Spencer Heath Archive

Item 2059

Quote from Philip A. Means, Ancient Civilizations of the Andes, Chapter I, pages 25-26

“In short I gather from all this that, in order that the transition from archaic to post-archaic culture may be effected, a perfect balance must be achieved between the sum of Nature’s offerings and man’s ability and readiness to utilize them. Put men in a stimulating clime which, however, chances to lack materials wherewith they can work culturally and they will either stand still or else retrogress – unless, as usually happens, they save their souls by moving to more propitious surroundings; put other men in a paradise replete with every conceivable sub­stance for the construction of the most exalted forms of civili­zation and then nearly suffocate them with hot, damp, breathless air, and they will, at best, remain in the stage of culture which they had on arriving under those conditions or, more likely, they will drop back from mere lassitude, into a state of primitiveness.

“Environment, therefore, is not the total causation in culture-shaping; it is, beyond doubt, the most conspicuous single factor. It works in two ways: in presenting raw materials and in helping to prepare human mentality to utilize them. It likewise functions importantly in furnishing men with trade routes such as coastlines, rivers, passes, whereby alien materials and fecundat­ing new ideas may come into a given region. But there is still an indefineable factor which may best be designated quite frankly as X, the unknown quantity, apparently psychological in kind. If X be in harmony with the environmental factors – and it is so comparatively rarely – culture will progress and a civilization will be constructed, to continue, we may suppose, until X ceases to be in harmony with the environmental factors. From this it follows that, if X be not the most conspicuous factor in the matter, it certainly is the most important, the most fate-laden. When, through a tardily completed understanding of the signifi­cance of life, we achieve mastery over X, then, and not until then, shall we cease to be a race of biped ants and, consummating our age-old desire, join the immortal gods.”