to a material or physical nature. Materialism directly contradicts dualistic theories which claim that body and mind are distinct entity and also directly attacks philosophical idealism which denies the existence of matter. The direct implication of materialism in general, is that the diverse qualitative experiences we have are reducible to quantitative changes in objects or our physiological functioning."

Sample of Sources Used:

• Harris, Marvin. Cannibals and Kings: The Origins of Cultures. New York: Vintage, 1977
• Harris, Marvin. Cultural Materialism: The Struggle for a Science of Culture. New York: Random House, 1979. (Reissued 2001)
• Novack, George. 1965 The Origins of Materialism. New York: Merit Publishers.

More papers on Cultural Materialism:

• Book Review # 70625 : "Cultural Materialism"
• Essay # 59854 : "Cultural Materialism"
• Book Review # 19386 : "Cultural Materialism" by Marvin Harris"

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