ABSTRACT
ALMOSTacenturyago,E.B.Tylorinthe openingchapterofhisclassicworkP r i m i t i v e C u l t u r e , arguedforthecreationofanaturalisticandautonomousscienceofculture.Duringtheinterveningyearsanumberofother writers-moreorlessechoingTylor'spleahaveattemptedtosetforththecaseforthe superorganicviewofculture(e.g.,Durkheim, Kroeber,Murdock,Lowie,White);whichin turnhasprovokedavarietyofrebuttalsfrom theopposingcamp(e.g.,Sapir,Goldenweiser, Spiro,Bidney,amongothers).Indeed,few theoreticalissuesinanthropologyhavebeen pernenniallydebatedwithquitethefervorthat hasbeengeneratedbythisone.
