Origins & Early Life

Melford Elliot Spiro (April 26, 1920 – October 18, 2014) was an American cultural anthropologist specializing in religion and psychological anthropology. He is known for his critiques of the pillars of contemporary anthropological theory—wholesale cultural determinism, radical cultural relativism, and virtually limitless cultural diversity—and for his emphasis on the theoretical importance of unconscious desires and beliefs in the study of stability and change in social and cultural systems, particularly in respect to the family, politics, and religion. Explicated in numerous theoretical publications, they are empirically exemplified in monographs based on his fieldwork in Ifaluk atoll in Micronesia, an Israeli kibbutz, and a village in Burma (now Myanmar). He was a significant figure in a series of debates over cultural relativism and postmodern theory among American cultural anthropologists in the 1980s and early 1990s, in which he consistently argued for the importance of the comparative method and the appreciation of universal cultural and psychological processes.

Pivotal Works & Achievements

Spiro received his B.A. from the University of Minnesota in 1942, where he majored in philosophy, following which he...

Enduring Legacy & Impact

The historical impact and works continue to influence the modern world.

Contemporary Figures & Related Historical Timelines

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• Alexander Grothendieck — Contemporary (Died in 2014) (2014): Pioneering figure in modern algebraic geometry and category theory.
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• Alfred Binet — Shared historical date (10-18 · Died) (1911): Pioneering French psychologist and inventor of the seminal Binet–Simon Intelligence Test.
• Andreas Baader — Shared historical date (10-18 · Died) (1977): West German communist and leader of the far-left terrorist organization Red Army Faction (RAF).
• 1920 Historical Timeline & Archive — Explore world events and figures from 1920
• April 26 (04-26) On This Day — Historical birthdays and events on April 26
• 2014 Historical Timeline & Archive — Explore world events and figures from 2014
• October 18 (10-18) On This Day — Historical events and memorials on October 18