Westermarck and Malinowski: Friendship and competition during an intellectual paradigm shift

This article highlights the personal and intellectual relationship between Bronisław Malinowski and Edvard Westermarck. In the interwar period, social anthropology went through a paradigm shift from evolutionism to functionalism. Malinowski put himself forward as a reformer, in contrast with Westermarck's more conservative and conciliatory approach. On the other hand, Malinowski always deferred to Westermarck and described himself as his disciple. Westermarck was Malinowski's teacher, his friend, and later his colleague at the London School of Economics. Our study of their personal and intellectual exchanges questions the traditional perception of a sudden intellectual revolution in social anthropology. The paradigm shift was essentially a change of perspective: a refocusing away from cross-cultural comparisons and towards intensive local studies. Westermarck, as a pioneer of fieldwork, contributed substantially to that development. His notion of social origins was close to Malinowski's notion of function. Thanks to their friendship and constant exchange of ideas, Westermarck became the bridge that connected evolutionism to Malinowski's brand of functionalism. Our chief primary source is their correspondence, with additional material by Westermarck's Finnish contacts.