Shazhinbatyn, A. Wilhelm Humboldt about Comparative Anthropology

Abstract: The article is devoted to the draft of comparative anthropology proposed by a German scientist Wilhelm Humboldt over two hundred years ago. Humboldt viewed comparative anthropology as a new science. Based on him, comparative anthropology was aimed at studying individual personalities. However, unlike physiological anthropology, comparative anthropology focuses not on differences but on the relation between certain peculiarities and the general ideal of personality. Drawing a line between science and humanology which studies human in general (or especially interesting individuals), Humboldt included ‘community personalities’ into the sphere of his study. Basically, Humboldt talked about ethnicity.

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