
E-text prepared by Turgut Dincer, Les Galloway, and the Online Distributed Proofreading Team (http://www.pgdp.net) from page images generously made available by HathiTrust Digital Library (https://www.hathitrust.org/)
INTRODUCTORY NOTE BY ALFRED R. WALLACE
PREFACE TO THE FIRST EDITION
PREFACE TO THE SECOND EDITION
PREFACE TO THE THIRD EDITION
INTRODUCTION ON THE METHOD OF INVESTIGATION
CHAPTER I THE ORIGIN OF MARRIAGE
CHAPTER II A HUMAN PAIRING SEASON IN PRIMITIVE TIMES
CHAPTER III THE ANTIQUITY OF HUMAN MARRIAGE
CHAPTER IV A CRITICISM OF THE HYPOTHESIS OF PROMISCUITY
A sweeping exploration of how human societies have paired up, this work delves into the origins and evolution of marriage across cultures. Drawing on a wealth of ethnographic data, the author examines everything from the rituals of remote tribal groups to the customs of modern cities, revealing surprising patterns and underlying motives that shape marital bonds.
What sets the study apart is its willingness to question the conclusions of well‑known thinkers such as Darwin and Spencer. By proposing fresh explanations for phenomena like the universal aversion to close‑kin unions and the role of sexual selection, the author invites readers to reconsider long‑held assumptions. The prose is clear and engaging, making complex anthropological arguments accessible without sacrificing scholarly depth. Listeners will come away with a richer appreciation of the social forces that have guided human partnership for millennia.
Full title
The history of human marriage Third Edition
Language
en
Duration
~21 hours (1226K characters)
Publisher of text edition
Project Gutenberg
Release date
Apr 28, 2019
Rights
Public domain in the USA.
Subjects

1862–1939
Best known for reshaping ideas about marriage, morality, and human relationships, this Finnish scholar brought anthropology, sociology, and philosophy into lively conversation. His work was influential enough to give the "Westermarck effect" its name.
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