Final answer:
In anthropology, evolutionary theory posits that cultures evolve from 'savagery' to 'barbarism' and ultimately to 'civilization,' a concept proposed by anthropologists like Edward Tylor and Lewis Henry Morgan, but later criticized for its unilineal perspective.
Step-by-step explanation:
The evolutionary theory in anthropology, specifically cultural evolutionism, states that civilizations evolve from simpler to more complex societal structures. Prominent anthropologists like Edward Tylor and Lewis Henry Morgan proposed that cultures evolve through three main stages: 'savagery', 'barbarism', and finally 'civilization'. Tylor suggested that this progression was marked by the improvement in methods of subsistence from gathering and hunting to domestication of plants and animals, and eventually to more advanced forms of farming, trade, and the development of writing systems. Morgan focused more on technological advancements as the driver of societal evolution.
However, such theories faced criticism from other anthropologists like Franz Boas who contended that there is no single path of cultural evolution, but rather that each culture evolves according to its unique historical trajectory and in interaction with other cultures. The unilineal cultural evolution theories have been largely abandoned in contemporary anthropology. Still, the understanding of how societies advance in terms of technology, social organization, and culture continues to be a topic of study. During the Enlightenment period, Western European societies that showcased principles such as anthropocentrism, rationalism, and scientism, and that benefited from the Industrial Revolution, were seen as emblems of civilization, as opposed to traditional, religious, or superstitious societies that were characterized as savage.