Misanthropology: Science, Pseudoscience, and the Study of Humanity

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Misanthropology: Science, Pseudoscience, and the Study of Humanity introduces students to key concepts in critical thinking across the four core branches of anthropology: cultural, linguistic, biological, and archaeological. It combines a critical analysis of anthropology as a field with current concepts in scientific skepticism. By deconstructing a range of global case studies in which anthropological research runs aground, the book teaches students to distinguish between legitimate science and pseudoscience. It covers key concepts in critical thinking and rigorous research, such as cognitive biases and logical fallacies, data collection and consensus, probabilistic thinking, as well as political, nationalist, racist biases. Students learn not only how to apply these concepts to anthropological research and fieldwork, but also to their consumption of everyday information. This book will appeal to anthropology students and will be particularly useful for instructors of introductory anthropology courses, as well as instructors of courses across the humanities and social sciences focused on inculcating critical thinking skills.

Author(s): Sean M. Rafferty
Publisher: Routledge
Year: 2022

Language: English
Pages: 194
City: New York

Cover
Half Title
Title Page
Copyright Page
Dedication
Table of Contents
Figures
1 Bias and Fallacy in Anthropology and Beyond
The Demarcation Problem in Anthropology
Goals of this Book
Key Concepts in Skepticism
Cognitive Biases
Logical Fallacies
The Effect of Culture
Conclusions
2 Cultural Anthropology and the Invented Primitive
Lost Tribe Narratives and the Tasaday
3 Ethnology Vs. Pseudoethnology
Napoleon Chagnon and the Yanomami
Carlos Castaneda and the Myth of Don Juan
Bad Anthropology, Pseudo-Anthropology, Hoax Anthropology
4 Apes and Sign Language: Another “Clever Hans”?
5 Pseudolinguistics
The “Sun Language” and the Founding of Modern Turkey
Theories of African Presence in Meso-America
Norse Runes in North America
6 Biological Anthropology and Pseudoscience: The Aquatic Ape Hypothesis
7 Pseudoarchaeology and Ancient Aliens
8 Archaeology as the Handmaiden of Ideology
Kossinna and Nationalist Archaeology in Germany
Nationalist Archaeology in Bosnia
Nationalist Archaeology in Israel
Racist Archaeology and Colonialism in Africa
9 Science, Pseudoscience, and Anthropology
References
Index