heretics-第17章
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XI Science and the Savages
A permanent disadvantage of the study of folk…lore and kindred
subjects is that the man of science can hardly be in the nature
of things very frequently a man of the world。 He is a student
of nature； he is scarcely ever a student of human nature。
And even where this difficulty is overcome； and he is in some sense
a student of human nature； this is only a very faint beginning
of the painful progress towards being human。 For the study
of primitive race and religion stands apart in one important
respect from all； or nearly all； the ordinary scientific studies。
A man can understand astronomy only by being an astronomer； he can
understand entomology only by being an entomologist （or； perhaps；
an insect）； but he can understand a great deal of anthropology
merely by being a man。 He is himself the animal which he studies。
Hence arises the fact which strikes the eye everywhere in the records
of ethnology and folk…lorethe fact that the same frigid and detached
spirit which leads to success in the study of astronomy or botany
leads to disaster in the study of mythology or human origins。
It is necessary to cease to be a man in order to do justice
to a microbe； it is not necessary to cease to be a man in order
to do justice to men。 That same suppression of sympathies；
that same waving away of intuitions or guess…work which make a man
preternaturally clever in dealing with the stomach of a spider；
will make him preternaturally stupid in dealing with the heart of man。
He is making himself inhuman in order to understand humanity。
An ignorance of the other world is boasted by many men of science；
but in this matter their defect arises； not from ignorance of
the other world； but from ignorance of this world。 For the secrets
about which anthropologists concern themselves can be best learnt；
not from books or voyages； but from the ordinary commerce of man with man。
The secret of why some savage tribe worships monkeys or the moon
is not to be found even by travelling among those savages and taking
down their answers in a note…book； although the cleverest man
may pursue this course。 The answer to the riddle is in England；
it is in London； nay； it is in his own heart。 When a man has
discovered why men in Bond Street wear black hats he will at the same
moment have discovered why men in Timbuctoo wear red feathers。
The mystery in the heart of some savage war…dance should not be
studied in books of scientific travel； it should be studied at a
subscription ball。 If a man desires to find out the origins of religions；
let him not go to the Sandwich Islands； let him go to church。
If a man wishes to know the origin of human society； to know
what society； philosophically speaking； really is； let him not go
into the British Museum； let him go into society。
This total misunderstanding of the real nature of ceremonial gives
rise to the most awkward and dehumanized versions of the conduct
of men in rude lands or ages。 The man of science； not realizing
that ceremonial is essentially a thing which is done without
a reason； has to find a reason for every sort of ceremonial； and；
as might be supposed； the reason is generally a very absurd one
absurd because it originates not in the simple mind of the barbarian；
but in the sophisticated mind of the professor。 The teamed man
will say； for instance； 〃The natives of Mumbojumbo Land believe
that the dead man can eat and will require food upon his journey
to the other world。 This is attested by the fact that they place
food in the grave； and that any family not complying with this
rite is the object of the anger of the priests and the tribe。〃
To any one acquainted with humanity this way of talking is topsy…turvy。
It is like saying； 〃The English in the twentieth century believed
that a dead man could smell。 This is attested by the fact that they
always covered his grave with lilies； violets； or other flowers。
Some priestly and tribal terrors were evidently attached to the neglect
of this action； as we have records of several old ladies who were
very much disturbed in mind because their wreaths had not arrived
in time for the funeral。〃 It may be of course that savages put
food with a dead man because they think that a dead man can eat；
or weapons with a dead man because they think that a dead man can fight。
But personally I do not believe that they think anything of the kind。
I believe they put food or weapons on the dead for the same
reason that we put flowers； because it is an exceedingly natural
and obvious thing to do。 We do not understand； it is true；
the emotion which makes us think it obvious and natural； but that
is because； like all the important emotions of human existence
it is essentially irrational。 We do not understand the savage
for the same reason that the savage does not understand himself。
And the savage does not understand himself for the same reason
that we do not understand ourselves either。
The obvious truth is that the moment any matter has passed
through the human mind it is finally and for ever spoilt for all
