evolution and ethics and other essays-第6节

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Now　this　society　is　the　direct　product　of　an　organic　necessity；
impelling　every　member　of　it　to　a　course　of　action　which　tends　to　the
good　of　the　whole。　Each　bee　has　its　duty　and　none　＇25＇　has　any　rights。
Whether　bees　are　susceptible　of　feeling　and　capable　of　thought　is　a
question　which　cannot　be　dogmatically　answered。　As　a　pious　opinion；　I
am　disposed　to　deny　them　more　than　the　merest　rudiments　of
consciousness。*　But　it　is　curious　to　reflect　that　a　thoughtful　drone
（workers　and　queens　would　have　no　leisure　for　speculation）　with　a　turn
for　ethical　philosophy；　must　needs　profess　himself　an　intuitive
moralist　of　the　purest　water。　He　would　point　out；　with　perfect
justice；　that　the　devotion　of　the　workers　to　a　life　of　ceaseless　toil
for　a　mere　subsistence　wage；　cannot　be　accounted　for　either　by
enlightened　selfishness；　or　by　any　other　sort　of　utilitarian　motives；
since　these　bees　begin　to　work；　without　experience　or　reflection；　as
they　emerge　from　the　cell　in　which　they　are　hatched。　Plainly；　an
eternal　and　immutable　principle；　innate　in　each　bee；　can　alone　account
for　the　phenomena。　On　the　other　hand；　the　biologist；　who　traces　out
all　the　extant　stages　of　gradation　between　solitary　and　hive　bees；　as
clearly　sees　in　the　latter；　simply　the　perfection　of　an　automatic
mechanism；　hammered　out　by　the　blows　of　the　struggle　for　existence
upon　the　progeny　of　the　former；　during　long　ages　of　constant
variation。

　　　　*　Collected　Essays；　vol。　i。；　〃Animal　Automatism〃；　vol。　v。；
　　　　〃Prologue；〃　pp。　45　et　seq。

＇26＇


　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　X。

I　see　no　reason　to　doubt　that；　at　its　origin；　human　society　was　as　much
a　product　of　organic　necessity　as　that　of　the　bees。*　The　human　family；
to　begin　with；　rested　upon　exactly　the　same　conditions　as　those　which
gave　rise　to　similar　associations　among　animals　lower　in　the　scale。
Further；　it　is　easy　to　see　that　every　increase　in　the　duration　of　the
family　ties；　with　the　resulting　co…operation　of　a　larger　and　larger
number　of　descendants　for　protection　and　defence；　would　give　the
families　in　which　such　modification　took　place　a　distinct　advantage
over　the　others。　And；　as　in　the　hive；　the　progressive　limitation　of
the　struggle　for　existence　between　the　members　of　the　family　would
involve　increasing　efficiency　as　regards　outside　competition。

But　there　is　this　vast　and　fundamental　difference　between　bee　society
and　human　society。　In　the　former；　the　members　of　the　society　are　each
organically　predestined　to　the　performance　of　one　particular　class　of
functions　only。　If　they　were　endowed　with　desires；　each　could　desire
to　perform　none　but　those　offices　for　which　its　organization　specially
fits　it；　and　which；　in　view　of　the　good　of　the　whole；　it　is　proper　it
should　do。　So　long　as　a　new　queen　does　not　make　her　appearance；
rivalries；　and　competition　are　absent　from　the　bee　polity。

　　　　*　Collected　Essays；　vol　v。；　Prologue；　pp。　50…54；

＇27＇　Among　mankind；　on　the　contrary；　there　is　no　such　predestination　to
a　sharply　defined　place　in　the　social　organism。　However　much　men　may
differ　in　the　quality　of　their　intellects；　the　intensity　of　their
passions；　and　the　delicacy　of　their　sensations；　it　cannot　be　said　that
one　is　fitted　by　his　organization　to　be　an　agricultural　labourer　and
nothing　else；　and　another　to　be　a　landowner　and　nothing　else。
Moreover；　with　all　their　enormous　differences　in　natural　endowment；
men　agree　in　one　thing；　and　that　is　their　innate　desire　to　enjoy　the
pleasures　and　to　escape　the　pains　of　life；　and；　in　short；　to　do
nothing　but　that　which　it　pleases　them　to　do；　without　the　least
reference　to　the　welfare　of　the　society　into　which　they　are　born。　That
is　their　inheritance　（the　reality　at　the　bottom　of　the　doctrine　of
original　sin）　from　the　long　series　of　ancestors；　human　and　semi…human
and　brutal；　in　whom　the　strength　of　this　innate　tendency　to
self…assertion　was　the　condition　of　victory　in　the　struggle　for
existence。　That　is　the　reason　of　the　aviditas　vitae*the　insatiable
hunger　for　enjoymentof　all　mankind；　which　is　one　of　the　essential
conditions　of　success　in　the　war　with　the　state　of　nature　outside；　and
yet　the　sure　agent　of　the　destruction　of　society　if　allowed　free　play
within。

