The Stone Period. 29 
According to one theory, man in the lowest, or even in anything 
approaching the lowest, stage of savagery never did, and never can, 
unaided, raise himself to a higher state of culture. It is contended 
that when savages are brought into contact with civilised races, 
it is extremely difficult to teach them the simplest arts ; that they 
seem never to invent or discover anything for themselves and for 
the reason that even “necessity is not the mother of invention” 
except to those who have some degree of thoughtfulness and in- 
telligence. In point of fact, that we are to regard all savages as 
degraded men, whose ancestors lived in a higher state of culture, but 
/privation, suffering, or oppression, have done their work, and in 
these savages we see the result.1 
Another school arrives at a diametrically opposite conclusion. 
They consider that the primitive condition of man, was that of 
savagery in its lowest stage and that from this condition certain races 
have independently raised themselves. According to this theory, 
instead of existing savages being the. degenerate descendants of 
men who enjoyed a higher state of culture, all civilised races have 
sprung from savages. 
There is something to be said for, and against, both theories, and 
the truth probably lies between the two extremes. 
The assumed inability of savages to raise themselves to a higher 
‘state of culture appears at first sight to be borne out by experience ; 
for instance, successive forms of civilisation have swept over the 
Bheels, in India, but they remain savages still, and although they 
now carry the breech-loading rifle of the Englishman, they are 
armed themselves with bows and arrows of the same pattern as 
those used by their forefathers in the time of the Greeks. In fact, 
the state of culture with some tribes appears to have fossilised and 
become stationary for an indefinite period, or until destroyed by 
being brought into contact with races in an advanced state of 
culture. 
Unfortunately, very slight evidence of the early history of 
18 ee « Origin of Civilization,” by Dr. Whately. See also ‘‘ Primeval Man,” 
_ by the Duke of Argyll, in which latter work some of these views are not 
supported. 
