TRADITION AND HEREDITY 465 



As pointed out, it is obvious that the direction in which the 

 intellect works and the degree to which it works are very largely 

 determined by tradition. Thought will be in the primitive or 

 common-sense stage according to the nature of tradition. It is 

 not so obvious that the manifestation of the disposition is equally 

 governed by tradition. The negroes are innately placid, good 

 tempered, and un-self-assertive as compared with white men. Yet 

 Americans constantly complain of the ' sauciness ' and truculence 

 of the negro. These characters are evidently attributable to the 

 surroundings to which the negroes in America are subject ; the 

 manner in which they are looked down upon and the irritating 

 minor restrictions to which they are subject evoke in the negroes 

 a reaction which results in their being called ' saucy ' and trucu- 

 lent. In other words their disposition is so modified by tradition 

 that, as manifested, it belies their innate characteristics. In an 

 earlier chapter reference was made to the subservience of the 

 Egyptian fellah. In the production of this characteristic a 

 centuries-old tradition of oppression plays a large part, though 

 the elimination of the more self-assertive individuals may have 

 produced a low average level of self-assertiveness. If we compare 

 an English pubHc-school boy with an Egyptian fellah in respect 

 to self-assertiveness and self-reliance, those characters as mani- 

 fested form no guide to the underlying innate differences. Among 

 the former self-reHance is strongly encouraged, among the latter 

 it is inhibited. But if we compare EngHsh public-school boys 

 one with another, and Egyptian fellaheen one with another, then 

 the differences disclosed are to some considerable degree a measure 

 of innate differences, because tradition is more or less equahzed. 

 Again, let any one observe the attitude of the British private 

 soldier towards our coloured subjects, or for that matter what he 

 can make of the attitude of the latter towards the English soldier, 

 and he will not be in doubt as to the importance of tradition in 

 producing the attitude of command and its opposite— the ten- 

 dency to submission. 



There is no doubt therefore as to the possibiUty of tradition 

 affecting profoundly the manifestation of all mental characters. 

 When we compare white with black races in their original home, 

 we have to discount the whole tradition. European races, how- 

 ever, have a considerable amount in common, and when we com- 

 pare them we have less to discount. When classes within the 



2498 Q a 



