Our Evolving Civilization: An Introduction to Geopacifics; Geographical Aspects of the PathToward World Peace by Griffith TaylorReview by: David M. DeloThe American Historical Review, Vol. 53, No. 2 (Jan., 1948), pp. 307-308Published by: Oxford University Press on behalf of the American Historical AssociationStable URL: http://www.jstor.org/stable/1842824 .

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Taylor: Our Evolving Civilization 307

not really wish to go as far as he seems to go here in condemning Ranke and "scientific" history as our spiritual fathers practiced it. Mr. Neff's writings are them- selves good proof that the present generation has emancipated itself from the innocence (was it such innocence at that?) of wie es eigentlich gewesen.

Harvard University CRANE BRINTON

OUR EVOLVING CIVILIZATION: AN INTRODUCTION TO GEOPACI- FICS; GEOGRAPHICAL ASPECTS OF THE PATH TOWARD WORLD PEACE. By Griffith Taylor. (Toronto: University of Toronto Press. 1946. Pp. xv, 370. $4.25.)

BASED on a series of lectures given at Cornell University in 1944, Dr. Taylor's analysis of the geographic basis of civilization follows a definitely "environmen- talist" pattern. The pendulum of thought which supports his thesis swings from geology to anthropology, from climatology to evolution, and finally comes to rest on the geopolitical problems of the modern world. If one has the patience to follow the author's reasoning through such byroads as linguistic origins and cultural changes during the Dark Ages, he will find a hard core of interesting and rather unique geographic theory.

Dr. Taylor begins his argument with an analysis of climates and topographic patterns. He climaxes the first portion of the book by application of these concepts to the population pattern of Australia, with which he has long been familiar, and by demonstrating his conclusions with his ingenious hythergraph analysis. The stage being set for his coming, man is then introduced on the geographic stage and climactic changes invoked to account for his differentiation, his present distribu- tion, and his previous migrations. The application of the "zones and strata" theory, long familiar among biologists, to human distribution is also documented and discussed. And finally, he sketches the relationship between geography and the distribution of human blood groups.

Part Two is largely devoted to a general application of the "zones and strata" concept to the distribution of languages, religions, and differing cultures. The last chapter in this section is an attempt to relate the geomorphology of Northwest Europe to its cultural evolution from Neolithic times to the present. Unfortunately, the clarity of the evidence is somewhat obscured by a plethora of historical data often not clearly related to the primary argument, that geography has been an important factor in cultural evolution and distribution.

Turning to the modern scene, Dr. Taylor reviews briefly the salient charac- teristics of certain aboriginal, oriental, and medieval towns. For purposes of con- trast, he follows this with a description of four Canadian towns of varying size and stages of development. He climaxes this section with a discussion of the pri- mary geographic factors which have influenced such cities as Toronto, Chicago, and London, and concludes with Canberra, a planned city. Unfortunately, his treatment of Chicago is quite incomplete and left this reader badly informed as

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308 Reviews of Books

to the author's concept of the governing geographic conditions. By contrast, the discussion of Toronto is complete and lucid.

The fourth section of the book is concerned with the subject matter advertised on the jacket. Its title, "Geopolitics and Geopacifics" is provocative to either geographer or historian. Geopacifics is described as "an attempt to base the teach- ings of freedom and humanity upon real geographical deductions; it is humanized Geopolitics." Despite this opening definition, the first two chapters deal primarily with the familiar analysis of climate versus human progress, distribution of natural resources, and the relation between the geology and geography of Europe and military operations. The peace treaties drawn after World War I on the basis of "self-determination" resulted in boundaries which produced political "sore spots." The results of World War II will probably be no better. Elimination of these "sore spots" may well be accomplished by exchange of populations.

But the major "geopacific" method proposed for dealing with the problems of Europe is to divide it into "crop-power" blocs, in each of which there is an im- portant source of power and of crop units. Thus "Bloc I" would include Norway, the British Isles, Belgium, France, Spain, and Portugal. "Bloc II" would be com- posed of Sweden, Germany, Switzerland, Italy, etc. Each "bloc" would include contiguous regions wherein the "economic factors suggest certain rather natural associations." Unfortunately the fact that much of the population in "Bloc I" is dependent on other areas for a considerable part of its food, which may in its turn have a profound effect on natural economic associations, is not considered.

The last chapter describes some regions, now essentially unsettled, which may serve as future homes for men. Canada is used to illustrate the five main stages of regional development (fish, fur, forests, farms, and factories). The major regions are analyzed in terms of their potential utilization, as compared with similar areas in Europe. It is only a step further to analyze the possibilities of all "the empty lands of the world." Using Europe as standard and "saturated," and the European standard of living (prewar), Canada should eventually support Ioo,ooo,ooo people, the United States 500,000,000, etc.

The applications of Dr. Taylor's "Geopacifics" will be better understood by future readers of his interesting book if the last two pages are read first. By way of explanation, one can do no better than quote a portion of his final paragraph: "'Geopacifics' is an attempt to base the teachings of freedom and humanity upon real geographical deductions. . . . It shows . .. where the leading nations must arise; be it understood to lead not to conquer.... There is no 'yellow race' and no 'white race' so that there cannot be biological conflicts between them.... It shows that we should study environmental control so as to advance in harmony with our environment."

Our Evolving Civilization is a thoughtful and provocative book, well worth the attention of the serious reader.

Washington, D. C. DAVID M. DELO

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