54 THE DESCENT OF MAN [Part I. 



by the same instinctive motive, which caused the heroic 

 little American monkey, formerly described, to attack the 

 great and dreaded baboon, to save his keeper. Such ac- 

 tions as the above appear to be the simple result of the 

 greater strength of the social or maternal instincts than 

 of any other instinct or motive ; for they are performed 

 too instantaneously for reflection, or for the sensation of 

 pleasure or pain ; though if prevented distress would be 

 caused. 



I am aware that some persons maintain that actions 

 performed impulsively, as in the above cases, do not come 

 under the dominion of the moral sense, and cannot be 

 called moral. They confine this term to actions done de- 

 liberately, after a victory over opposing desires, or to 

 actions prompted by some lofty motive. But it appears 

 scarcely possible to draw any clear line of distinction of 

 this kind ; though the distinction may be real. As far as 

 exalted motives are concerned, many instances have been 

 recorded of barbarians, destitute of any feeling of general 

 benevolence toward mankind, and not guided by any re- 

 ligious motive, who have deliberately as prisoners sacri- 

 ficed their lives, 21 rather than betray their comrades ; and 

 surely their conduct ought to be considered as moral. As 

 far as deliberation and the victory over opposing motives 

 are concerned, animals may be seen doubting bet ween op- 

 posed instincts, as in rescuing their offspring or comrades 

 from danger ; yet their actions, though done for the good 

 of others, are not called moral. Moreover, an action re- 

 peatedly performed by us, will at last be done without 

 deliberation or hesitation, and can then hardly be distin- 

 guished from an instinct ; yet surely no one will pretend 

 that an action thus done ceases to be moral. On the con- 



21 I have given one such case, namely, of three Patagonian Indiana 

 who preferred being shot, one after the other, to betraying the plans of 

 their companions in war (' Journal of Researches,' 1845, p. 103). 



