Page:American Anthropologist NS vol. 22.djvu/16

 4 AMERICAN ANTHROPOLOGIST [N. s., 22, 1920

ejected from the psychological domain; later we heard that psy- chology had lost consciousness ; and now the report is that it is losing its mind. Nor have we escaped hearing about the wavering for- tunes of the behaviorists, etc.

On the other hand, the psychologists cannot be entirely ignorant of the lack of harmony in the anthropological camp. They have doubtless heard the battle cry of those who believe the cephalic index to be the type of a universal index by which even differences in human performances may be explained. Again, they may have heard of the unrelenting fight between the evolutionists and the supporters of the historical method. Also the somewhat acri- monious contention over the functional potentional equality of racial groups, there being those who believe that the observed differences are due to convention and fortuitous events. Finally, the psychologists may have taken some casual interest in the herald- ing of a new onslaught against scientific tradition under a banner labeled the superbrganic. Perhaps when we get a clear view of this new anthropological doctrine and tear away the camouflage, we shall find under it the poor old discarded soul of the psychologists.

It is to be hoped that the members of our division will have just enough of the sense of humor to get the true perspective of these necessary and healthy struggles, so that they may keep their eyes fixed upon the fundamental objectives of the two sciences, which in the terms of everyday speech are mind and race, respectively. At any rate, if we now keep this main distinction in mind, we can see the full justification for a joint division comprising psychology and anthropology. We have at least one common objective, viz., racial characters. These characters may be anatomical, mental, and cultural. Thus it is that the results of psychological tests upon the racial elements in the army are of the utmost importance to anthropology. On the other hand, the parts these new-found degrees of capacity may play as factors in the culture complex of the group is the problem of anthropology and the final results of this investigation should also be of great import to psychology. The situation can, then, be stated as follows: it must be the policy of the Division to support jointly the development of each science

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