6 TlMEHRI. 
in it with himself and only gradually recognizing differ- 
ences, as these are forced upon his attention, differences 
that is from himself. 
It has been said that sun, moon and stars merely share, 
as it seems to the primitive thinker, with men, animals, 
plants and all other natural objects a common dual 
nature ; and we might at first sight seem justified in 
stating that in the primitive conception all the phe- 
nomena of what we call the universe share this common 
dual nature. There is, however, one phenomenon of the 
universe which is not included in this primitive view ; 
and this is the earth itself. It is a little difficult briefly 
to explain the reason of this exclusion. We are 
thoroughly imbued with the notion that the sun, moon 
and stars are bodies of an entirely different nature to our 
own, and that the round earth is of a nature akin to that 
of the sun, moon and stars. But just as the primitive 
thinker has not attained the conception of the difference 
of nature of the sun, moon and stars from our bodies, so 
neither has he attained the conception of the similarity of 
the earth to the sun ; for the earth is, so to speak, too close 
to him for him to think about it at all. His conception 
of the universe — if we may use so sounding a phrase of 
so simple a notion — excludes the earth, which is to him 
simply that on which he stands and from which he views 
the universe. The earth is to him, unlike all other 
phenomena, not a definite object with body and spirit — 
not a being. 
Yet the primitive man's ideas about the land on which 
he walks are worthy of some attention, if only for the 
light which we may thus throw on his habit of reasoning 
of all unknown things from the thing best known to him. 
