The old notion that the savage is the freest of mankind is … - James George Frazer

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The old notion that the savage is the freest of mankind is the reverse of the truth. He is a slave, not indeed to a visible master, but to the past, to the spirits of his dead forefathers, who haunt his steps from birth to death, and rule him with a rod of iron.

James George Frazer

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About James George Frazer

Sir James George Frazer (January 1, 1854 – May 7, 1941) was a Scottish social anthropologist influential in the early stages of the modern studies of mythology and comparative religion. He is often considered one of the founding fathers of modern anthropology.

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Native Name: Sir James George Frazer

Alternative Names: J. G. Frazer • James Frazer • J.G. Frazer

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Originators like James George Frazer:

Francis Bacon David Hume Thomas Henry Huxley Thomas Paine Thomas Carlyle

Additional quotes by James George Frazer

By religion, then, I understand a propitiation or conciliation of powers superior to man which are believed to direct and control the course of nature and of human life.

The scapegoat upon whom the sins of the people are periodically laid, may also be a human being.

If their king is their god, he is or should be also their preserver; and if he will not preserve them, he must make room for another who will.

The old notion that the savage is the freest of mankind is the reverse of the truth. He is a slave, not indeed to a visible master, but to the past, … - James George Frazer

About James George Frazer

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Additional quotes by James George Frazer