COMPARATIVE PSYCHOLOGY 19 



accomplished by men, would be regarded as indications 

 of the possession of marvellous genius. In the brutes 

 they are regarded as the outcome of " mere instinct," by 

 which is meant an endowment acting blindly and in- 

 capable either of philosophic explanation or of modi- 

 fication. While the fact seems to be that instincts, as 

 they exist, are the result of inherited experiences ac- 

 cumulated through considerable periods of time; that 

 they may be modified, and are constantly being modi- 

 fied by new experiences; that they may be lost or 

 replaced ; and much more that we have still to learn, 

 many of the instincts of animals are so far removed 

 from any knowledge or faculty we possess, that they 

 are at present inexplicable. But man must learn to 

 say " I don't know " about a great many things still, 

 instead of assuming the validity of explanations which 

 are not true solutions at all, but mere assumptions. 



And at this point allow me to indicate a danger that 

 should make us cautious and modest in attempting to 

 explain the behaviour of animals. We infer from our 

 fellowman's behaviour similarity of motive and mental 

 processes to our own under like circumstances. We 

 find, the more experience we have, that we are often at 

 fault as to both. And when we are more free from the 

 thraldom of so-called systems and methods in educa- 

 tion, we may learn that the activities of the human 

 mind can not be reduced in all persons to precisely the 

 one plan, like so much clockwork. This may mar 

 somewhat the completeness and beauty of our philo- 

 sophy of education, but it may also in the end conduce 

 to human progress by providing the greater freedom, 

 and end in insuring an individuality of character which 

 seems to be now rapidly disappearing. Now, if indi- 

 vidual men so differ in psychic behaviour, how much 

 more is it likely that still greater differences hold for 

 the lower animals ! An objection may be based, how- 



