While today the comparative method refers to the testing of hypotheses against a range of human societies, in the 19th century the comparative method:
A) tested hypotheses only within the same types of societies; in other words, only egalitarian hunter-gatherers of arctic environments, or only stratified desert agriculturalists would be examined.
B) was a political tool used to argue against the racist idea that some living peoples had made it further up the evolutionary ladder of progress than others.
C) translated cultural diversity into an evolutionary sequence in which different living peoples represented different stages in humanity's march towards progress.
D) referred to the same thing; there has been little change in how the comparative method is used since the 19th century.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

In the 19th century, the comparative method was used to organize cultural diversity into an evolutionary framework, where different societies were seen as representing various stages of human progress. This approach was based on the assumption that all societies progress through the same stages, but at different rates.

While Today the Comparative Method Refers to the Testing of Hypotheses