560 TEE POPULAR SCIENCE MONTHLY 



the arrival of voluntary imitation marks the beginning of continuity in 

 human history. Thereafter custom and tradition were possible. 



The effect on surplus of the arrival of voluntary imitation is, how- 

 ever, the subject to which the preceding discussion has been merely a 

 preliminary. For the effect on surplus was sufficient to free man to a 

 considerable extent from the domination of purely biological processes 

 and to make progress thereafter, as Professor Ward is continually 

 reminding us, essentially a psychological process. The capital fact is 

 this : whenever, after voluntary imitation appeared, a new discovery or 

 invention was made, that discovery or invention rapidly became the 

 property of the entire group. To whatever extent the relative amount 

 of energy expended for survival was lessened for one individual it was 

 lessened for all. Whatever addition was made to the surplus energy of 

 the discoverer was likewise made to the surplus of all members of the 

 group. Thus the inventors of bow and arrow, of canoe and hoe, im- 

 measurably increased the surplus of society at large. So, from this 

 time forth society increased its wealth, added to the bodily surplus of 

 its members those economic goods which could be easily converted into 

 bodily surplus, developed extra-somatic surplus as well as somatic 

 surplus. 



At this point a Malthusian might object that during all the early 

 history of man population tended to increase rapidly enough to keep the 

 surplus of every individual low. Even if this were so, it is nevertheless 

 true that every gain increased the total energy available. A greater 

 population in itself meant a greater total surplus, for, at times, the 

 struggle for existence was suddenly alleviated and at such times the 

 more individuals there were the greater was the sum of human energy 

 freed from the effort to merely maintain existence. Such periods of 

 rapid progress must have occurred many times in history. Every 

 migration into a more favorable habitat, every invention and discovery, 

 has tended to permit the size of human groups to increase and usually 

 has tended to increase longevity as well. The use of fire, the invention 

 of tools, the beginning of agriculture, the domestication of animals, the 

 discovery of means of navigation, all these things increased the surplus 

 at divers times and in divers places. How tremendous was the increase 

 in social surplus gained by the combination of invention and voluntary 

 imitation in the early periods of man's progress is indicated by a com- 

 parison of the differences between paleolithic and neolithic culture. 

 From the earlier period rough stone implements of the chase, arrow 

 points and what may have been spear points, but no hatchets, are found. 

 Plentiful indication of cave-life, but, in general, no evidence of cultiva- 

 tion, of pottery or use of fire has been unearthed. Domesticated animals 

 were probably non-existent. Social life was doubtless extremely simple. 



Contrast the neolithic culture. When that stage first was reached 



