登陆注册
15317300000013

第13章 THE HUMAN ORIGINS OFINDUSTRY(3)

This non-utilitarian view of the origins of industry has, however, been driven to excess.There remains a large element of truth in the proverb 'Necessity is the mother of invention.' The earliest weapons and tools, adapted from sticks and stones and other raw material, were probably forced on the dawning intelligence of man by the hard facts of his struggle with hostile nature and his search for food.Fighting, hunting, mating, were presumably his first pursuits and the early arts or industries, at any rate on the male side, would be subsidiary to these pursuits.Any organised process or handling of matter which would make him a better fighter, hunter, suitor, would be likely to emerge as a craft or industry.This explains the apparent blend of utilitarian and non-utilitarian origins.In point of fact, most of the so-called ornamental activities and products have their evident biological uses.They are not mere playthings.The adornment of the human body, the use of tatoos and masks, drums and gongs and other play-products, are partly, no doubt, for mere glory of self-assertion, itself an instinctive craving, but also for courtship, for recognition and for frightening enemies.While, then, it remains true that the sportive and artistic impulses are conspicuous in the early crafts, it is a mistake to disparage the organic utility of these processes.After man has made provision for the present necessities of the body, his superfluous energy naturally tends, either to preparatory play, the practice or imitation of biologically useful actions, or else to explorative, constructive, and decorative work in handling such materials as present themselves.This curiosity about his surroundings, and the instinctive desire to construct and arrange them for his convenience, or for the dawning aesthetic satisfaction of his senses, or to impress the female of his race, these instincts undeniably coalesce with the drive of physical necessity to force man to apply his mind to the discovery and practice of the early arts and crafts.

But, though these distinctively male modes of manipulating the environment thus possess a utilitarian aspect, they do not furnish the beginnings of the chief industries which figure in civilised life.The beginnings of manufacture and of agriculture, as regular occupations, are commonly ascribed to women and to slaves.Those who conceive of the earliest human societies as matriarchal or gynaecocentric, the women forming fixed centres of order in the home and village, owning the children and the property attached to the home, regard women both as the inventors and the practitioners of the early handicrafts, including the cultivation of the soil.The beginnings of the arts of pottery, basket-making, building, clothes-making, as well as digging, planting, milling and other processes of preparing food, were doubtless women's work in the first instance, though they were probably raised to the position of regular industries when slavery became common.

It is, however, noteworthy that, even in those early handicrafts devoted to the most practical needs of life, the decorative instinct generally finds expression.Not only the weapons of the men, but the pots and pans and other domestic utensils of the women, carry carvings or mouldings, which testify to the play or art impulses.Leisure and pleasure thus appear as ingredients in the earliest industries.

To whatever source, then, we trace the origins of industry, to the use of weapons, snares and other male apparatus for the fight and hunt, to the instincts of play, imitation and adornment as modes of self-expression and of pride, or to the more distinctively utilitarian work of women and of slaves around the home, we find play or pleasure mingled with the work.

同类推荐
  • 弥沙塞部和醯五分律

    弥沙塞部和醯五分律

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。
  • 薛丁山征西

    薛丁山征西

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。
  • 技术

    技术

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。
  • A Voyage to Arcturus

    A Voyage to Arcturus

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。
  • WILD SONGS

    WILD SONGS

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。
热门推荐
  • 好奇先生

    好奇先生

    好奇是我们每个人都有的天性,正是人们的好奇心,才让这个世界变得如此丰富多彩。爱迪生好奇光亮,一次发明了电灯莱特兄弟好奇飞翔,因此发明了飞机牛顿对整个世界的奇思妙想,创造了万有引力定律.............................刘易斯是来自东方中国的一个年轻人,但是他的足迹遍布全世界,因为他有着比常人更加旺盛的好奇心,人家说好奇害死猫,可是刘易斯的人生历程虽然充满了惊险,但是他接触到了常人听都没有听过的故事,让我们跟随“好奇先生”刘易斯来一场华丽的冒险,去探索全所未有的事物!
  • 逝近

