The Origin of Man and of His SuperstitionsRead, Carveth
Philosophy
The Origin of Man and of His Superstitions
Read, Carveth
Animism; Human beings -- Origin; Magic; Superstition; Totemism
(1) The anthropoids are never found out of the tropical forests of
Africa and Malaya (including Borneo and Sumatra). They feed chiefly on
the fruits and other highly nutritious vegetable products that, all
the year round, are only there obtainable. Although often coming to
the ground, especially the chimpanzee and gorilla, they are adapted
to living in the trees: that is their home. In contrast with their
habits, Man is at home on the ground, with unlimited range over the
whole planet from beyond the Arctic Circle to Tasmania and Tierra
del Fuego; because on the ground (chiefly) he everywhere finds his
food in the other animals whom he hunts and slays. This, then, is the
condition of his emancipation from the tropical forest. It is, indeed,
conceivable that a frugivorous animal, originally of the forest, should
obtain a wider range by taking to a coarser diet of roots and herbage,
such as suffices the Ungulates, browsing or grazing or digging with
their snouts; but this would not have led to the upright gait, or the
big brain, or any of the marks that distinguish Man. Not advance but
retrogression must have followed such a change.
(2) That the earliest men of whose condition of life we have any
knowledge were hunters agrees with the hypothesis. Any other view
of Man’s origin must explain how and when he became a hunter. There
seems to be no reason to put the change of habits (which certainly
occurred at some time) anywhere nearer than the beginning of our
differentiation. The further we put it back the better it explains
other modifications.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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