SOURCE: "The Life and Work of Edward Westermarck," in Acta Philosophica Fennica, Vol. 34, 1982, pp. 1-22.

In the following excerpt, originally published in 1940, Ginsberg presents an overview of Westermarck's life and work.

Edward Westermarck was born in Helsinki on 20 November 1862. His father was the University Bursar, Nils Christian Westermarck, whose family moved to Finland from Sweden during the first half of the eighteenth century. By temperament reserved and outwardly cold, he yet evidently took a warm interest in his son's scientific aspirations and gave him complete freedom in the choice of his career. His mother was the daughter of Alexander Blomqvist, professor of the History of Learning and University Librarian. In contrast to his father, she had a sunny disposition which Westermarck in a great measure inherited. His memory of her was clearly dominated by a feeling of infinite devotion and affection. As a child Westermarck suffered from chronic...