    逝近

    一名身处皇宫内院、集万千宠爱于一身的宫廷娘娘,她那无意间流露出来的悲伤与孤独,那温柔如水的背后,有着怎样的故事。一名从小在为生存打滚,拼命的想要自己活下去的丫头,在历经千辛万苦终于看到希望,而希望的背后,隐藏着怎样的故事,在以为自己最幸福的时候,发现了怎样的秘密,有是什么促使她走向了最后的路程。她,多愁又善感;她,美丽且温柔;她,柔弱却不失刚劲。到底是怎样的人,为何让人如此猜不透摸不着。美丽的她,背后到底隐藏着怎样的秘密。让我们拭目以待吧。那光鲜靓丽的生活。
  • 一介武帝

    一介武帝

    少年的经脉全断,是因为意外,还是阴谋?小镇上的黑衣人,是善意,还是微笑下的弑杀?黑暗与黎明的交易,是必然,还是因果?人与人之间,究竟是否存在公平与正义?看平凡少年,如何在夹缝中生存,在绝望中求生!
  • 真古传说

    真古传说

    仙神之战的落幕,终结了仙古时代。这是那场战争万年后的世界,这是一个被称作禁仙的时代。东南之地,一个普通的雨夜,一个叫做杨默的少年,悄然走入了这天地风云之中。天地棋局,大道执子。这命,得争!
  • 我的幻想朋友

    我的幻想朋友

    疯狂绝望的世界,内心死去的稚子,自我救赎的悲愿。诞生于幻想的殉葬者在耳边轻语:我会一直陪伴你,随你沉入梦境的深渊,为你创造永恒的乐园。PS1:本书是电波猎奇向的正经小说,内含剧毒,慎入。PS2:主角既不是异性恋,也不是同性恋,而是双性恋。PS3:每一位角色都有自己的经历和三观,最好别太纠结他们的想法。
  • 灵魂尽头:小时代电影全记录Ⅲ

    灵魂尽头:小时代电影全记录Ⅲ

    《灵魂尽头——小时代电影全记录III(精装)》是电影《小时代4:灵魂尽头》的唯一见证书,全方位地收录真实片场花絮与独一无二的幕后信息,还原影片拍摄日常中导演及演员们的真实面貌,与影片的详实制作过程,有朋友相聚的轻松欢乐的美好,也有处理工作的困难疲惫的艰辛。有编剧团队对《小时代4:灵魂尽头》以及整个《小时代》系列剧本创作的历程感言,更有导演郭敬明亲笔写下的拍摄日记与编剧创作回顾和导演总回顾。
  • 福妻驾到

    福妻驾到

    现代饭店彪悍老板娘魂穿古代。不分是非的极品婆婆?三年未归生死不明的丈夫?心狠手辣的阴毒亲戚?贪婪而好色的地主老财?吃上顿没下顿的贫困宭境?不怕不怕,神仙相助,一技在手,天下我有!且看现代张悦娘,如何身带福气玩转古代,开面馆、收小弟、左纳财富,右傍美男,共绘幸福生活大好蓝图!!!!快本新书《天媒地聘》已经上架开始销售,只要3.99元即可将整本书抱回家,你还等什么哪,赶紧点击下面的直通车,享受乐乐精心为您准备的美食盛宴吧!)
  • 黑白魔法师

    黑白魔法师

    亚斯兰大陆,一个以魔法为最强职业的奇幻大陆。主角白羽,一个善良却被别人认为是懦弱的少年,他不希望任何人受到伤害,他希望保护他人拯救他人。但是在这片血腥的大陆上,这种想法或许只是一种幻想。命运和机遇推动着他的人生和命运,让他对生命的价值观不断地发生着变化。白羽最终会成为一个什么样的存在呢?
  • 天人启示录

    天人启示录

    物理学一直存在,仙路中物理学也一直存在。
  • 樱花之语,双生青丘璃

    樱花之语,双生青丘璃

    君不见昆吾铁冶飞炎烟,红光紫气俱赫然。良工锻炼凡几年,铸得宝剑名龙泉。龙泉颜色如霜雪,良工咨嗟叹奇绝。琉璃玉匣吐莲花,错镂金环映明月。正逢天下无风尘,幸得周防君子身。精光黯黯青蛇色,文章片片绿龟鳞。非直结交游侠子,亦曾亲近英雄人。何言中路遭弃捐,零落漂沦古狱边。虽复尘埋无所用,犹能夜夜气冲天。