Primitive Man As Philosopher

Primitive Man as Philosopher is influential anthropologist and ethnologist Paul Radin’s enduringly relevant survey of an array of aboriginal cultures and belief systems, including those of the Winnebago, Oglala Sioux, Maori, Banda, the Buin of Melanesia, Tahitian, Hawaiian, Zuni, and Ewe. Radin examines the conditioning of thought and religion practiced among the members of each society and the freedom of individuals to deviate from the group and to affect change. Written in a straightforward, almost conversational style, Radin’s discourse is rooted in firsthand accounts. He allows his subjects to speak for themselves by quoting extensively from interviews (many of which he conducted in the course of his own fieldwork), and includes a veritable anthology of poems and songs from the varied traditions. Radin, known in his field for his honesty and integrity, offers brilliant interpretations of myth and symbolism in his exploration of their deeper meanings in each culture. Readers both in and out of the field will appreciate the rich and varied insights of this classic of anthropology. Celebrated anthropologist Neni Panourgia’ provides a new introduction to this landmark and pioneering work.

Paul Radin (1883–1959) was an American cultural anthropologist and writer of folklore. He conducted years of fieldwork among the Winnebago in order to complete The Winnebago Tribe in 1923, and in 1929 he published A Grammar of the Wappo Language. The Trickster (1956) is his most renowned publication, and includes essays by Karl Kerenyi and Carl Jung.


Neni Panourgia is a writer, translator, professor of anthropology at the New School School for Social Research, and Director of the program Health as a Human Right at the Institute for the Study of Human Rights at Columbia University. She is the author of Dangerous Citizens: The Greek Left and the Terror of the State. She lives in New York City.