CONFORMITY TO ENVIRONMENT 185 



The primitive clan would seern to have existed as a 

 rude army for the defence of its members and for of- 

 fensive operations against enemies. Individual respon- 

 sibility on the part of its members was slight for of- 

 fences against individuals of other clans, or against the 

 gods. For any such offence of one of its members the 

 whole clan was held, or held itself, largely responsible. 

 If one man sinned, the clan suffered. It could not 

 therefore afford to pardon wilful disobedience to reg- 

 ulations made by it or its leaders. Its very existence 

 depended on this strict discipline. And much the 

 same stern discipline has to be maintained in our 

 modern armies or they become utterly worthless. 



Furthermore, man, as a social being, is very ready to 

 accept the estimate of his actions placed upon them by 

 his fellows. It is not easy to resist public opinion 

 now. The tie of class or professional feeling is a tre- 

 mendous power for good and evil. It must have been 

 almost irresistible in that primitive army, which sum- 

 marily outlawed or killed the obstinately disobedient. 

 But all obedience was lauded and rewarded. It had 

 to be so. And if the tribe was worthy to survive, be- 

 cause its regulations were better than those of its 

 rivals, or perhaps as nearly just and right as were well 

 possible, it was altogether best and right it should be 

 so. The voice of the people was, in a very rude, stam- 

 mering way, the voice of God. And those who sur- 

 vived became more and more obedient, and found 

 themselves, when disobedient, feeling debased, and 

 mean, and unworthy, as their fellows considered them. 

 And all this feeling tended to develop a conscience 

 in the individual answering to the estimates and regu- 

 lations of the community. 



