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59. Ethnological Deductions

I. The anthropological differentiation from the ethnological standpoint cannot explain the real importance of the Chinese among other ethnical groups of Asia. Though the Chinese are not at all homogeneous, they form a peculiar ethnical unit, which acts as such among other ethnical groups. The ethnical unity of the Chinese is based on the cultural complex that produces the peculiar position of the Chinese among other ethnical groups, but it cannot be discovered by the anthropological methods.

II. The anthropological differentiation in the cases of the complexes, as the Chinese are, cannot help in the discovery of the real causes of the interethnical position of some ethnical groups, but the anthropological analysis can be used only as an historical method. It seems to me that at the present time the ethnical differentiation is operated on the basis of the psychological characters, whose external manifestations can be observed in the cultural complexes.

III. The language is not a stable characteristic for ethnical units. As is shown by the example of the Manchu, Mongol and Tungus the languages alter very easily. The ethnical environment is one of the most important factors of the variations, but the variation can occur only in such a case, when the alteration of the language is necessary for self defence of the ethnical unit.

 
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