author
Ch. (Charles) Letourneau
1831–1902
A French anthropologist, physician, and prolific writer, he explored human societies through the lens of evolution and ethnography. His books range widely across subjects like sociology, morality, property, literature, and religion, reflecting the big comparative questions of the late 19th century.
2 Audiobooks
Moralens utveckling Fri bearbetning efter Ch. Letourneau: "L'évolution de la morale"
by Ellen Key, Ch. (Charles) Letourneau
The Evolution of Marriage and of the Family
by Ch. (Charles) Letourneau
About the author
Born in Auray, Brittany, on September 23, 1831, and dead in Paris on February 21, 1902, Charles Jean-Marie Letourneau was a French anthropologist and physician. He became closely associated with the Société d’Anthropologie de Paris, joining it in 1865 and later serving as its general secretary from 1887 until his death.
Letourneau wrote extensively and aimed to explain human institutions by comparing cultures and tracing their development over time. His work often brought together anthropology, sociology, and evolutionary thought, and he published books on topics including biology, property, marriage, literature, education, war, and religion.
French sources also describe him as a free-thinker and note his involvement in the Paris Commune. Today he is remembered as one of the many 19th-century writers who helped shape early comparative anthropology, even when some of his ideas clearly belong to the assumptions of his era.