BIOLOGICAL CONDITIONS: RACE AND GEOGRAPHY 97 



the production of great art and a particular personality type or 

 types, or a set of environmental conditions; and though either of 

 these may be universal rather than racial or national in their 

 origins, they may help explain why certain races or nations, under 

 certain historical conditions, have been more productive than 

 others. Granted that Taine and his contemporaries over-estimated 

 the influence of purely physical conditions in such an analysis, 

 much of his discussion of the impact of Environment and Time, at 

 least, still seems relevant and sound. ^9 



It may be useful to indicate briefly some of the special ways in 

 which biology does seem relevant to art criticism. First, its direct 

 influence is probably most evident in extreme cases: on individuals 

 who are exceptionally small or large, like Thomas Wolfe, or sick, 

 like Coleridge; and on groups living under extremes of climate, 

 such as the desert or arctic regions. Though biology alone surely 

 does not produce works of art, it may set some of the limits within 

 which they may be produced. Second, its indirect influence is felt, 

 if not through the actual existence of racial and national types, 

 then at least through the existence of such types in the minds of the 

 artist and his public. Thus, 'the image of a people in their own 

 minds and in the minds of their neighbours is one of the ideal 

 forces which help frame their destiny'. ^o 



Finally, though it is necessary to insist that the biological factor 

 cannot be summarily dismissed from critical considerations, it 

 must always be taken as only one of many contributing causes — a fact 

 which Taine fully recognized in his formula — and probably not 

 the most important one. 



'Regardless of how the problem of the relations between bio- 

 logical heredity, individual and group psychology and culture 

 may eventually be settled, the variety of human cultures will 

 appear to us an inspiration rather than as a curse if we learn to 

 respect, to understand and to admire them. In the realm of culture 

 there is enough room to accommodate the diversified contribu- 

 tions not only of diflferent individuals but also of every nation and 

 race. '61 



Agreeing with Professor Guerard that, 'So far as literature is con- 

 cerned, cultural elements . . . are vastly more important than 

 race', 62 we turn our attention next to Taine's treatment of 

 Environment and Time. 



S.A.J.— 7 



