2G6 COSMIC PHILOSOPHY. [p*r. n. 



the increase of progressive communities, in size, in hetero 

 geneity, and in reciprocity of intercourse. Tor this many-sided 

 development has not only entailed a relative weakening of 

 the more anti-social impulses and a complicated interlacing 

 of the interests of communities and individuals, but it has 

 also entailed a general widening and diversifying of intellec 

 tual experiences, enabling men to realize the desirableness of 

 those remoter ends which are indirectly secured by concerted 

 action over wide areas. Thus in a high state of civilization 

 a large amount of concerted action is ensured by the opera 

 tion of the ordinary incentives to individual activity, without 

 the aid of extraordinary incentives especially embodied in 

 governmental edicts, political, sacerdotal, or ceremonial. But 

 in a primitive state of society it is quite otherwise. It is 

 notorious that uncivilized men cannot be made to act in 

 concert save under the stimulus of loyalty to a chief, or of 

 reverence for some superstition, or of slavish obedience to 

 time-honoured custom. Hence in early times those commu 

 nities are most likely to prevail, in which loyalty, reverence, 

 and obedience are most strongly developed. From a military 

 point of view there are hardly any other advantages which can 

 outweigh these. Rigidity in family-relationships is one in 

 stance in which these advantages are manifested. A commu 

 nity in which the patria potestas is thoroughly established must 

 inevitably subjugate those rival communities in which kin 

 ship is reckoned through females only. The common-sense 

 of the old historians perceived and insisted upon the fact 

 that much of the marvellous success of the Roman common 

 wealth was traceable to strictness of family-discipline. In 

 like manner, as Mr. Bagehot has suggested, we may discern 

 the true social function performed by those dreadful religions 

 of early times which so naturally awakened !&amp;lt;/athing and 

 horror in such thinkers as Lucretius: they enforced, with 

 tremendous sanctions, such lines of conduct as were pre 

 scribed by the necessities of the primitive community ; they 



