ABSTRACT
IN a memorable sentence, Spencer declared that " while fear of the living becomes the root of political control, the fear of the dead becomes the root of religious control. " 1 In accordance with this statement it would seem that a psychological analysis of fear and other emotional components of religion is indicated. Spencer's account of the origin and development of religion does not include this analysis. With the assumption that there exists a universal attitude of towards the dead, Spencer proceeds to the discussion of every phase of religious life, belief, worship, ritual, sacrifice, fitting one into the other with marvellous skill and ingenuity. In the opinion of the present writer Hartland was right when he said of Spencer's Euhemerism that it is "a child (one among many) of his passion for explaining everything quite clearly, for stopping up all gaps and stubbing up all difficulties in his synthesis, rather than an all-sufficient account of the beginning of religion." 2
