Leslie White
American anthropologist who theorized cultural evolution driven by energy capture and technology.
Most quoted
"Culture is an organization of phenomena—acts (patterns of behavior), objects (tools; things made with tools), ideas (beliefs, knowledge), and sentiments (attitudes, values)—that is dependent upon the use of symbols."
— from The Science of Culture, 1949
"Culture evolves as the amount of energy harnessed per capita per year increases, or as the efficiency of the instrumental means of putting the energy to work increases."
— from The Science of Culture, 1949
"Energy, whether in the form of solar radiation or fossil fuels, is the key to cultural development."
— from Energy and the Evolution of Culture, 1943
All quotes by Leslie White (103)
The steam engine revolutionized society more than any king or priest.
In the final analysis, culture is a mechanism for the exploitation of energy.
Progress in culture is measured by the amount of energy captured per capita.
Language is the tool of thought and the builder of culture.
The savage is not inferior; his culture is simply less energetic.
Anthropologists must reject mysticism and embrace materialism.
Culture is not a product of race or geography, but of human invention.
The atomic bomb is the ultimate symbol of cultural power.
Evolution is not linear but a progression in energy utilization.
Man creates gods in his image, but technology shapes his destiny.
The future of humanity lies in the mastery of atomic energy.
Boasian particularism has held anthropology back from scientific status.
Culture grows as a plant grows, from seed to flower, driven by energy.
The wheel was a greater invention than the alphabet.
In letters to friends, I often mused that life without science is mere superstition.
My work in anthropology taught me that meaning comes from understanding systems, not individuals.
Humor in academia? Watching functionalists explain everything away as 'adaptation'—it's comical!
The greatest comeback to critics: Let the data on energy flows speak for themselves.
Reflecting on life, I see culture as the canvas of human potential.
Politics in anthropology? It's all about power structures masked as kinship.
Contemporaries of Leslie White
Other Anthropologys born within 50 years of Leslie White (1900–1975).