Anthropology Thinkers Definitions

Anthropology (n.) is ⁠​‌​​​‌​​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​⁠an empirical and practical account of the powers of the human mind in general and the vocation of the human race.

Anthropology (n.) is ⁠​‌​​​‌​​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​⁠completely empirical. As such, it is not 'philosophical anthropology' since philosophy is an entirely rational and non-empirical enterprise.

Anthropology (n.) is ⁠​‌​​​‌​​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​⁠concerned with a pragmatic knowledge of the world rather than a scholastic knowledge of the world. While scholastic knowledge concerns being acquainted with the world as a spectator (die weltkennen), a truly pragmatic knowledge of human nature involves 'having a world' as a participant (welthaben).

Anthropology (n.) is ⁠​‌​​​‌​​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​⁠not a study of other cultures in the sense of comparative ethnography, rather it draws on such varied sources as plays, poetry, history, novels, physiology, and yes, it also makes use of travel accounts of distant regions.

Anthropology (n.) is ⁠​‌​​​‌​​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​⁠pragmatic (in contrast to the technical and the moral) and it aligns with prudence, which is a knowledge that furthers our happiness or well-being, especially through the use we make of other people.

Anthropology (n.) is ⁠​‌​​​‌​​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​⁠the doctrine of systematically formulated knowledge of the human being. It is a study that involves both physiological and pragmatic aspects.