In the life and origin of the race, the fact is always evidenced that the Ego4 through its growth and persistence5 is always drawing to itself from the current of environment all things which it feels desirable to its life and growth. This must be a necessary condition of survival. In the long journey from amoeba to man, any circumstance causing a complete halt for even a brief period meant extinction6, while even a persistent7 interference produced a weakened organism, if not an arrest of development.
This then is the origin of the "Master Instinct," hunger. When we consider the various emotions growing from the force of this vital urge, as developed by adaptation to an ever-changing environment, we are able to realize fully8 why it bulks so large in moulding and shaping the destiny of the race.
All psychologists are agreed in classing under the nutritive instinct such activities as acquisition, storing and hoarding9. During a period variously estimated as a quarter of a million to two million years, man and his animal antecedents responded to the hunger instinct, in the manner and by the same methods as did the various jungle animals. He secured his prey10 by capture, or killed it wherever found, the one condition being his power to get and to hold. Later tribal11 organization arose, and food and shelter were held in common. But since the folk-ways commended raiding and looting between alien tribes, here was presented an alluring12 chance to secure both booty and glory to men trained in the "get and hold" process of acquiring. For thousands of years life itself depended upon this unerring exercise.
It was during the period outlined that man developed his big brain (cerebrum) involving the central nervous system. Furthermore, it was developed by, and trained to, these particular reactions. The far-reaching control of the mind must be remembered, as upon this through his racial heritage must be based his conflicting impulses. These must be reckoned with in our conclusions with regard to present-day behavior, economic or otherwise.
During the last thirty years, psychological laboratories, aided by physiology13, through oft-repeated experiments conducted with newly-invented weighing and measuring instruments of marvelous accuracy, have put us in possession of an array of facts unknown to students of earlier periods, who sought the "why and the how" of man's erratic14 actions as a social animal. It is constantly being demonstrated that under given conditions, moved by appropriate stimuli15, the human animal inevitably16 and surely reacts the same as does inorganic17 matter. If we understand "intelligence" to be the "capacity to respond to new conditions," we can measurably see and at least partly understand the constant inter-play of heredity and environment. Between these there is no antagonism18. The sum of life experiences consists solely19 in the adjustments required to enable the sentient20 organism—man or beast—to live.
How readily a "throw-back" to earlier and cruder life may be brought about under favorable conditions, is shown by the methods and virulence21 of combat during the vicious massacre22 in the war just ended. Can the conclusion be evaded23 that individually and collectively we constantly teeter on the brink24 of a precipice25? If we fall it spells crime or misfortune, or both.
Wherever civilization exists on the private property basis as its main bulwark26, we find crime as an inseparable result. Man, by virtue27 of his organic nature, is a predatory animal. This does not mean that he is a vicious animal. It simply means that man, in common with the eagle and the wolf, acts in accordance with the all-impelling urge and fundamental instincts of his organic structure. In any conflict between newer and nobler sentiments and the emotions which function through the primeval instincts, he is shackled28 to the bed-rock master instincts in such manner that they usually win. This is conclusively29 shown by the history of the race.
If this is true, we should expect to find the master hunger specially30 active through the many chances presented for exploitation after the fall of feudalism—beginning, let us assume, with the invention of power machinery—the "Age of Steam". It is apparent that from that time to our own day, man's acquisitive tendency has so expanded, that if we were capable of an unbiased opinion it might be said to be a form of megalomania gripping the entire white race, where highly-developed commerce and industry are found in their most vigorous forms.
If our theory is correct, we should expect to find the most energetic and enterprising nations showing a greater ratio of property crimes than the invalid31 and feeble nations. This would more certainly be true where political constitutions by letter and spirit encourage and promote individual development, mental and industrial. When this condition exists with abundant natural resources, such as often may be found in what we term a new country, it furnishes the chance for the most vigorous functioning of whatsoever32 may be the dominant33 qualities inherent in the tendencies and aspirations34 of a people. The United States of America, among the nations, meets these conditions, and we find here the highest ratio of property crimes per capita. This holds as to all such crimes, both minor35 and major, which are far in excess of those of any other nation, as shown by statistics.
It seems clear that this explanation shows the main reason for the seemingly abnormal number of property crimes in the United States.
Man's infinitely36 long past developed the hunger instinct, which made him take directly and simply where he could and as he could. This is always urging him to supply his wants in the simplest way, regardless of the later restrictions37 that modern civilization has placed around the getting of property. With the weaker intellectually and physically38, these instincts are all-controlling. The superficial and absurd theories that his excesses are due to the lack of the certainty of punishment take no account of the life experience, and the inherent structure of man.
Especially in our large cities with their great opportunities for the creation and accumulation of wealth, the "lust39 of power" is shown by the nerve-racking efforts to obtain wealth by the most reckless methods. The emotion drives us to spend extravagantly40 and conspicuously41, that we may inspire the envy of our neighbors by our money and power.
This is an old emotion securing a new outlet42, and tenfold magnified in force, through modern conditions in commercial and industrial life. Is it not plain that in America it has assumed the form of an obsession43, biting us high and low, until we reek44 of it? It is likewise clear that it is a menace to any abiding45 peace and welfare; that it is still growing and leaving a bitter harvest of neurasthenics in its wake.
