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Physical and Social Kinship

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  14 March 2022

J. A. Barnes
J. A. Barnes*
Affiliation:
Australian National University
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Extract

Although this note is prompted by the recent exchange between Gellner [2], [3] and Needham [4], I shall ignore the issues raised by Gellner's specification for an ideal language. I am concerned here only with Needham's statement that ‘biology is one matter and descent is quite another, of a different order’ which, it will be remembered, Gellner treats as Needham's first error. I write under a sense of obligation, for I discussed this matter with Gellner in 1955 while he was preparing his first article and my arguments then were phrased similarly to those advanced by Needham. It appears that I did not make myself clear to Gellner and I shall try again. I do not wish to attack or defend either protagonist; each is quite able to look after himself. Therefore I propose neither to examine where they have misunderstood each other, nor to discuss the difference between kinship (Gellner's starting-point) and descent (Needham's), but simply to state the connexion, as I see it, between physical and social kinship.

Type
Discussion
Information
Philosophy of Science , Volume 28 , Issue 3 , July 1961 , pp. 296 - 299
Copyright
Copyright © Philosophy of Science Association 1961

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References

[1] Barton, R. F., “Ifugao law,” University of California publications in American archaeology and ethnology, 15, 1919, pp. 1–186.Google Scholar
[2] Gellner, Ernest, “Ideal language and kinship structure,” Philosophy of Science, 24, 1957, pp. 235–242.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
[3] Gellner, Ernest, “The concept of kinship,” Philosophy of Science, 27, 1960, pp. 187–204.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
[4] Needham, Rodney, “Descent systems and ideal language,” Philosophy of Science, 27, 1960, pp. 96–101.CrossRefGoogle Scholar