Abstract
IN the opinion of Dr. Hahn, well known as the inquirer who revolutionised our ideas on the so-called “three stages”—hunting, pastoral pursuits, agriculture—the mass of the reading public will not change its traditional views on pre-history and primitive culture unless the specialist is prepared to do more for it thap issue specialist literature. With the object of making-propaganda for his views on the domestication of animals, the forms of cultivation, the transition from hoe-cultivation to plough-cultivation, the invention of the plough, the use of the ox as draught-animal, the share of woman in primitive culture, and especially the development of personal property, Dr. Hahn has written the present work, and his object in so doing is commendable. Even specialist literature, however, is not above all considerations of form and logical sequence of ideas; in an oeuvre de vulgarisation it is a fortiori necessary that there should be an orderly development of facts and of the conclusions to be drawn from them; and this, unfortunately, Dr. Hahn has not given us. Not only is the book in places indigestibly full of facts the connection of which with the main argument is not always made clear, but too much is attempted; to the list of subjects given above must be added the description of the economic conditions and interrelations of China, Babylonia, India, and Egypt, a discussion of the origin of the wheel and the waggon, much polemical matter, dealing with criticisms which the public has never read, and finally excursuses on the fiscal, question, socialism, and other subjects unconnected with his immediate purpose. It would be unfair to deny that the book is interesting and stimulating, but it is rather a causerie than an exposition of the author's theories. This is the more unfortunate because his views on the domestication of animals, the forms of cultivation, and the stages of economic evolution are largely accepted. From mere lack of literary skill Dr. Hahn will leave his readers comparatively unmoved. As an example of the deficiencies of the book we may mention that the process of domestication of cattle is dismissed with a mention. Many of the author's theories are improbable; it is unnecessary to suppose that the curved horns imitating- the shape of the crescent moon first led to the sacro-sanctity of cattle; there are animal cults everywhere. Personal property, even in vegetable food, was known before domesticated plants; the Australian natives store up bunya-bunya nuts. We do not need to look to the apparent motion of the stars for the explanation of the origin of Babylonian god-processions, which are a natural method of disseminating the holy influence. The connection of sexual ideas with agriculture may be secondary; syncretism is disregarded in this and other instances. It may not be out of place to say that a few maps of culture areas would have been very helpful, and not to the general reader only.
Das Alter der wirtschaftlichen Kultur der Menschheit, ein Rückblick und ein Ausblick.
By Ed. Hahn. Pp. xvi + 256. (Heidelberg: Carl Winter, 1905.) Price 6.40 marks.
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T., N. Das Alter der wirtschaftlichen Kultur der Menschheit, ein Rückblick und ein Ausblick . Nature 72, 6 (1905). https://doi.org/10.1038/072006a0
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/072006a0