Anthropology and modern life / by Franz Boas.

  • Franz Boas
Date:
[1929]
Catalogue details

Licence: In copyright

Credit: Anthropology and modern life / by Franz Boas. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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    are indications of a low ethical standard. It is quite possible to show an advance in ethical be- havior when we compare primitive society with our own. Westermarck and Hobhouse have ex- amined these data in great detail and have given us an elaborate history of the evolution of moral ideas. Their descriptions are quite true, but I do not believe that they represent a growth of moral ideas, but rather reflect the same moral ideas as manifested in different types of society and taking on forms varying according to the extent of knowl- edge of the people. If we restrict our considerations to the closed society to which an individual belongs we do not find any appreciable difference in moral ideas. We have seen at another place that in a closed so- ciety without differentiation in rank there is an absolute solidarity of interest and the same moral obligation of altruistic behavior is found, as among ourselves. The behavior towards the slave or to members of alien societies may be cruel. There may be no regard for their rights. The obligations within the society are binding. The prevailing idea of a fundamental, even specific difference be- tween the members of the closed society and out- siders hinders the development of sympathetic feeling. We consider it our right to kill criminals dan- gerous to society to kill in self-defense and in war.