350 PSYCHOLOGICAL INVESTIGATION. [PART II. 



dense a population may obstruct civilization. Though neces- 

 sity may indirectly be a means of civilization, it is not so 

 under all circumstances. There are not a few barbarous na- 

 tions who suffer annually from want of provisions, and though 

 in possession of useful plants, never attempt to cultivate the 

 soil. Distress, no doubt, impels them to greater physical and 

 mental efforts, but these cease with the distress. 



If the population be thin and the country productive, there 

 is but little or no inducement to labour, as everyone can easily 

 obtain the necessaries of life for himself and his family. In- 

 dividuals remain in such cases independent of each other, ex- 

 cepting on particular occasions ; there is no community of 

 interest, no union of forces. The social relations beyond the 

 family extend chiefly to patriarchal hospitality, which dimi- 

 nishes and disappears with the progress of civilization. The 

 original motive for hospitality is the desire for society, curio- 

 sity, and the sympathy for the helpless, derived from bitter ex- 

 perience. These relations assume a different aspect with the 

 increase of the population. The intercourse between indivi- 

 duals, the interchange of thought and of goods, are increased 

 by living in close vicinity and immediate contact ; comparisons 

 as regards their position and performances are made, they 

 become rivals, and disputes arise. The rivalry extends to 

 labour, which, besides present necessaries, is also to provide 

 for the future. There arise contrasts between wealth and 

 poverty. The possession of goods is more estimated, as it 

 can only be obtained by labour, and private property must be 

 protected. The increase of the population renders agriculture 

 a necessity j and from the already existing inequality, relations 

 are developed between master and dependent, which is already 

 a step towards the foundation of despotism, as opposed to 

 that original liberty and perfect independence of individuals. 

 We have now arrived at a stage from which the development 

 of society may, under favourable circumstances, be more or 

 less rapid. 



Before proceeding further, it may be as well to cast a retro- 

 spective glance at the question, whether our investigations 

 justify us in attributing the stability of most peoples in a low 



