Chapters in this book

1. Frontmatter i
2. Contents vii
3. 1. Two questions 1
4. 2. The Trobriand Islands 5
5. 3. Matters of meaning 7
6. 4. Universality affirmed 10
7. 5. The dangers of inbreeding 11
8. 6. A tempting solution 14
9. 7. Group harmony theory 18
10. 8. Group alliance theory 20
11. 9. The !Kung on cognition 23
12. 10. Incest and intuition 24
13. 11. From nature to culture 25
14. 12. Marx is missing 27
15. 13. The Westermarck hypothesis 28
16. 14. Frazer and Freud 30
17. 15. Three natural experiments 34
18. 16. Darwin’s method 39
19. 17. Seven predictions 40
20. 18. The evidence from the Islamic World 42
21. 19. The evidence from Israel 45
22. 20. The evidence from Taiwan 48
23. 21. Six objections 52
24. 22. A seventh objection 57
25. 23. Monkeys and apes 60
26. 24. Sexual indifference 65
27. 25. The second question 66
28. 26. Murdock’s other conclusions 69
29. 27. Starting over 70
30. 28. The meaning of “taboo” 72
31. 29. Unnatural acts 75
32. 30. Native testimony 77
33. 31. Incest and witchcraft 81
34. 32. Incest and cannibalism 85
35. 33. Incest pollution 91
36. 34. Automatic retribution 94
37. 35. Supernatural retribution 96
38. 36. Communal retribution 99
39. 37. State retribution 103
40. 38. A collective calamity 106
41. 39. Incest impossible 109
42. 40. The power of awe 111
43. 41. Incestuous origins 115
44. 42. Taboos as consensus 116
45. 43. Taboos as norms 118
46. 44. An emotional animal 120
47. 45. Degrees of incest 124
48. 46. Beyond the family 131
49. 47. The argument in review 133
50. 48. A backward glance 135
51. Statistical Appendix 139
52. Notes 149