Final answer:
Edward Tylor, a British anthropologist, argued that animism was the first form of religion to appear in the evolution of culture. Tylor believed animism emerged from basic human experiences such as dreaming, leading to beliefs in supernatural aspects of the world that went on to evolve into more sophisticated religious systems.
Step-by-step explanation:
The first religion to appear in the "evolution" of culture, as perceived by Edward Tylor, was animism.
Edward Tylor, a British anthropologist, theorized that human cultures evolved from simple to more complex systems. He postulated that the most basic form of religion, which likely developed early in human culture, was animism. Tylor's interpretation of animism identified it as a belief system where plants, animals, inanimate objects, and natural phenomena are imbued with a spiritual or supernatural essence. According to Tylor, this form of religion stemmed from fundamental human experiences such as dreaming, which could lead people to believe in a world beyond the physical and observable one. His views on cultural evolution suggested that animist religions eventually evolved into more complex forms of religious belief, involving gods or a God.