282 Intranational and International Ethics [June-September 



nate these animal activities as instincts and we have indeed no evi- 

 dence that a conscious morality is at the bottom of these phenomena. 

 We have, however, to keep in mind that the harmonious relations 

 between animals are observed only among individuals of the same 

 species or race, or the same drove or swarm, whether they are pre- 

 sided over by a bell-wether, a queen or any other single leader, or 

 have a democratic form of government with several contending 

 leaders. Animals belonging to different species, races or strains 

 get frequently into ferocious fights as soon as they meet, or as soon 

 as there is a coUision of interests and instincts. There are therefore 

 sufficient reasons for assuming that the purely animal, instinctive 

 dement is involved to a considerable degree in the moral relations 

 between individuals of the same group of human beings which have 

 some efficient bond in common. 



Now let US look at the moral aspects which international rela- 

 tions present. The history of nations, civilized or uncivilized, con- 

 sists chiefly of a tale of more or less ferocious wars interrupted by 

 periods of peace. War is nothing but wholesale murder; but the 

 men of one tribe or nation who are murdering men of another tribe 

 or nation have no idea that they are committing crimes ; on the con- 

 trary, the more civilized individuals among the fighters are honestly 

 possessed by the conviction that they are performing a moral duty. 

 It is true that in times of peace Citizens of one country enjoy in 

 another country most of the Privileges enjoyed by the Citizens of 

 that country. This is guaranteed by treaties. There are also inter- 

 national laws which even presume to prescribe the mode of warf are 

 among the signatory powers. In time of peace a sincere friendly 

 intercourse frequently prevails between the individuals of various 

 nations. There are numerous international reunions for the pur- 

 pose of furthering human knowledge and general human interests 

 in all lines of human endeavor. All these facts may give us the 

 right to speak of international morality. Nevertheless, even peace, 

 especially peace in modern times and among civilized people, is prac- 

 tically nothing more than a truce during which nations are fever- 

 ishly active in preparing for the next war, preparing to slaughter 

 their apparent friends of to-day and to lead or to drive their own 

 men to be slaughtered. During peace the leaders of nations are 



