ROLE OF CHILDHOOD One of the essential conditions for the perpetuation of civiliza tion is the long period of dependence through which the human child must pass before it gains sufficient bodily strength and in telligence to achieve merely animal self-sufficiency and make its own way. Without the constant and prolonged succour of adults it would speedily perish. This means that the extended period of helpless susceptibility to his surroundings makes it possible vastly to modify a child's original disposition. A mouse is sexually mature in six weeks and fully grown in three months. Calves and colts walk about shortly after birth. The gorilla, on the other hand, has a prolonged childhood, requires ten or twelve years before it is able to breed, and goes on growing, like man, for a few years after. He lacks, however, in spite of his prolonged childhood, the other essential traits which have enabled mankind to initiate, increase and transmit civilization.
We are all born uncivilized and would remain so through life were we not immersed in civilization. There is a long time in which we may, according to the place where we are born, be moulded into a well authenticated Papuan, Chinaman, or Parisian. We cannot choose whether we shall find ourselves talking like a Hottentot, a Russian or a German. And we learn to do in all things as those do among whom we are brought up. We cannot but accept their respective customs, scruples, and ideas, foi all these are imposed upon us before we have any choice or discretion. We must perforce follow the ways of our elders, who themselves were once children and gained their civilization before any dis crimination or comparison with other than the prevailing habits was possible. This is the inexorable rule, and it accounts for many of the striking characteristics of civilization.
If the assimilation of culture is closely associated with the dependence and adaptability of childhood there need be no great surprise that accumulating evidence seems to indicate that when bodily maturity is once reached, the increase of knowledge and in telligence slackens or even almost ceases in many cases. By 13 or 14 the child has acquired an overwhelming part of the knowl edge, impressions, cautions and general estimates of his fellow creatures and the world in which he lives, which he continues to harbour with slight modifications during his lifetime. When as a result of the participation of the United States in the World War it became necessary to test the competence of a great number of young men an unforeseen contribution was made to our insight into civilization. Of the 1,700,000 examined, 45% did not show them selves (to quote an eminent authority, Dr. Henry H. Goddard) "much above the r 2-year-old limit." Those tested, it must be re membered, did not include idiots or "morons," but the average run of youths accepted by their fellows as normal. While tests may be as yet inadequate they but confirm the observable fact that the inculcation of culture is associated with bodily growth and especially with the strange changes in the cells of the fore brain and their intercommunications. These developments are tremendous from infancy to maturity in so-called normal cases.
Only in exceptional instances does mind-building continue stead ily after childhood and adolescence. We have had time before 13 • to take over the standardized sentiments of our elders, to learn all that they know, to accept their views of religion, politics, man ners, general proprieties and respectabilities. The common run of mankind can, however, be taught tricks as time goes on and acquire special expertness. But a great part of our childish con ceptions retain a permanent hold on us. There is usually little en couragement to alter them. We leave most of them unrevised, though we have to make adjustments as the years elapse. Human beings seem on the whole easily subdued to routine and the routine is established, as it would seem, by the time we are grown up. That the ability to learn, however, falls off very slowly after adulthood has been recently shown by E. L. Thorndike.
The experts in advertising, the publishers of "tabloid" news papers and the contrivers of moving picture films seem to con form to the supposition that what appeals to a 12- or 13-year-old child is admirably adapted to the intelligence and tastes of the multitude. This means that the overwhelming majority of men and women assimilate in childhood the common and familiar forms of civilization or culture in the midst of which they find themselves, but hardly outrun them as life goes on. Perhaps one in a hun dred may allow his opinions to be altered by assiduous reading, or take pains to cultivate his insight into art and literature and scientific discoveries. But all these and other contributions to one's personal civilization are outside the range of the human animal in general. Indeed the mere upkeep of our present com plicated culture must depend upon a very trifling percentage of the population. Were a few thousand carefully selected infants in the various progressive countries of the world to be strangled at birth not only would advances in industry, arts and letters cease but a decline would set in owing to the lack of those to make the essential readjustments in our industries and their financing; to keep up laboratories and books at their present stand ards. Accordingly the great majority of human beings can barely maintain at best the civilization in which they were reared. Even the innovators considered above, are unable to escape from the toils in which they were so easily enmeshed and which they regard not as entanglements and restraints but as comforts and assur ances. It would be faithless and disloyal to regard them other wise. Only peculiar temperaments under highly favourable condi tions question what they have been taught. They can do this only on a most modest scale as a result of continued curiosity and study. A physicist may reach a new theory of the constitution of atoms and yet cling stolidly to the notions of religion he had ac quired at ten years of age ; he may even engage in subtle phil osophical speculation and remain a hot defender of the mores of the most commonplace persons 5o years ago.
If these points be well taken the whole contrast between Society and the individual which has been played up in various rather futile ways takes on a new aspect. From the standpoint of civiliza tion each individual owes his entire equipment as a civilized being to others. Biologically even, he is vastly modified by his domesti cation, in habits, impulses and moods. The so-called "instinct of the herd," which Trotter has made famous, tends to become an un necessary hypothesis. For every child is made by others in their own image. How gregarious mankind was before the onset of civ ilization it is impossible to say; but the prolonged infantile weak ness implied multiform dependence upon others. Of course there is really no such thing as Society in the sense of some powerful and precious personality for whose welfare the so-called individual is invited to make appropriate sacrifices of personal preferences. What we have to do is to make terms with the notions of "the good" and "the bad" which those profess with whom we are thrown. These rules of conduct and sentiment constitute Society. They have their heavy sanctions if violated or impeached—dis grace, persecution, imprisonment and even death. The methods of eluding Society constitute a highly interesting chapter in the his tory of civilization. It is not difficult for the shrewd, and seems greatly to enrich life for certain temperaments, whether one be a burglar, a story-teller, or a philosopher. Wholesale deceit has established the reputation and fame of many a hero from Jacob and Ulysses to those in high places to-day. Boldness of thought is less likely as yet to arouse primitive enthusiasm.