The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1908-08-02

We have gone on until very recent
days believing that the occidental has
one order of mind and the oriental
quite another, and from this assump
ton. we have drawn the conclusion that
all our progress in civilization has been
born of our mental superiority to
orientals. What we have persfstently
refused to see, as a previous article
pointed out, is that the two civiliza-
tions have been constructed on diff
ferent bases, and that if the white race
is the more efficient in the strife for
place, it is only because it has acquired
better industrial technique and better
apparatus. These advantages have been
due in turn to the different sort of
knowledge with which the white race
has busted itself.
Fundamentally there is no difference
in the reasoning powers of the Two
races. Man for man, it may be
doubted if the one race is keener in
tellectually speaking, than the other;
but in the kind and variety of know
ledge and of facts stored in the minds
of white and yellow men there is all
the difference in the world
The oriental mind, wolshiping the
past and its institutions, from time i'm
memorial, has presented solid front
against innovation and stubbornly has
retained an intellectual attitude hostile
to scientific investigation and progress.
If the way of doing things or the ex-
| PLANTATION of things done suited their
forefathers it suited later generations
and if it was unknown to their fore
g. no
served to be tabooed The Chinese
have plumed themselves on their con
servatism, even as the people of the
west have deemed their progressive
ness their chief claim to consideration.
Perhaps nothing else could so inter
estingly, suecInctly and amusingly sum
up the oriental attitude toward change
as the following extract from a letter
written by Mohammedan official to
aefestern Investigator:
FSMy Illustrious Friend and Joy of
My Liver: The thing which you ask
of me is both difficult and useless. Al
though [ have passed all my days in this
place, / have neither counted the
houses nor inquired into the number
of the Inhabitants; and as to what one
person loads on his mules and the other
slows away in the bottom of his ship
is no business of mine. But, above
all, as to the previous history of this
city, God only knows the amount of
dirt and confusion that the infdels
may have eaten before the coming of
the sword of Islam. it were unproht
able for, us to inquire into it.
Listen, my son. There is no
wisdom equal to the belief in God He |
created the world and shall we liken |
ourselves unto Him in seeking to pen
citrate unto the mysteries of His crea- |
ton? Shall we say, Behold, this star I
spinneth around that star, and this |
other star with tail goeth and cometh /
in so many years? Let it go! He /
from whose hand it came will guide |
and direct it.
'sThou art learned in the things / |
care not for, and as for that which
thou hast seen, | spit upon it. Will
much knowledge create thee a double
belly, or wilt thou seek paradise with
thine eyes? The meek in spirit,
F'IMAUM ALI ZADI.'
The scientific mind no longer be-
lieves in inferior and superior races;
it holds now that race which seems
inferior to a so-called higher race has
simply arrived at different stage of
development. In the school of the
universe, over which eternity is master,
your inferior race has reached perhaps
but the first class of knowledge and
mastered the rudiments. In
iue time and by slow stages it will
work its way upward. Your higher
ace at one time in its history had to
begin with the rudiments. If it has
mastered the higher branches it has
mastered them only because necessity.
circumstances and certain lines of race
development have pushed it forward !
The savage, for instance, counts no
ligher than four because he has ~ eco
ionic need of counting to five. When |
he time comes he viii be equal TO that
ask. There is little need Just now :
hat be puzzle his brain with knowl-
dye for which his simple life demands
10 application. He is child among
aces starting to school, as all other
hildren, though grown to manhood c
ow, Were obliged to start at one stage f
q their careers. We think him in Il
erior when he is only undeveloped. t
lie represents a mass of potentialities II
hat his crude exterior and his barbaric b
avs hide from sight. We condemn I
I'M, little thinking that after all what a