01-what is man-第14节

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she　stretches　herself　out；　purring　with　affection　and　contentment

and　lifts　up　a　soft　voice　and　says；　〃Come；　kitties；　supper's

ready〃；　we　understand　her　when　she　goes　mourning　about　and　says；

〃Where　can　they　be？　　They　are　lost。　　Won't　you　help　me　hunt　for

them？〃　and　we　understand　the　disreputable　Tom　when　he　challenges

at　midnight　from　his　shed；　〃You　come　over　here；　you　product　of

immoral　commerce；　and　I'll　make　your　fur　fly！〃　　We　understand　a

few　of　a　dog's　phrases　and　we　learn　to　understand　a　few　of　the

remarks　and　gestures　of　any　bird　or　other　animal　that　we

domesticate　and　observe。　　The　clearness　and　exactness　of　the　few

of　the　hen's　speeches　which　we　understand　is　argument　that　she

can　communicate　to　her　kind　a　hundred　things　which　we　cannot

comprehendin　a　word；　that　she　can　converse。　　And　this　argument

is　also　applicable　in　the　case　of　others　of　the　great　army　of　the

Unrevealed。　　It　is　just　like　man's　vanity　and　impertinence　to

call　an　animal　dumb　because　it　is　dumb　to　his　dull　perceptions。

Now　as　to　the　ant



Y。M。　　Yes；　go　back　to　the　ant；　the　creature　thatas　you

seem　to　thinksweeps　away　the　last　vestige　of　an　intellectual

frontier　between　man　and　the　Unrevealed。



O。M。　　That　is　what　she　surely　does。　　In　all　his　history　the

aboriginal　Australian　never　thought　out　a　house　for　himself　and

built　it。　　The　ant　is　an　amazing　architect。　　She　is　a　wee　little

creature；　but　she　builds　a　strong　and　enduring　house　eight　feet

higha　house　which　is　as　large　in　proportion　to　her　size　as　is

the　largest　capitol　or　cathedral　in　the　world　compared　to　man's

size。　　No　savage　race　has　produced　architects　who　could　approach

the　air　in　genius　or　culture。　　No　civilized　race　has　produced

architects　who　could　plan　a　house　better　for　the　uses　proposed

than　can　hers。　　Her　house　contains　a　throne…room；　nurseries　for

her　young；　granaries；　apartments　for　her　soldiers；　her　workers；

etc。；　and　they　and　the　multifarious　halls　and　corridors　which

communicate　with　them　are　arranged　and　distributed　with　an

educated　and　experienced　eye　for　convenience　and　adaptability。



Y。M。　　That　could　be　mere　instinct。



O。M。　　It　would　elevate　the　savage　if　he　had　it。　　But　let　us

look　further　before　we　decide。　　The　ant　has　soldiersbattalions；

regiments；　armies；　and　they　have　their　appointed　captains　and

generals；　who　lead　them　to　battle。



Y。M。　　That　could　be　instinct；　too。



O。M。　　We　will　look　still　further。　　The　ant　has　a　system　of

government；　it　is　well　planned；　elaborate；　and　is　well　carried　on。



Y。M。　　Instinct　again。



O。M。　　She　has　crowds　of　slaves；　and　is　a　hard　and　unjust

employer　of　forced　labor。



Y。M。　　Instinct。



O。M。　　She　has　cows；　and　milks　them。



Y。M。　　Instinct；　of　course。



O。M。　　In　Texas　she　lays　out　a　farm　twelve　feet　square；　plants　it；

weeds　it；　cultivates　it；　gathers　the　crop　and　stores　it　away。



Y。M。　　Instinct；　all　the　same。



O。M。　　The　ant　discriminates　between　friend　and　stranger。

Sir　John　Lubbock　took　ants　from　two　different　nests；　made　them

drunk　with　whiskey　and　laid　them；　unconscious；　by　one　of　the

nests；　near　some　water。　　Ants　from　the　nest　came　and　examined　and

discussed　these　disgraced　creatures；　then　carried　their　friends

home　and　threw　the　strangers　overboard。　　Sir　John　repeated　the

experiment　a　number　of　times。　　For　a　time　the　sober　ants　did　as

they　had　done　at　firstcarried　their　friends　home　and　threw　the

strangers　overboard。　　But　finally　they　lost　patience；　seeing　that

their　reformatory　efforts　went　for　nothing；　and　threw　both

friends　and　strangers　overboard。　　Comeis　this　instinct；　or　is

it　thoughtful　and　intelligent　discussion　of　a　thing　new

absolutely　newto　their　experience；　with　a　verdict　arrived　at；

sentence　passed；　and　judgment　executed？　　Is　it　instinct？thought

petrified　by　ages　of　habitor　isn't　it　brand…new　thought；

inspired　by　the　new　occasion；　the　new　circumstances？



Y。M。　　I　have　to　concede　it。　　It　was　not　a　result　of　habit；

it　has　all　the　look　of　reflection；　thought；　putting　this　and　that

together；　as　you　phrase　it。　　I　believe　it　was　thought。



O。M。　　I　will　give　you　another　instance　of　thought。　　Franklin

had　a　cup　of　sugar　on　a　table　in　his　room。　　The　ants　got　at　it。

He　tried　several　preventives；　and　ants　rose　superior　to　them。

Finally　he　contrived　one　which　shut　off　accessprobably　set　the

table's　legs　in　pans　of　water；　or　drew　a　circle　of　tar　around　the

