Unilineal evolution

obsolete anthropological theory that Western European-American culture is the pinnacle of social evolution in a single line from the most primitive to most civilized

Unilineal evolution, also called classical social evolution, was a 19th-century social theory about the evolution of societies and cultures.

There were different theories by various sociologists and anthropologists. However, they all believed that Western culture is the peak of social evolution. Social status is seen as a single line that goes from most primitive to most civilized. This theory is now generally considered obsolete in universities.