the foundations of personality-第5部分

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of　the　environment　upon　mind；　character　and　personality。

CHAPTER　II。　THE　ENVIRONMENTAL　BASIS　OF　CHARACTER　From　the　time　any　one　of　us　is　born　into　the　world　he　is　subject　to　the　influences　of　forces　that　reach　backwards　to　the　earliest　days　of　the　race。　The　〃dead　hand〃　rules；yes；　and　the　dead　thought；　belief　and　custom　continue　to　shape　the　lives　and　character　of　the　living。　The　invention　and　development　of　speech　and　writing　have　brought　into　every　man's　career　the　mental　life　and　character　of　all　his　own　ancestors　and　the　ancestors　of　every　other　man。　A　child　is　not　born　merely　to　a　father　and　a　mother。　He　is　born　to　a　group；　fiercely　and　definitely　prejudiced　in　custom；　belief　and　ideal；　with　ways　of　doing；　feeling　and　thinking　which　it　seeks　to　impose　on　each　of　its　new　members。　Family；　tribe；　race　and　nation　all　demand　of　each　accession　that　he　accept　their　ideals；　habits　and　beliefs　on　peril　of　disapproval　and　even　of　punishment。　And　man　is　so　constituted　that　the　approval　and　disapproval　of　his　group　mean　more　to　him　even　than　his　life。　The　social　setting　into　which　each　one　is　born　is　his　social　heredity。　〃The　heredity　with　which　civilization　is　most　supremely　concerned；〃　says　Sir　Edwin　Ray　Lankester；　〃is　not　that　which　is　inborn　in　the　individual。　It　is　the　SOCIAL　inheritance　which　constitutes　the　dominant　factor　in　human　progress。〃＇1＇　It　is　this　social　inheritance　which　shapes　our　characters；　rough…hewn　by　nature。　It　is　by　the　light　of　each　person's　social　inheritance　that　we　must　also　judge　his　character。　＇1＇　The　Eugenists　fiercely　contest　this　statement；　and　rightly；　for　it　is　extreme。　Society　is　threatened　at　its　roots　by　the　present　high　birth　rate　of　the　low　grade　and　the　low　birth　rate　of　the　high　grade。　Environment；　culture；　can　do　much；　but　they　cannot　make　a　silk　purse　out　of　a　sow's　ear。　Neither　can　heredity　make　a　silk　purse　out　of　silk；　without　culture　and　the　environmental　influences；　without　social　heredity；　the　silk　remains　crude　and　with　no　special　value。　The　aims　of　a　rational　society；　which　we　are　born　a　thousand　years　too　soon　to　see　would　be　twofold：　to　control　marriage　and　birth　so　that　the　number　of　the　unfit　would　be　kept　as　low　as　possible；　and　then　to　bring　fostering　influences　to　bear　on　the　fit。

