382 PSYCHOLOGICAL INVESTIGATION. [PART II. 



combined simultaneous or successive effects of all the factors 

 of the physical, social, and psychical life of the respective 

 peoples ; and hence it is easily explained that each of these 

 factors, though it may be found in two or several peoples, in 

 consequence of its combination with others which either sup- 

 port or oppose its action, may produce very different effects. 

 As every event and every experience acts differently upon the 

 same individual in different periods of life, and according to 

 different circumstances, so have the same events different 

 effects upon the various peoples. The same climate, the same 

 social position, political constitution, and religion, may produce 

 very different effects on the national character, according to 

 the different periods of development of the peoples ; and it 

 may thus occur that what essentially determines the national 

 character in one people may be powerless in another, or pro- 

 duce quite different effects. 



From our investigation of the psychological nature of man, 

 we have obtained a result, which, though not strictly proved, 

 admits of but little doubt, namely : that there exists an ex- 

 tremely gradual variability in the mental development of peo- 

 ples, which justifies us in considering the greatest differences 

 in the states of civilization as merely different in degree ; that 

 the conditions for mental development are essentially the same 

 in all races ; and that there is no sufficient reason to assume 

 specific differences among mankind. Are we then, if human 

 nature is everywhere the same, to suppose that the object of 

 its development is one and the same ? Are we to imagine that 

 the object of the history of humanity is an essentially uniform 

 civilization akin to our present European civilization, which 

 may once prevail over the whole globe ? These are questions 

 which we will just touch upon in concluding our investigations. 



Whoever entertains the conviction, that the transition from 

 a primitive to a civilized state neither increases the sum nor 

 the intensity of enjoyments, but only their variety, may put 

 the same value on the various phases of human life, or what 

 amounts to the same thing, consider the values of barbarism 

 and civilization as merely subjective notions. Everyone is 

 pleased with the world in which he moves, and with the fate 



