94 The Recapitulation Theory and Human Infancy 



vailing views, is not a biological progression. Primitive man 

 and civilized man represent the same species and the same men- 

 tality. The differences between the two are due in the main to 

 the unlike use of this common mentality by social and environ- 

 mental forces. Therefore historical development is not phylo- 

 genetic, but ontogenetic, i. e., has taken place in individuals of 

 the same species. Biological recapitulation applied to the mind 

 of man must be held to refer to the alleged correspondence of 

 the hereditary sequence of psycho-physical functions in indi- 

 vidual development with the succession of homologous func- 

 tions in the series of ancestors. It applies then to the appear- 

 ance of reflexes and instincts, and to psycho-physical modes; 

 only indirectly to habits or acquired products represented in 

 culture. Our treatment of these matters has just been con- 

 cluded in the preceding section. We address ourselves at pre- 

 sent to the somewhat distinct issue of cultural recapitulation. 



There is no need of recounting the history of the theory of 

 cultural recapitulation here. This has been done elsewhere. 45 

 The general bearing of the present discussion upon the theory 

 may, however, be briefly indicated. Cultural recapitulation 

 rests upon three distinct propositions: 1. The historical develop- 

 ment of culture, either as a whole or in particular lines, was 

 determined in some degree by the inherent nature of the human 

 mind which permitted this order and no other. 2. There is an 

 inherent and necessary order in the acquisition of culture by 

 the immature mind. 3. The underlying necessity in develop- 

 ment is identical in the two series. 



Let us consider the status of each proposition. 1. The con- 

 ception of an inevitable order in the development of culture 

 was apparently a derivative and special application of the idea 

 of biological evolution to social phenomena when the prestige 

 of the new doctrine was very great and when the sciences of 

 anthropology and sociology were yet in their early stages. The 

 application is due chiefly to Spencer, Tylor, and L. H. Morgan. 46 

 The empirical basis of the conception consisted of similarities 

 which were at first found conspicuous among all races, and more 

 especially of parallel lines of development in culture which were 



Vincent, Social Mind and Education, 1897, Chap. Ill and IV; Dowey, art. Culture 

 Epochs Theory, in Monroe's Cyclopedia of Education. See also, Henderson, Princi- 

 ciplos of Education, 1910, Chap. VI. 



Boas, Mind of Primitive Man, Chap. VII. 