〃Education；〃　says　Oliver　Wendell　Holmes；　〃is　only　second　to　nature。　Imagine　all　the　infants　born　this　year　in　Boston　and　Timbuctoo　to　change　places！〃　And　education　is　merely　social　inheritance　organized　by　parents　and　teachers　for　the　sake　of　molding　the　scholar　into　usefulness　and　conformity　to　the　group　into　which　he　is　born。　There　may　be　in　each　individual　an　innate　capacity　for　this　ability　or　that；　for　expressing　and　controlling　this　or　that　emotion；　for　developing　this　or　that　purpose。　Which　ability　will　be　developed；　which　emotion　or　purpose　will　be　expressed；　is　a　matter　of　the　age　in　which　a　man　is　born；　the　country　in　which　he　lives；　the　family　which　claims　him　as　its　own。　In　a　warrior　age　the　fighting　spirit　chooses　war　as　its　vocation　and　develops　a　warlike　character；　in　a　peaceful　time　that　same　fighting　spirit　may　seek　to　bring　about　such　reforms　as　will　do　away　with　war。＇1＇　When　the　world　said　that　a　man　might　and　really　ought　now　and　then　to　beat　his　wife　and　rule　her　by　force；　the　really　conformable　man　did　so；　while　his　descendant；　living　in　a　time　and　country　where　woman　is　the　domestic　〃boss；〃　submits；　humorously　and　otherwise；　to　a　good…natured　henpecking。　And　in　the　times　where　a　woman　had　no　vocation　but　that　of　housewife；　the　wife　of　larger　ability　merely　became　a　discontented；　futile　woman；　whereas　in　an　age　which　opens　up　politics　to　her；　the　same　type　of　person　expands　into　a　vigorous；　dominating　political　leader。　Though　the　force　of　the　water　remain　the　same；　the　nature　of　the　land　determines　whether　the　water　shall　collect　as　a　river；　carrying　the　produce　of　the　land　to　the　sea；　or　as　a　stagnant　lake　in　which　idlers　fish。　Time；　social　circumstances；　education　and　a　thousand　and　one　factors　determine　whether　one　shall　be　a　〃Village　Hampden；〃　quarreling　in　a　petty　way　with　a　petty　autocrat　over　some　petty　thing；　or　a　national　Hampden；　whose　defiance　of　a　tyrannical　king　stirs　a　nation　into　revolt。　＇1＇　Indeed；　a　reformer　is　to…day　called　a　crusader；　though　the　knight　of　the　twelfth　century　armed　cap…a…pie　for　a　joust　with　the　Saracen　would　hardly　recognize　as　his　spiritual　descendant　a　sedentary　person　preaching　against　rum。　Yet　to　the　student　of　character　there　is　nothing　anomalous　in　the　transformation。

How　conceptions　of　right　and　wrong；　of　proper　and　improper　conduct；　ideals　and　thoughts　arise；　it　is　not　my　function　to　treat　in　detail。　That　intelligence　primarily　uses　the　method　of　trial　and　error　to　learn　is　as　true　of　groups　as　of　individuals；　and　established　methods　of　doing　thingscustomsare　often　enough　temporary　conclusions；　though　they　last　a　thousand　years。　The　feeling　that　such　group　customs　are　right　and　that　to　depart　from　them　is　wrong；　is　perhaps　based　on　a　specific　instinct；　the　moral　instinct；　but　much　more　likely；　in　my　opinion；　is　it　obedience　to　leadership；　fear　of　social　disapproval　and　punishment；　conscience；　imitation；　suggestibility　and　sympathy；　all　of　which　are　parts　of　that　social　cement　substance；　the　social　instinct。　No　child　ever　learns　〃what　is　right　and　wrong〃　except　through　teaching；　but　no　child　would　ever　conform；　except　through　gross　fear；　unless　he　found　himself　urged　by　deep…seated　instincts　to　be　in　conformity；　in　harmony　and　in　sympathy　with　his　group；to　be　one　with　that　group。　Perhaps　it　is　true；　as　Bergson　suggests；　as　Galton＇1＇　hints　and　as　Samuel　Butler　boldly　states；　that　there　are　no　real　individuals　in　life　but　we　are　merely　different　aspects　of　reality　or；　to　phrase　it　materialistically；　corpuscles　in　the　blood　stream　of　an　organism　too　vast　and　complicated　to　be　encompassed　by　our　imagination。　Just　as　a　white　blood　cell　obeys　laws　of　which　it　can　have　no　conception；　fulfills　purposes　whose　meaning　transcends　its　own　welfare；　so　we；　with　all　our　self…consciousness　and　all　the　paraphernalia　of　individuality；　are　perhaps　parts　of　a　life　we　cannot　understand。　＇1＇　For　example；　read　what　the　hard…headed　Galton　says　（〃Hereditary　Genius；〃　p。　376）：　〃There　is　decidedly　a　solidarity　as　well　as　a　separateness　in　all　human　and　probably　in　all　lives　whatsoever；　and　this　consideration　goes　far；　I　think；　to　establish　an　opinion　that　the　constitution　of　the　living　universe　is　a　pure　theism　and　that　its　form　of　activity　is　what　may　he　described　as　cooperative。　It　points　to　the　conclusion　that　all　life　is　single　in　its　essence；　but　various；　ever…varying　and　interactive　in　its　manifestations；　and　that　men　and　all　other　living　animals　are　active　workers　and　sharers　in　a　vastly　more　extended　system　of　cosmic　action　than　any　of　ourselves；　much　less　of　them；　can　possibly　comprehend。　It　also　suggests　that　they　may　contribute；　more　or　less　unconsciously；　to　the　manifestation　of　a　far　higher　life　than　our　own；　somewhat　as　。　。　。　the　individual　cells　of　one　of　the　more　complex　animals　contribute　to　the　manifestations　of　its　higher　order　of　personality。〃　Perhaps　such　a　unity　is　the　basis　of　instinct；　of　knowledge　without　teaching；　of　desire　and　wish　that　has　not　the　individual　welfare　as　its　basis。　No　man　can　reject　such　phenomena　as　telepathy　or　thought　transference　merely　because　he　cannot　understand　them　on　a　basis　of　strict　human　individuality。　To　reject　because　one　cannot　understand　is　the　arrogance　of　the　〃clerico…academic〃　type　of　William　James。

