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Purity and Danger (Routledge Classics)
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Is cleanliness next to godliness? What does such a concept really mean? Why does it recur as a universal theme across all societies? And what are the implications for the unclean?
In Purity and Danger Mary Douglas identifies the concern for purity as a key theme at the heart of every society. In lively and lucid prose she explains its relevance for every reader by revealing its wide-ranging impact on our attitudes to society, values, cosmology and knowledge. This book has been hugely influential in many areas of debate – from religion to social theory. With a specially commissioned preface by the author which assesses the continuing significance of the work, this Routledge Classics edition will ensure that Purity and Danger continues to challenge, question and inspire for many years to come.
- ISBN-100415289955
- ISBN-13978-0415289955
- Publication dateSeptember 12, 2002
- LanguageEnglish
- Dimensions5.08 x 0.62 x 7.8 inches
- Print length272 pages
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"Professor Douglas writes gracefully, lucidly and polemically. She continually makes points which illuminate matters in the philosophy of religion and the philosophy of science and help to show the rest of us just why and how anthropology has become a fundamentally intellectual discipline." - New Society
"Professor Douglas' book sparkles with intellectual life and is characterised by a concern to understand. Right or wrong, sound or idiosyncratic, it presents a rare and exciting spectacle of a mind at work." - Times Literary Supplement
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- Publisher : Routledge (September 12, 2002)
- Language : English
- Paperback : 272 pages
- ISBN-10 : 0415289955
- ISBN-13 : 978-0415289955
- Lexile measure : 1230L
- Item Weight : 10.4 ounces
- Dimensions : 5.08 x 0.62 x 7.8 inches
- Best Sellers Rank: #149,894 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- #77 in Customs & Traditions Social Sciences
- #118 in General Anthropology
- #367 in Cultural Anthropology (Books)
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Having said that, it can be difficult to read at times, but is immensely interesting and at the least will open your eyes to new ways of considering the world around you. Things which seem natural to us might be determined by hidden cultural constructions which define who we are. The book provides cases from cultures around the world- West Africa, South America, India, Judea- whose diverse practices help underscore certain universal truths about what it means to be human.
This book is a good introduction to anthropological religion research, and is insightful on topics of the taboo and impure. A must read for those with interests in these areas.







