Scientism and Values.pdf - Ludwig von Mises Institute

36 Scientism and Values
of different peoples was made over two thousands years ago by
HerodotuS', the first historian whose works the modern world has
inherited. Now it happens, as everyone interested in custom ought
to know, that Herodotus not only gave the world an extensive
account of the customs of different peoples of his time and preceding
times, but he also told a story about burial customs that
has long been famous, has been told and retold many times, and
illustrates the great problem of custom as well as any story that
could be told. The story is worth repeating here.
Darius, after he had got the kingdom of Persia, so Herodotus 13
tells us,
called into his presence certain Greeks who were at hand, and asked­
"What he should pay them to eat the bodies of their fathers when
they died?" To which they answered that there was no sum that would
tempt them to do such a thing. He then sent for certain Indians, of
the race called Callatians, men who eat their fathers, and asked them,
while the Greeks stood by, and knew by the help of an interpreter all
that was said-"What he should give them to burn the bodies of their
fathers at their decease?" The Indians exclaimed aloud, and bade
him forbear such language.
It is not recorded either by Herodotus or anyone else that as a
consequence of this experiment by Darius any progress was made
to-w'ard the establishment of a rational social order. It would be
possible, however, to interpret the work of Miss Benedict and
many of her colleagues in the social sciences as illustrating the
great principle discovered by Herodotus in his study of custom:
"I have no doubt whatever," says Herodotus,
that Cambyses was completely out of his mind; it is the only possible
explanation of his assault upon, and mockery of, everything which
ancient law and custom have made sacred in Egypt. If anyone, no
matter who, were given the opportunity of choosing from amongst all
the nations the set of beliefs which he thought best, he would inevitably,
after careful consideration of their relative merits, choose that
of his own country. Everyone without exception believes in his own
native customs, and that being so, it is unlikely that anyone but a