Chapter XVI: Memory--Imitation

Psychological unity of the East and the West--Brain size and social evolution--The size of the Japanese brain--Memory--Learning Chinese characters--Social selection and mnemonic power--Japanese memory in daily life--Memory of uncivilized and semi-civilized peoples--Hindu memory--Max Müller quoted--Japanese acquisition of foreign languages--The argument from language for the social as against the biological distinction of races--The faculty of imitation; is not to be despised--Prof. Chamberlain's over-emphasis of Japanese imitation--Originality in adopting Confucianism and Buddhism--"Shinshu"--"Nichirenshu"--Adoption of Chinese philosophy--Dr. Knox's over-emphasis of servile adoption--Our ignorance of Japanese history of thought--A reason for Occidental misunderstanding--The incubus of governmental initiative--Relation of imitation to the social order, 189