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
Thus the primitive human, or prehuman mind, was active in many
new directions; and depending for its skill, not upon instinct or
imitation, but upon observation and memory and inference, it was
necessary for it to arrange ideas in a definite order before acting
upon them, as in making weapons or planning a hunt; indefiniteness
or confusion in such matters was fatal. The contrast between growing
memory of the past and present experience, between practical ideas and
the actions realising them that had been suspended until the right
moment came, furthered the differentiation of self-consciousness amidst
the world; the contrasts of co-operation and greed, of emulation
and loyalty and submission, of honour and shame, furthered the
differentiation of self-consciousness amidst the tribe.
* * * * *
If it be asked—how much of all this development attributed to the
hunting-pack might have been brought about just as well by the
formation of a defensive herd, such as we see in cattle and horses?—a
definite answer can be given. The herd is, of course, marked by (2)
gregariousness, (3) perceptive and contagious sympathy and sometimes
effective sympathy in common defence, (7) recognition of leaders (all
herds that travel have leaders), (8) emulation, (9) precedence; but not
by (1) interest in the chase and in killing, nor (4) aggressiveness,
nor (10) strategy and perseverance in attack, nor (11) greed; and
herd-life affords no conditions for the development of intelligence
and dexterity, nor for any of the physical characters that distinguish
man. Herd-life does not involve the great and decisive change which
is implied in the evolution of human nature. We must conceive, then,
of the primitive human mind as a sort of chimpanzee mind adapted to
the wolfish conditions of the hunting-pack. Wolves themselves have
undergone no great development, compared (say) with cats, for want of
hands and other physical advantages which we had to begin with. If some
species of baboon had taken to the hunting-life, there might have been
very interesting results.
§ 5. THE WOLF-TYPE OF MAN ESTABLISHED BY NATURAL SELECTION
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