ethnology

is entirely cosmographical. Any laws that it purports to discover are nothing more than historical patterns, in the same way that darwinian evolution describes a deep pattern in biological history. Ethnology is to bring the human sciences, the geisteswissenschaften, into the natural sciences, the naturwissenschaften.

Unlike Ratzel, Adolf Bastian (1826-1905), who was to become Boas' mentor in anthropology and later president of the geographical society founded by Ritter, emphasized independent invention without entirely rejecting diffusion. He saw his main task as a museum collector, a worthy cosmographical pursuit. Nevertheless, he was in favor of what he called 'ethnology,' which was defined in terms of trying to make sense of Alexander von Humboldt's Cosmos. Ethnology was entirely cosmographical. Any 'laws' that it purported to discover were nothing more than historical patterns, in thesame way that Darwinian evolution described a deep pattern in biological history. Ethnology was to bring the human sciences, the Geisteswissenschaften, into the natural sciences, the Naturwissenschaften. The responsibility for such a project and it was a heavy one Bastian left to his followers:. . . ..Ethnology, that newly rising star of science, seemed to offer a ray of hope, hope that we might finally find a solution to the contemporary situation in which our world view is both unsure and fragmented. Ethnology seemed to offer the chance to put the Science of Man on the same solid base of actual proof as we find now in the natural sciences. . . Yet these daring intentions soon began to crumble to dust as we looked into the more intricate depths of the materials so copiously accumulated It is my considered opinion, and the situation corroborates this, that we must abandon our aim such an achievement is not for our generation.28' (net)

is the science that treats of the various tribes of man, as robbers, thieves, swindlers, dunces, lunatics, idiots . . . . And ethnologist.

ETHNOLOGY, n. The science that treats of the various tribes of Man, as robbers, thieves, swindlers, dunces, lunatics, idiots and ethnologist.

is the art of robbing the humanity from humanity

is the science that treats the various tribes of Man, as robbers, thieves, swindlers, dunces, lunatics, idiots, and ethnologists

ethnology, n.Definitions

ethnology