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- Title
Part II. Peace and Order among the Simplest Peoples.
- Abstract
This article compares the accounts given of the Andamanese, Semang, Sakai, Negritos of the Philippines, often called Aëta, Vedda, Kubu, Punans of Borneo, Tasmanians, Central African Pygmies or Batwa, Bushmen, Fuegian peoples, including Yahgans, Ona and Alakaluf, and the Botocudos, regarding peace and order maintenance. With regard to order and justice, most of these peoples are described as kindly, peaceful and orderly, when let alone and one is inclined to think that descriptions of this aspect of their lives differ more in accordance with the disposition of the writer than with the facts to be described. Ordinarily wrongs are met mainly by self-redress with the aid of friends, but punishment by the headman or the group is also found among the Vedda, Bushmen and perhaps Tasmanians, probably not among the wild Negritos of the Philippines. It may be said that in several cases, as with the Punans and Batwa, the verifiable fighting is with aliens or due to alien influence. This is partly true, but the inference that in a world of primitives all would be peace is unwarranted. There is nothing to suggest that a Pygmy group would fail to punish trespass by another, if it occurred. Encroachment on the hunting-grounds led to want and so to trespass and reprisals, with the Ona and Tasmanians. On the other hand, they partly broke the spirit of the weaker peoples, or extinguished the fighting elements and perhaps induced a certain sense of solidarity among the survivors. These influences are marked in the history of the Philippine Negritos and are perhaps traceable among the Vedda, Batwa and the Malay tribes. Peace had its survival value and the remnant that retains its old life is the result of a severe selection.
- Subjects
PEACE; ANDAMANESE (Indic people); SEMANG (Malaysian people); NEGRITOS; VEDDA (Sri Lankan people); KUBU (Indonesian people); PUNAN (Bornean people); ABORIGINAL Tasmanians; BATWA (African people); SAN (African people); YAHGAN (South American people); ONA (South American people); ALACALUF (South American people); BOTOCUDO (South American people)
- Publication
British Journal of Sociology, 1956, Vol 7, Issue 2, p96
- ISSN
0007-1315
- Publication type
Article
- DOI
10.2307/587852