purposes of science。 It has become a thing incurably mysterious
and infinite； this mortal has put on immortality。 Even what we
call our material desires are spiritual； because they are human。
Science can analyse a pork…chop； and say how much of it is
phosphorus and how much is protein； but science cannot analyse
any man's wish for a pork…chop； and say how much of it is hunger；
how much custom； how much nervous fancy； how much a haunting love
of the beautiful。 The man's desire for the pork…chop remains
literally as mystical and ethereal as his desire for heaven。
All attempts； therefore； at a science of any human things；
at a science of history； a science of folk…lore； a science
of sociology； are by their nature not merely hopeless； but crazy。
You can no more be certain in economic history that a man's desire
for money was merely a desire for money than you can be certain in
hagiology that a saint's desire for God was merely a desire for God。
And this kind of vagueness in the primary phenomena of the study
is an absolutely final blow to anything in the nature of a science。
Men can construct a science with very few instruments；
or with very plain instruments； but no one on earth could
construct a science with unreliable instruments。 A man might
work out the whole of mathematics with a handful of pebbles；
but not with a handful of clay which was always falling apart
into new fragments； and falling together into new combinations。
A man might measure heaven and earth with a reed； but not with
a growing reed。
As one of the enormous follies of folk…lore； let us take the case of
the transmigration of stories； and the alleged unity of their source。
Story after story the scientific mythologists have cut out of its place
in history； and pinned side by side with similar stories in their
museum of fables。 The process is industrious； it is fascinating；
and the whole of it rests on one of the plainest fallacies in the world。
That a story has been told all over the place at some time or other；
not only does not prove that it never really happened； it does not even
faintly indicate or make slightly more probable that it never happened。
That a large number of fishermen have falsely asserted that they have
caught a pike two feet long； does not in the least affect the question
of whether any one ever really did so。 That numberless journalists
announce a Franco…German war merely for money is no evidence one way
or the other upon the dark question of whether such a war ever occurred。
Doubtless in a few hundred years the innumerable Franco…German
wars that did not happen will have cleared the scientific
mind of any belief in the legendary war of '70 which did。
But that will be because if folk…lore students remain at all；
their nature win be unchanged； and their services to folk…lore
will be still as they are at present； greater than they know。
For in truth these men do something far more godlike than studying legends；
they create them。
There are two kinds of stories which the scientists say cannot be true；
because everybody tells them。 The first class consists of the stories
which are told everywhere； because they are somewhat odd or clever；
there is nothing in the world to prevent their having happened to somebody
as an adventure any more than there is anything to prevent their
having occurred； as they certainly did occur； to somebody as an idea。
But they are not likely to have happened to many people。
The second class of their 〃myths〃 consist of the stories that are
told everywhere for the simple reason that they happen everywhere。
Of the first class； for instance； we might take such an example
as the story of William Tell； now generally ranked among legends upon
the sole ground that it is found in the tales of other peoples。
Now； it is obvious that this was told everywhere because whether
true or fictitious it is what is called 〃a good story；〃
it is odd； exciting； and it has a climax。 But to suggest that
some such eccentric incident can never have happened in the whole
history of archery； or that it did not happen to any particular
person of whom it is told； is stark impudence。 The idea of shooting
at a mark attached to some valuable or beloved person is an idea
doubtless that might easily have occurred to any inventive poet。
But it is also an idea that might easily occur to any boastful archer。
It might be one of the fantastic caprices of some story…teller。 It
might equally well be one of the fantastic caprices of some tyrant。
It might occur first in real life and afterwards occur in legends。
Or it might just as well occur first in legends and afterwards occur
in real life。 If no apple has ever been shot off a boy's head
from the beginning of the world； it may be done tomorrow morning；
and by somebody who has never heard of William Tell。
This type of tale； indeed； may be pretty fairly paralleled with
the ordinary anecdote terminating in a repartee or an Irish bull。
Such a retort as the famous 〃je ne vois pas la necessite〃 we have
all seen attributed to Talleyrand； to Voltaire； to Henri Quatre；
to an anonymous judge； and
