196 SOCIAL EVOLUTION 



as absolute truth the conclusions based upon this reason- 

 ing. 46 



For these reasons the difference in mode of thought of 

 primitive man and civilized man seems to consist largely 

 in the difference of character of the traditional material 

 with which the new perception associates itself. When 

 a new experience enters the savage mind, the same process 

 which we observe among civilized men brings about an 

 entirely different series of associations, and consequently 

 results in a different type of explanation. A sudden ex- 

 plosion may associate itself in the mind of the savage 

 with tales which he has heard of the mythical story of 

 the world, and consequently will be accompanied by 

 superstitious fear. The civilized man will simply asso- 

 ciate the explosion with a certain amount of powder or 

 dynamite. Hence the explanations of the phenomena 

 given by the two individuals will differ. Among both 

 primitive and civilized groups the average person does 

 not carry to completion the attempt at causal explanation 

 of phenomena, but carries it only far enough to amalga- 

 mate it with other previously known facts. It is obvious, 

 then, that the character of this traditional material de- 

 termines the result of the whole process. It determines 

 what our interpretation of life experiences will be. 

 Herein, also, lies the influence of the dominant scientific 

 theory upon the character of scientific work. 47 



''There is an undoubted tendency in the advance of 

 civilization to eliminate traditional elements, and to gain 

 a clearer and clearer insight into the hypothetical basis of 

 our reasoning. It is therefore not surprising, that, with 

 the advance of civilization, reasoning becomes more and 

 more logical, not because each individual carries out his 



46 Boas, op. cit., pp. 205-206. & Ibid., pp. 203-204. 



