Le Nord : revue internationale des Pays de Nord - 01.06.1941, Page 288

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LE NORD
ly related to the good-natured and intelligent humour which gave
him poise and enabled him on occasion to rise to a Gallic wit.
Westermarck once remarked to one of his colleagues at the Aca-
demy of Ábo, who happens to be his nephew and a scientist by
nature: “If we two had lived in the Middle Ages don’t you think
we should have been monks” — by which he meant that in those
circumstances too they would have devoted themselves wholly
to science.
Reading Westermarck’s Memories, which he himself modestly
described as “an outline of that infinitesimal ripple on the ocean
of eternity, which is called my life,” one obtains a clear picture of
the research worker and teacher, as conscientious and thorough
in his work under the cupola of the British Museums’ Reading
Room as during his adventurous explorations in the Atlas Moun-
tains, or in alpine exploits in the fells of Norway: a humane, pur-
poseful and enthusiastic spirit that gave to sociology some of its
best works.1)
The memory of Westermarck’s scientific work will continue
to live wherever he was active. For he created a school. It might
be mentioned here that certain pupils and friends of Westermarck
in Finland recently founded a “Westermarck Society” for the pro-
motion of sociological and philosophical research. So far as socio-
logy is concerned, this is probably the first society of its kind in
the Northern Countries. The society, which also intends to foster
the memory of Edward Westermarck and his achievement, is to
meet, under the present arrangement, twice each year: an Autumn
Meeting on November 20, Westermarck’s birthday, and a Spring
Meeting. The society will organise lectures on subjects falling
within its particular sphere, and plan, carry out and support
research work in sociology and philosophy, publish a series of
Transactions of the Westermarck Society in foreign languages,
possibly also a smaller popular series in Finnish and Swedish. The
society hopes to enter into relations with sociological and philo-
sophical societies abroad for the advancement of mutual research
interests in the field of moral philosophy and sociology — the life
work of Westermarck.
J) Westermarck has also treated philological questions, cf. “Nomina im
Status absolutus und Status annexus in der siidmarokkanischen Berber-
sprache,” in Övers. Finska Vet.-Soc:s Förh., LVI, Avd. B:i (Helsingfors
1914).