RATIONAL LIFE 263 



beginnings of organic life in the egg, the stages of 

 progress in embryonic history, animal activity de 

 pending on sensory nerves, brain, and motor nerves, 

 and even dependence on environment for nutriment 

 and for manifold conditions of life, all hold as to man. 

 It does not seem, indeed, that this seriously concerns 

 the pre-eminence of man, for we are all agreed with 

 Darwin in speaking of the dignity of manhood ; u and 

 we must make full account of this dignity. 



The first manifestation of a self-regulated life, lying 

 nearest to the field of research which has occupied us 

 hitherto, is found within the physical sphere itself. 

 The laws of physical existence do, indeed, apply to 

 the life of man, for he has his place among the 

 animals. But the dignity of manhood begins to 

 appear even here. This animal life of ours is a dis 

 tinctively human life, being a physical life rationalised. 

 Animal life here appears under conditions, and in rela 

 tions, found in no other case. The unity of our life 

 must be regarded; the animal and the rational are char 

 acteristic of the one life. To interpret human activity, 

 we must remark that the physical and mental are 

 quite distinct, yet the origin of all the more import 

 ant activity is from the rational power of man. The 

 rational life is the loftier ; its activity so far indepen 

 dent of the lower, that, as Descartes said, we can 

 think away the body, while that which thinks con 

 tinues its ordinary exercise. Even to the least cultured 

 intelligence, among uncivilised tribes, it has seemed 

 natural to think of the departed kinsman as living 

 and acting in another sphere. 2 Experience of the 

 difference between manual labour and personal re- 



1 Descent of Man, p. 46. 2 Tylor s Primitive Culture. 



