Petschelies, Erik.Ascensão e declínio da etnologia alemã (1884‐1950). 624 pp., bibliogr. Campinas, SP: Editora da Unicamp, 2022. R99 (paper).

Abstract

Abstract

Far exceeding the scope of a mere institutional chronicle, Erik Petschelies's new book is a profound dissection of how German ethnological thought shaped the understanding of alterity within Lowland South America.Petschelies argues that German ethnology was not a byproduct of late-stage colonialism but a maturation of Enlightenment and Romantic philosophies, specifically rooted in the Humboldtian premise of 'recognizing unity within multiplicity'.Influenced by Leibniz's linguistic-historical programme, this tradition prioritized language and material culture over biological reductionism or craniometry, seeking to comprehend the universal dimensions of the human psyche rather than proving racial inferiority.A significant milestone in this lineage is Johann Gottfried von Herder, whose concept of the Volk allowed for the valuation of non-European cultures on their own merits, viewing Indigenous peoples as unique, contemporary manifestations of creativity rather than 'living fossils'.This perspective was later solidified by the Humboldt brothers, who provided the empirical rigor and linguistic tools necessary to classify Brazil's Indigenous groups through a critical nexus between culture and environment.