The physical, cultural, moral, or intellectual development of each individual passes through stages similar to the developmental stages of that individual's species, society, or civilization
For even if we accept that ontogeny recapitulates phylogeny, those responsible for the drafting of ancient legal documents were not children, and are hardly to be endowed with some form of infantile mentality.
1. To repeat in concise form.2. (Biology) To appear to repeat (the evolutionary stages of the species) during the embryonic development of the individual organism.3. Make a summary
To repeat, as the principal points in a discourse, argument, or essay; to give a summary of the principal facts, points, or arguments of; to relate in brief; to summarize
You can say that you are going to recapitulate the main points of an explanation, argument, or description when you want to draw attention to the fact that you are going to repeat the most important points as a summary. Let's just recapitulate the essential points It will shortly be put up for sale under the terms already communicated to you, which, to recapitulate, call for a very minimum of publicity. = recap, sum up + recapitulation re·ca·pitu·la·tion Chapter 9 provides a valuable recapitulation of the material already presented. to repeat the main points of something that has just been said = recap (past participle of recapitulare , from capitulum )