Final answer:
Alfred Kroeber believed that inventions are a result of their cultural context and not just the work of geniuses, often leading inventors to gain less profit than expected due to the complexities of societal receptivity and simultaneous multiple discoveries.
Step-by-step explanation:
Anthropologist Alfred Kroeber held a view on inventions and genius that diverged from the idea that individual geniuses were solely responsible for major inventions. Instead, he believed that the cultural and societal context, as well as collective human knowledge, played a significant role in the development of inventions. He asserted that many inventors might not gain substantial profit from their inventions owing to the complexities of societal receptivity, the readiness of culture to adopt the inventions, and sometimes the mere synchronicity of multiple discoveries. This perspective aligns with broader anthropological views that emphasize the social and cultural underpinnings of technological and intellectual advancements, rather than attributing progress to the isolated work of individual inventors.