マリノウスキー論

Abstract

As the theory of B. Malinowski (1884-1942) has been discussed widely in the academic circle of Japan, it is fairly well understood. Its method of field work also has been introduced and is put into practice. Even today, however, after ten years have passed since his death, the foundation of his theories is not yet analysed in Japan to the full. Therefore this paper tries to examine critically the significance of his theories in the history of science and the central point of the various problems in his theory of culture. First historical evolutionism and the Kulturkreis theory are analysed, and the author sees as highly important the method of the latter. But in the latter the relationship between cultural itemes in a cultural realm is only of co-existence and not seen in their connection in a chain. The author, in this point, recognises the excellency of observation of Malinowski, who has developed cultural anthropology as an analytical science, and the significance of his theory in the history of science. Then the author treats of the scope of his cultural or social anthropology and points out that he was a reformer in social science, but not a radical one. The author, then, tries to analize and criticize fully the theories of the integrated whole of culture, the correlation and concatenation in the whole, and the scientific treatment of the concept of integration. In connection with these problems, the author, treating of the concept of function and the problem of the biological basis of custom, in comparison with the theory of R. Radcliffe-Brown, recognises that Malinowski's theory of need is excellent for fundamental understanding of culture. However the author points out that he has no interest in the form of culture, the history and the geography of the world. In the last part, the author discusses the theory of Malinowski, in which culture means education, introducing its viewpoint for psychoanalysis. In a word, the paper analyses the fundamental standpoint of Malinowski's theory, without giving much attention to his topical auguments.