Which anthropological perspective posits that societies evolve through three stages: savagery, barbarism, and civilization?

The perspective that posits societies evolve through three distinct stages—savagery, barbarism, and civilization—is known as unilineal evolution. This theory was developed in the 19th century by anthropologists such as Lewis Henry Morgan and Edward Burnett Tylor, who believed that all societies progress along a single developmental path.

Unilineal evolutionists argued that cultures could be categorized based on technological advancement and social organization, suggesting a linear trajectory of development much like a ladder where societies ascend from simpler to more complex forms. This framework has been foundational in early anthropological thought, influencing how anthropologists considered the progression of human societies.

In contrast, other perspectives like holism emphasize understanding cultures in their entirety rather than reducing them to evolutionary stages. Historical particularism focuses on the unique historical development of each culture, rejecting broad generalizations about cultural progress. Cultural materialism examines how material conditions and economic factors shape cultures, diverging from a focus on evolutionary stages. Each of these alternative perspectives offers a different lens through which to view cultural development, but it is unilineal evolution that specifically addresses the idea of progressing through the stages of savagery, barbarism, and civilization.