184 ORGANIC EVOLUTION — MENTAL 



ance than the first. In other words, the Bushman 

 ditfers mentally from the Englishman almost entirely 

 because the stimulation he individually receives from 

 his surroundings is different, a chief factor in producing 

 his peculiar traits being his progenitors, who rear him 

 and cause him to acquire mental traits similar to their 

 own. 



Lastly, it should be noted that this power of develop- 

 ing mentally in response to stimulation may not, and 

 probably does not, proceed on lines entirely parallel in 

 races differently circumstanced as regards the environ- 

 ment ; for instance, the circumstances under which the 

 ancestors of the Bushman have lived are such, that 

 possibly he is able more readily and to a greater extent 

 to acquire habits of watchfulness against enemies than 

 the Englishman, whose ancestors, on the other hand, 

 have perhaps been so circumstanced, so dealt with by 

 Natural Selection, that possibly he is able more readily 

 and to a greater extent to acquire the higher mental 

 traits. But mental differences arising from this cause 

 must likewise be slight, when compared to the differ- 

 ences produced by the direct action of the environment 

 on the individual ; for, on the whole, the evolution of 

 the power of developing mentally in response to stimu- 

 lation must have proceeded on lines nearly parallel in 

 all races of mankind. There does not perhaps exist a 

 potential Wrangler among the Bushmen, but judging 

 from such children of savage parentage as have been 

 reared in civilized communities, the average Bushman 

 can be brought under fit training to closely resemble in 

 his mental traits the average Englishman. 



Numerous facts inductively support the deduction 

 arrived at above, and considering that the bearings of 

 many of these facts are extremely obvious, it is remark- 

 able that philosophers, historians, and other thinkers 

 and writers have almost universally been of the opinion 



