Ape, Primitive Man and Child

These three psychological studies on the behaviour of anthropoid apes, that of primitive man and of the child, are united by the common theme of development.

They all have as their goal a schematic representation of the path of psychological development from the ape to civilized man.

In each study, the authors consider, not the entire range of behaviour of the three subjects of the study, but a single dominant feature or single aspect of behaviour, basically that aspect of behaviour that points in the direction and path of development from a given starting point.

The particular paths followed here are evolutionary, historical and ontological ones and the authors argue that the behaviour of civilized man is a product of all three lines of development.