Author : Anthropological Society Of London
Release : 2017-05-27
Genre : Social Science
Kind : eBook
Book Rating : 005/5 ( reviews)

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Book Synopsis The Anthropological Review, Vol. 3 by : Anthropological Society Of London

Download or read book The Anthropological Review, Vol. 3 written by Anthropological Society Of London. This book was released on 2017-05-27. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Excerpt from The Anthropological Review, Vol. 3: 1865-1868 Even with this extension, however, the intellectual outlook of the scholar is still solely and essentially Caucasian. Of other modes and phases of mental existence, he was and is practically ignorant. Of the vast and venerable Mongolic civilisation Of China and Japan, or the American culture of Peru and Mexico, he knows nothing, but that they differ in degree from the more effectually developed civilisa tion of Greece and Rome, of France and Britain. That they are fundamentally different in kind is a truth which has yet to dawn upon him. That they originate in alien elements and rest on another ethnic basis, and tend in their process of internal growth and unfolding to divergence from, rather than assimilation to, the forms of culture appropriate to a Caucasian area, is a discovery, which, however well known to men of science, is yet but very imperfectly appreciated by men Of letters. In a sense, it has not yet found its way into books. It is a truth still on the outside of the literary arena. The origin of these literary prejudices is not far to seek. It arises, from the fact that the culture of the scholar is still mainly, and we may say essentially, dogmatic, not scientific. He is accustomed to accept assertions rather than seek for proofs, and prefers abiding by the law and the testimony to entering on a course of inquiry which may unsettle his established habits of thought, and land him in a region where his old masters would no longer serve as guides for his pilgrimage. He is still, in short, what he was originally, a man Of authority and tradition, whose proofs must be written, and whose facts lie on his shelves. In saying this, do not let it be supposed that we undervalue scholarship, even as an instrument for progression. Of its invaluable labours in the sphere of criticism and exegesis it is impossible to speak too highly. Here it has done its work most nobly, and we were worse than ingrates did we fail to acknowledge our indebtedness to it in this department of inquiry. But it is still very imperfectly posted up in facts, and, what is of far more import ance, very inadequately impressed with their value. About the Publisher Forgotten Books publishes hundreds of thousands of rare and classic books. Find more at www.forgottenbooks.com This book is a reproduction of an important historical work. Forgotten Books uses state-of-the-art technology to digitally reconstruct the work, preserving the original format whilst repairing imperfections present in the aged copy. In rare cases, an imperfection in the original, such as a blemish or missing page, may be replicated in our edition. We do, however, repair the vast majority of imperfections successfully; any imperfections that remain are intentionally left to preserve the state of such historical works.