THE HISTORY OF MENTAL DEVELOPMENT 143 



is certainly a fact, the result of ages of development. 

 And the very highest which the intellect can perceive 

 is bound to become the controlling motive of the will. 

 It always has been so. It must be so, if evolution is 

 not to be purely degeneration. Thus only has man 

 become what he is. And the voice of the people de- 

 manding truth and justice, whenever and wherever they 

 see them, is the voice of God promising the future 

 triumph of righteousness. For it is proof positive that 

 man's face is resolutely set toward these, as his ances- 

 tors have always marched steadily toward that which 

 was the highest possible attainment. 



We find thus that there is a sequence in the motives 

 which control the will. The first and lowest motives 

 are the appetites, and here the will is the mouthpiece 

 of the bodily organs. Then fear and a host of other 

 prudential considerations appear. The lowest of these 

 tend purely to the gratification of the senses or to the 

 avoidance of bodily discomfort. But they originate 

 in the mind, and that is a great gain. But the higher 

 prudential considerations take into account something 

 higher than mere bodily comfort or discomfort. Ap- 

 probation and disapprobation are motives which weigh 

 heavily with the higher mammals. The lower pruden- 

 tial considerations are purely selfish. The higher 

 ones, which stimulate to action for fellow-animals or 

 men, show at least the dawn of unselfishness. And 

 the altruistic motives, which stimulate to action for 

 the happiness and welfare of others, predominate in, 

 and are characteristic of, man. The human will is 

 slowly rising above the dominance of selfishness. 

 With the dawn of the rational perception of truth, 

 right, and duty, the very highest motives begin to gain 



