THE STUDY OF SOCIOLOGY. 351 



evidence, and even in spite of adverse evidence. Especially is this so 

 among those of little culture. Not only may we see that strength of 

 affirmation and an authoritative manner create faith in them, but we 

 may see that their faith sometimes actually decreases if explanation is 

 given. The natural language of belief in another is that which gen- 

 erates their belief not the logically-conclusive evidence. The depend- 

 encies of this they cannot clearly follow ; and, in trying to follow it, 

 they so far lose themselves that premisses and conclusion, not perceived 

 to stand in necessary relation, are rendered less coherent than by put- 

 ting them in juxtaposition and strengthening their connection by a 

 wave of the emotion which emphatic affirmation raises. 



Nay, it is even true that the most cultivated intelligences, capable 

 of criticising evidence and valuing arguments to a nicety, are not 

 thereby made rational to the extent that they are guided by intellect 

 apart from emotion. Continually men of the widest knowledge de- 

 liberately do things they know to be injurious ; suffer the evils that 

 transgression brings ; are deterred a while by the vivid remembrance 

 of them ; and, when the remembrance has become faint, transgress 

 again. Often the emotional consciousness overrides the intellectual 

 consciousness absolutely, as hypochondriacal patients show us. A suf- 

 ferer from depressed spirits may have the testimony of his physicians, 

 verified by numerous past experiences of his own, showing that his 

 gloomy anticipations are illusions caused by his bodily state ; and yet 

 the conclusive proofs that they are irrational do not enable him to get 

 rid of them ; he continues to feel sure that disasters are coming on 

 him. 



All which, and many kindred facts, make it certain that the opera- 

 tiveness of a moral code depends much more upon the emotions called 

 forth by its injunctions than on the consciousness of the utility of 

 obeying such injunctions. The feelings excited during early life tow- 

 ard moral principles, by witnessing the social sanction and the religious 

 sanction they possess, influence conduct far more than the perception 

 that conformity to such principles conduces to welfare. And, in the 

 absence of the feelings which manifestations of these sanctions arouse, 

 the utilitarian belief alone would be inadequate to produce conformity. 



It is true that the sentiments in the higher races, and especially in 

 superior members of the higher races, are now in considerable degrees 

 adjusted to these principles ; the sympathies that have become organic 

 in the most developed men produce some spontaneous conformity to 

 altruistic precepts. Even to such, however, the social sanction, which 

 is in part derived from the religious sanction, is important as strength- 

 ening the influence of such precepts. And, to those endowed with less 

 of moral sentiment, these sanctions are still more important aids to 

 guidance. 



Thus the anti-theological bias leads to serious error, both when it 

 ignores the essential share hitherto taken by religious systems in 



