XXXVII.  GENERAL CONCLUSIONS

Review of our course of thought—­Purpose of this chapter—­The problem studied in this work—­Interrelation of social and psychic phenomena—­Heredity defined and analyzed—­Evolution defined—­Exact definition of our question, and our reply—­What would be an adequate disproof of our position—­Reasons for limiting the discussion to advanced races—­Divergent evolution dependent on segregation—­Distinction between racial and social unity—­Relation of the individual psychic character to the social order—­“Race soul” a convenient fiction—­Psychic function produces psychic organism—­Causes and nature of plasticity and fixity of society—­Relation of incarnate ideas to character and destiny—­Valuelessness of “floating” ideas—­Progress is at once communal and individual—­Personality is its cause, aim, and criterion—­Progress in personality is ethico-religious—­Japanese social and psychic evolution not exceptional, 438

INTRODUCTION

The tragedy enacted in China during the closing year of the nineteenth century marks an epoch in the history of China and of the world.  Two world-views, two types of civilization met in deadly conflict, and the inherent weakness of isolated, belated, superstitious and corrupt paganism was revealed.  Moreover, during this, China’s crisis, Japan for the first time stepped out upon the world’s stage of political and military activity.  She was recognized as a civilized nation, worthy to share with the great nations of the earth the responsibility of ruling the lawless and backward races.

The correctness of any interpretation as to the significance of this conflict between the opposing civilizations turns, ultimately, on the question as to what is the real nature of man and of society.  If it be true, as maintained by Prof.  Le Bon and his school, that the mental and moral character of a people is as fixed as its physiological characteristics, then the conflict in China is at bottom a conflict of races, not of civilizations.

The inadequacy of the physiological theory of national character may be seen almost at a glance by a look at Japan.  Were an Oriental necessarily and unchangeably Oriental, it would have been impossible for Japan to have come into such close and sympathetic touch with the West.

The conflict of the East with the West, however, is not an inherent and unending conflict, because it is not racial, but civilizational.  It is a conflict of world-views and systems of thought and life.  It is a conflict of heathen and Christian civilizations.  And the conflict will come to an end as soon as, and in proportion as, China awakes from her blindness and begins to build her national temple on the bedrock of universal truth and righteousness.  The conflict is practically over in Japan because she has done this.  In loyally accepting science, popular education,