　　　　*　See　below。　Romanes'　Lecture；　note　7。

The　check　upon　this　free　play　of　self…assertion；　or　natural　liberty；
which　is　the　necessary　condition　for　the　origin　of　human　society；　is
the　product　＇28＇　of　organic　necessities　of　a　different　kind　from　those
upon　which　the　constitution　of　the　hive　depends。　One　of　these　is　the
mutual　affection　of　parent　and　offspring；　intensified　by　the　long
infancy　of　the　human　species。　　But　the　most　important　is　the　tendency；
so　strongly　developed　in　man；　to　reproduce　in　himself　actions　and
feelings　similar　to；　or　correlated　with；　those　of　other　men。　Man　is
the　most　consummate　of　all　mimics　in　the　animal　world；　none　but
himself　can　draw　or　model；　none　comes　near　him　in　the　scope；　variety；
and　exactness　of　vocal　imitation；　none　is　such　a　master　of　gesture；
while　he　seems　to　be　impelled　thus　to　imitate　for　the　pure　pleasure　of
it。　　And　there　is　no　such　another　emotional　chameleon。　By　a　purely
reflex　operation　of　the　mind；　we　take　the　hue　of　passion　of　those　who
are　about　us；　or；　it　may　be；　the　complementary　colour。　It　is　not　by
any　conscious　〃putting　one's　self　in　the　place〃　of　a　joyful　or　a
suffering　person　that　the　state　of　mind　we　call　sympathy　usually
arises；　*　indeed；　it　is　often　contrary　to　one's　sense　of　＇29＇　right；
and　in　spite　of　one's　will；　that　〃fellow…feeling　makes　us　wondrous
kind；〃　or　the　reverse。　However　complete　may　be　the　indifference　to
public　opinion；　in　a　cool；　intellectual　view；　of　the　traditional　sage；
it　has　not　yet　been　my　fortune　to　meet　with　any　actual　sage　who　took
its　hostile　manifestations　with　entire　equanimity。　Indeed；　I　doubt　if
the　philosopher　lives；　or　ever　has　lived　who　could　know　himself　to　be
heartily　despised　by；　a　street　boy　without　some　irritation。　And；
though　one　cannot　justify　Haman　for　wishing　to　hang　Mordecai　on　such　a
very　high　gibbet；　yet；　really；　the　consciousness　of　the　Vizier　of
Ahasuerus；　as　he　went　in　and　out　of　the　gate；　that　this　obscure　Jew
had　no　respect　for　him；　must　have　been　very　annoying。**

　　　　*　Adam　Smith　makes　the　pithy　observation　that　the　man　who
　　　　sympathises　with　a　woman　in　childbed；　cannot　be　said　to　put
　　　　himself　in　her　place。　（〃The　Theory　of　the　Moral　Sentiments；〃
　　　　Part　vii。　sec。　iii。　chap。　i。）　Perhaps　there　is　more　humour　than
　　　　force　in　the　example；　and；　in　spite　of　this　and　other
　　　　observations　of　the　same　tenor；　I　think　that　the　one　defect　of
　　　　the　remarkable　work　in　which　it　occurs　is　that　it　lays　too　much
　　　　stress　on　conscious　substitution；　too　little　on　purely　reflex
　　　　sympathy。

　　　　**　Esther　v。　9…13。　〃。　。　。　but　when　Haman　saw　Mordecai　in　the
　　　　king's　gate；　that　he　stood　not　up；　nor　moved　for　him；　he　was
　　　　full　of　indignation　against　Mordecai。　。　。　。　And　Haman　told　them
　　　　of　the　glory　of　his　riches　。　。　。　and　all　the　things　wherein　the
　　　　king　had　promoted　him　。　。　。　Yet　all　this　availeth　me　nothing；
　　　　so　long　as　I　see　Mordecai　the　Jew　sitting　at　the　king's　gate。〃
　　　　What　a　shrewd　exposure　of　human　weakness　it　is！

It　is　needful　only　to　look　around　us；　to　see　that　the　greatest
restrainer　of　the　anti…social　tendencies　of　men　is　fear；　not　of　the
law；　but　of　the　opinion　of　their　fellows。　The　conventions　of　honour
bind　men　who　break　legal；　moral；　and　religious　bonds；　and；　while
people　endure　the　extremity　of　physical　pain　rather　than　part　with
life；　shame　drives　the　weakest　to　suicide。

Every　forward　step　of　social　progress　brings　＇30＇　men　into　closer
relations　with　their　fellows；　and　increases　the　importance　of　the
pleasures　and　pains　derived　from　sympathy。　We　judge　the　acts　of　others
by　our　own　sympathies；　and　we　judge　our　own　acts　by　the　sympathies　of
others；　every　day　and　all　day　long；　from　childhood　upwards；　until
associations；　as　indissoluble　as　those　of　language；　are　formed　between
certain　acts　and　the　feelings　of　approbation　or　disapprobation。　It
becomes　impossible　to　imagine　some　acts　without　disapprobation；　or
others　without　approbation　of　the　actor；　whether　he　be　one's　self；　or
any　one　else。　We　come　to　think　in　the　acquired　dialect　of　morals。　An
artificial　personality；　the　〃man　within；〃　as　Adam　Smith*　calls
conscience；　is　built　up　beside　the　natural　personality。　He　is　the
watchman　of　society；　charged　to　restrain　the　anti…social　tendencies　of
the　natural　man　within　the　limits　required　by　social　welfare。

　　　　*　〃Theory　of　the　Moral　Sentiments；〃　Part　iii。　chap。　3。　On　the
　　　　Influence　and　Authority　of　Conscience。


　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　XI。

I　have　termed　this　evolution　of　the　feelings　out　of　which　the
primitive　bonds　of　human　society　are　so　largely　forged；　into　the
organized　and　personified　sympathy　we　call　conscience；　the　ethical
process。*　So　far　as　it　tends　to

　　　　*　Worked　out；　in　its　essential　features；　chiefly　by　Hartley　and
　　　　Adam　Smith；　long　before　the　modern　doctrine　of　evolution　was
　　　　thought　of。　See　Note　below；　p。　45。

＇31＇　make　any　human　society　more　efficient　in　the　struggle　for
existence　with　the　state　of　nature；　or　with　other　socie