120 "The Descent of Man" 



show that some of the most distinctive human characters are in all 

 probability directly or indirectly due to natural selection. With 

 characteristic modesty he adds 1 : "Hence, if I have erred in giving 

 to natural selection great power, which I am very far from ad- 

 mitting, or in having exaggerated its power, which is in itself 

 probable, I have at least, as I hope, done good service in aiding to 

 overthrow the dogma of separate creations." At the end of the 

 chapter he touches upon the objection as to man's helpless and 

 defenceless condition. Against this he urges his intelligence and 

 social instincts. 



The two following chapters contain a detailed discussion of the 

 objections drawn from the supposed great differences between the 

 mental powers of men and animals. Darwin at once admits that the 

 differences are enormous, but not that any fundamental difference 

 between the two can be found. Very characteristic of him is the 

 following passage : " In what manner the mental powers were first 

 developed in the lowest organisms, is as hopeless an enquiry as how 

 life itself first originated. These are problems for the distant future, 

 if they are ever to be solved by man 2 ." 



After some brief observations on instinct and intelligence, Darwin 

 brings forward evidence to show that the greater number of the 

 emotional states, such as pleasure and pain, happiness and misery, 

 love and hate are common to man and the higher animals. He goes 

 on to give various examples showing that wonder and curiosity, 

 imitation, attention, memory and imagination (dreams of animals), 

 can also be observed in the higher mammals, especially in apes. In 

 regard even to reason there are no sharply defined limits. A certain 

 faculty of deliberation is characteristic of some animals, and the more 

 thoroughly we know an animal the more intelligence we are inclined 

 to credit it with. Examples are brought forward of the intelligent 

 and deliberate actions of apes, dogs and elephants. But although no 

 sharply defined differences exist between man and animals, there is, 

 nevertheless, a series of other mental powers which are characteristics 

 usually regarded as absolutely peculiar to man. Some of these charac- 

 teristics are examined in detail, and it is shown that the arguments 

 drawn from them are not conclusive. Man alone is said to be capable 

 of progressive improvement ; but against this must be placed as some- 

 thing analogous in animals, the fact that they learn cunning and 

 caution through long continued persecution. Even the use of tools is 

 not in itself peculiar to man (monkeys use sticks, stones and twigs), 

 but man alone fashions and uses implements designed for a special 

 purpose. In this connection the remarks taken from Lubbock in 

 regard to the origin and gradual development of the earliest flint 



1 Descent of Man, p. 92. 



