208 DARWINISM STATED BY DARWIN HIMSELF. 



while the brain is impressible, appears to acquire almost 

 the nature of an instinct ; and the very essence of an 

 instinct is that it is followed independently of reason. 

 Neither can we say why certain admirable virtues, such 

 as the love of truth, are much more highly appreciated 

 by some savage tribes than by others ; nor, again, why 

 similar differences prevail even among highly civilized 

 nations. Knowing how firmly fixed many strange cus- 

 toms and superstitions have become, we need feel no sur- 

 prise that the self-regarding virtues, supported as they 

 are by reason, should now appear to us so natural as to 

 be thought innate, although they were not valued by 

 man in his early condition. 



The wishes and opinions of the members 

 of the same community, expressed at first 

 orally, but later by writing also, either form the sole 

 guides of our conduct, or greatly re-enforce the social in- 

 stincts ; such opinions, however, have sometimes a tend- 

 ency directly opposed to these instincts. This latter 

 fact is well exemplified by the law of honor, that is,, the 

 law of the opinion of our equals, and not of all our coun- 

 trymen. The breach of this law, even when the breach 

 is known to be strictly accordant with true morality, has 

 caused many a man more agony than a real crime. We 

 recognize the same influence in the burning sense of shame 

 which most of us have felt, even after the interval of 

 years, when calling to mind some accidental breach of a 

 trifling, though fixed, rule of etiquette. 



