Hypothesis of M. Frederic Cuvier. 365 



reverse M. Cuvier's position, " Plus le besoin, le sentiment qui 

 entrainent l'animal a agir, sont imperieux, plus aussi ses facultes 

 sont captives," and say the more imperious the necessity, the feel- 

 ing, which leads the animal to act, the more his faculties are free 

 and unrestrained ; or in other words, the greater is the measure 

 of Intelligence — not of Instinct ! 



It is, I think, plain from this statement, that it is impossible to 

 overcome this difficulty by reasoning upon appearances, or by 

 deductions from effects merely ; otherwise M. Cuvier would cer- 

 tainly have succeeded in establishing a theory to which ap- 

 pearances give so strong a support, and which is developed with 

 his accustomed talent. He seems nevertheless fully aware that 

 the essential causes of action, and their modifications, must 

 be looked at as principles, before any certain conclusions respect- 

 ing the point of mental separation between Man and Brute can be 

 arrived at. In p. 534, he sensibly observes, " C'est que ce ne sont 

 point les actions qui paroissent naitre de combinaisons profonde?, 

 de calculs compliques, de vues ingenieuses qui distinguent verita- 

 blement l'homme des autres etres intelligens ; nous trouvons, 

 comme nous venons de le voir, des preuves de l'existence de ces 

 actions chez les animaux les plus imparfaits, et a un degre que 

 hous ne pouvons peut-etre pas depasser de beaucoup : c'est la 

 liberie seule, la facnlte de connoitre, qui fait la veritable supe- 

 riorite de V intelligence humaineP 



This Liberty, and this Faculty of Knowing, are manifestly the 

 distinguishing attributes of Man : but if Brutes, in any degree^ 

 act from proper intelligence of their own, it is impossible to deny 

 them this liberty — this faculty of knowing ; and if granted in any 

 degree, the very nature of the faculty is such as to be capable of 

 indefinite extension. No man has ever yet assigned to it a limit; 

 nor, I am persuaded, ever will. The faculty is indeed essentially 

 incapable of limitation in the human mind ; and as far as we can 

 determine, it must be so absolutely. This fact will however re- 

 ceive illustration of a practical nature as we proceed. 



If the principle of free intelligence at all belonged to the Brute, 

 if unassisted, as in the case of Man, he could determine by means 

 of this principle upon a contingent act, he would be able to con- 