The criminologist must face the fact that, in spite of contrary pretenses46 by most of our social doctors, we are still in our work-a-day life guided almost exclusively by the mores—the folk-ways of old—founded on expediency47 as revealed by experiences, and acquired by the only known process, that of trial and error. If this be true, it clearly follows that in order to conserve48 any vestige49 of a civilization, we must realize the fact that property crimes are the normal results of the complex activities making up the treadmill50 called civilization. We must likewise realize that to modify these crimes we must modify the trend of the race.
When the seamy side of man's behavior is scrutinized51 by science, it cannot be other than grim and distressing52 to the reader. It is this to the writer. But all the really significant facts of life are grim and often repulsive53 in the material presented. To the "irony54 of facts" must be ascribed the shadows as well as the high lights. No distortions or speculations55 can influence the findings of science. They are accessible and can be checked up by any one sufficiently56 interested. The student knows that man is what he is, because of his origin and long and painful past.
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1
motives
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| n.动机，目的( motive的名词复数 ) | |
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seesaw
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| n.跷跷板 | |
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savagery
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| n.野性 | |
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ego
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| n.自我，自己，自尊 | |
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persistence
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| n.坚持，持续，存留 | |
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extinction
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| n.熄灭，消亡，消灭，灭绝，绝种 | |
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persistent
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| adj.坚持不懈的，执意的；持续的 | |
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fully
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| adv.完全地，全部地，彻底地；充分地 | |
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hoarding
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| n.贮藏；积蓄；临时围墙；囤积v.积蓄并储藏（某物）( hoard的现在分词 ) | |
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prey
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| n.被掠食者，牺牲者，掠食；v.捕食，掠夺，折磨 | |
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tribal
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| adj.部族的，种族的 | |
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alluring
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| adj.吸引人的，迷人的 | |
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physiology
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| n.生理学，生理机能 | |
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erratic
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| adj.古怪的，反复无常的，不稳定的 | |
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stimuli
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| n.刺激（物） | |
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inevitably
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| adv.不可避免地；必然发生地 | |
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inorganic
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| adj.无生物的；无机的 | |
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antagonism
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| n.对抗，敌对，对立 | |
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solely
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| adv.仅仅，唯一地 | |
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sentient
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| adj.有知觉的，知悉的；adv.有感觉能力地 | |
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virulence
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| n.毒力，毒性；病毒性；致病力 | |
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massacre
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| n.残杀，大屠杀；v.残杀，集体屠杀 | |
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evaded
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| 逃避( evade的过去式和过去分词 )； 避开； 回避； 想不出 | |
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brink
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| n.(悬崖、河流等的)边缘，边沿 | |
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precipice
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| n.悬崖，危急的处境 | |
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bulwark
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| n.堡垒，保障，防御 | |
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virtue
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| n.德行，美德；贞操；优点；功效，效力 | |
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shackled
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| 给（某人）带上手铐或脚镣( shackle的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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conclusively
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| adv.令人信服地，确凿地 | |
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specially
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| adv.特定地；特殊地；明确地 | |
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invalid
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| n.病人，伤残人；adj.有病的，伤残的；无效的 | |
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whatsoever
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| adv.（用于否定句中以加强语气）任何；pron.无论什么 | |
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dominant
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| adj.支配的，统治的；占优势的；显性的；n.主因，要素，主要的人(或物)；显性基因 | |
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aspirations
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| 强烈的愿望( aspiration的名词复数 )； 志向； 发送气音； 发 h 音 | |
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minor
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| adj.较小(少)的，较次要的；n.辅修学科；vi.辅修 | |
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infinitely
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| adv.无限地，无穷地 | |
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restrictions
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| 约束( restriction的名词复数 )； 管制； 制约因素； 带限制性的条件（或规则） | |
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physically
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| adj.物质上，体格上，身体上，按自然规律 | |
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lust
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| n.性(淫)欲；渴(欲)望；vi.对…有强烈的欲望 | |
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extravagantly
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| adv.挥霍无度地 | |
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conspicuously
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| ad.明显地，惹人注目地 | |
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42
outlet
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| n.出口/路；销路；批发商店；通风口；发泄 | |
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obsession
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| n.困扰，无法摆脱的思想(或情感) | |
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reek
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| v.发出臭气；n.恶臭 | |
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abiding
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| adj.永久的，持久的，不变的 | |
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46
pretenses
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| n.借口（pretense的复数形式） | |
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expediency
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| n.适宜；方便；合算；利己 | |
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48
conserve
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| vt.保存，保护，节约，节省，守恒，不灭 | |
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vestige
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| n.痕迹，遗迹，残余 | |
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50
treadmill
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| n.踏车；单调的工作 | |
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51
scrutinized
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| v.仔细检查，详审( scrutinize的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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distressing
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| a.使人痛苦的 | |
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repulsive
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| adj.排斥的，使人反感的 | |
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54
irony
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| n.反语，冷嘲；具有讽刺意味的事，嘲弄 | |
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speculations
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| n.投机买卖( speculation的名词复数 )；思考；投机活动；推断 | |
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sufficiently
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| adv.足够地，充分地 | |
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