cup；　I　don't　remember。　　At　any　rate；　he　watched　to　see　what　they

would　do。　　They　tried　various　schemesfailures；　every　one。　　The

ants　were　badly　puzzled。　　Finally　they　held　a　consultation；

discussed　the　problem；　arrived　at　a　decisionand　this　time　they

beat　that　great　philosopher。　　They　formed　in　procession；　cross

the　floor；　climbed　the　wall；　marched　across　the　ceiling　to　a

point　just　over　the　cup；　then　one　by　one　they　let　go　and　fell

down　into　it！　　Was　that　instinctthought　petrified　by　ages　of

inherited　habit？



Y。M。　　No；　I　don't　believe　it　was。　　I　believe　it　was　a　newly

reasoned　scheme　to　meet　a　new　emergency。



O。M。　　Very　well。　　You　have　conceded　the　reasoning　power　in

two　instances。　　I　come　now　to　a　mental　detail　wherein　the　ant　is

a　long　way　the　superior　of　any　human　being。　　Sir　John　Lubbock

proved　by　many　experiments　that　an　ant　knows　a　stranger　ant　of

her　own　species　in　a　moment；　even　when　the　stranger　is　disguised

with　paint。　　Also　he　proved　that　an　ant　knows　every　individual

in　her　hive　of　five　hundred　thousand　souls。　　Also；　after　a　year's

absence　one　of　the　five　hundred　thousand　she　will　straightway

recognize　the　returned　absentee　and　grace　the　recognition　with　a

affectionate　welcome。　　How　are　these　recognitions　made？　　Not　by

color；　for　painted　ants　were　recognized。　　Not　by　smell；　for　ants

that　had　been　dipped　in　chloroform　were　recognized。　　Not　by

speech　and　not　by　antennae　signs　nor　contacts；　for　the　drunken

and　motionless　ants　were　recognized　and　the　friend　discriminated

from　the　stranger。　　The　ants　were　all　of　the　same　species；

therefore　the　friends　had　to　be　recognized　by　form　and　feature

friends　who　formed　part　of　a　hive　of　five　hundred　thousand！　　Has

any　man　a　memory　for　form　and　feature　approaching　that？



Y。M。　　Certainly　not。



O。M。　　Franklin's　ants　and　Lubbuck's　ants　show　fine

capacities　of　putting　this　and　that　together　in　new　and　untried

emergencies　and　deducting　smart　conclusions　from　the

combinationsa　man's　mental　process　exactly。　　With　memory　to

help；　man　preserves　his　observations　and　reasonings；　reflects

upon　them；　adds　to　them；　recombines；　and　so　proceeds；　stage　by

stage；　to　far　resultsfrom　the　teakettle　to　the　ocean

greyhound's　complex　engine；　from　personal　labor　to　slave　labor；

from　wigwam　to　palace；　from　the　capricious　chase　to　agriculture

and　stored　food；　from　nomadic　life　to　stable　government　and

concentrated　authority；　from　incoherent　hordes　to　massed　armies。

The　ant　has　observation；　the　reasoning　faculty；　and　the

preserving　adjunct　of　a　prodigious　memory；　she　has　duplicated

man's　development　and　the　essential　features　of　his　civilization；

and　you　call　it　all　instinct！



Y。M。　　Perhaps　I　lacked　the　reasoning　faculty　myself。



O。M。　　Well；　don't　tell　anybody；　and　don't　do　it　again。



Y。M。　　We　have　come　a　good　way。　　As　a　resultas　I　understand　it

I　am　required　to　concede　that　there　is　absolutely　no　intellectual

frontier　separating　Man　and　the　Unrevealed　Creatures？



O。M。　　That　is　what　you　are　required　to　concede。　　There　is　no

such　frontierthere　is　no　way　to　get　around　that。　　Man　has　a

finer　and　more　capable　machine　in　him　than　those　others；　but　it

is　the　same　machine　and　works　in　the　same　way。　　And　neither　he

nor　those　others　can　command　the　machineit　is　strictly

automatic；　independent　of　control；　works　when　it　pleases；　and

when　it　doesn't　please；　it　can't　be　forced。



Y。M。　　Then　man　and　the　other　animals　are　all　alike；　as　to　mental

machinery；　and　there　isn't　any　difference　of　any　stupendous

magnitude　between　them；　except　in　quality；　not　in　kind。



O。M。　　That　is　about　the　state　of　itintellectuality。　　There

are　pronounced　limitations　on　both　sides。　　We　can't　learn　to

understand　much　of　their　language；　but　the　dog；　the　elephant；

etc。；　learn　to　understand　a　very　great　deal　of　ours。　　To　that

extent　they　are　our　superiors。　　On　the　other　hand；　they　can't

learn　reading；　writing；　etc。；　nor　any　of　our　fine　and　high

things；　and　there　we　have　a　large　advantage　over　them。



Y。M。　　Very　well；　let　them　have　what　they've　got；　and　welcome；

there　is　still　a　wall；　and　a　lofty　one。　　They　haven't　got　the

Moral　Sense；　we　have　it；　and　it　lifts　us　immeasurably　above　them。



O。M。　　What　makes　you　think　that？



Y。M。　　Now　look　herelet's　call　a　halt。　　I　have　stood　the

other　infamies　and　insanities　and　that　is　enough；　I　am　not　going

to　have　man　and　the　other　animals　put　on　the　same　level　morally。



O。M。　　I　wasn't　going　to　hoist　man　up　to　that。



Y。M。　　This　is　too　much！　　I　think　it　is　not