No　one　can　read　the　stories　of　travelers　or　the　writings　of　anthropologists　without　concluding　that　codes　of　belief　and　action　arise　out　of　the　efforts　of　groups　to　understand　and　to　influence　nature　and　that　out　of　this　practical　effort　AND　seeking　of　a　harmonious　reality　arises　morality。　〃Man　seeks　the　truth；　a　world　that　does　not　contradict　itself；　that　does　not　deceive；　that　does　not　change；　a　real　world；a　world　in　which　there　is　no　suffering。　Contradiction；　deception　and　variability　are　the　causes　of　suffering。　He　does　not　doubt　there　is　such　a　thing　as；　a　world　as　it　might　be；　and　he　would　fain　find　a　road　to　it。〃＇1＇　But　alas；　intelligence　and　knowledge　both　are　imperfect；　and　one　group　seeking　a　truth　that　will　bring　them　good　crops；　fine　families；　victory　over　enemies；　riches；　power　and　fellowship；　as　well　as　a　harmonious　universe；　finds　it　in　idol　worship　and　polygamy；　another　group　seeking　the　same　truth　finds　it　in　Christianity　and　monogamy。　And　the　members　of　some　groups　are　born　to　ideals；　customs　and　habits　that　make　it　right　for　a　member　to　sing　obscene　songs　and　to　be　obscene　at　certain　periods；　to　kill　and　destroy　the　enemy；　to　sacrifice　the　unbeliever；　to　worship　a　clay　image；　to　have　as　many　wives　as　possible；　and　that　make　it　WRONG　to　do　otherwise。　Indeed；　he　who　wishes　a　child　to　believe　absolutely　in　a　code　of　morals　would　better　postpone　teaching　him　the　customs　and　beliefs　of　other　people　until　habit　has　made　him　adamant　to　new　ideas。　＇1＇　Nietzsche。

It　is　with　pleasure　that　I　turn　the　attention　of　the　reader　to　the　work　of　Frazier　in　the　growth　of　human　belief；　custom　and　institutions　that　he　has　incorporated　into　the　stupendous　series　of　books　called　〃The　Golden　Bough。〃　The　things　that　influence　us　most　in　our　lives　are　heritages；　not　much　changed；　from　the　beliefs　of　primitive　societies。　Believing　that　the　forces　of　the　world　were　animate；　like　himself；　and　that　they　might　be　moved；　persuaded；　cajoled　and　frightened　into　favorable　action；　undeveloped　man　based　most　of　his　customs　on　efforts　to　obtain　some　desired　result　from　the　gods。　Out　of　these　customs　grew　the　majority　of　our　institutions；　out　of　these　queer　beliefs　and　superstitions；　out　of　witchcraft；　sympathetic　magic；　the　〃Old　Man〃　idea；　the　primitive　reaction　to　sleep；　epilepsy　and　death　grew　medicine；　science；　religion；　festivals；　the　kingship；　the　idea　of　soul　and　most　of　the　other　governing　and　directing　ideas　of　our　lives。　It　is　true　that　the　noble　beliefs　and　sciences　also　grew　from　these　rude　seeds；　but　with　them　and　permeating　our　social　structure　are　crops　of　atrophied　ideas；　hampering　customs；　cramping　ideals。　Further；　in　every　race　in　every　country；　in　every　family；　there　are　somewhat　different　assortments　of　the