4A MARXISM AND DARWINISM. 



make discoveries for himself; with the death of the 

 discoverer the discovery also becomes extinct, and 

 each has to start anew from the very beginning. It is 

 only through society that the experience and knowl- 

 edge of former generations can be preserved, perpetu- 

 ated, and developed. In a group or body a few may 

 die, but the group, as such, does not. It remains. 

 Knowledge in the use of tools is not born with man, 

 but is acquired later. Mental tradition, such as is pos- 

 sible only in society, is therefore necessary. 



While these special characteristics of man are in- 

 separable from his social life, they also stand in strong 

 relation to each other. These characteristics have not 

 been developed singly, but all have progressed in com- 

 mon. That thought and language can exist and de- 

 velop only in common is known to everyone who has 

 but tried to think of the nature of his own thoughts. 

 When we think or consider, we, in fact, talk to our- 

 selves; we observe then that it is impossible for us 

 to think clearly without using words. Where we do 

 not think with words our thoughts remain indistinct 

 and we can not combine the various thoughts. Every 

 one can realize this from his own experience. This is 

 because so-called abstract reason is perceptive thought 

 and can take place only by means of perceptions. Per- 

 ceptions we can designate and hold only by means of 

 names. Every attempt to broaden our minds, every 

 attempt to advance our knowledge must begin by dis- 

 tinguishing and classifying by means of names or by 

 giving to the old ones a more precise meaning. Lan- 

 guage is the body of the mind, the material by which 

 all human science can be built up. 



The difference between the human mind and the 

 animal mind was very aptly shown by Schopenhauer. 



