THE RELIGION OF NATURE 



your coat-sleeve green you do not cause hundreds 

 of thousands of these to think about the " pain " 

 that they have suffered. (All will, I think, admit 

 this: but I have enlarged upon it, because it is 

 the only link in my argument which is not logically 

 self-evident.) 



4. Since the lowest forms of plants cannot think 

 about their own feelings, neither can the lowest 

 animals : because there are some of these very low 

 creatures which are, according to zoological defi- 

 nitions, " animals " at one time and " plants " at 

 another, and others which some rules of science 

 class as plants and others class as animals. 



5. Since there is no distinction between the low- 

 est animals and the lowest plants, the sensitive 

 movements of an animal of a slightly higher class, 

 such as a sea anemone, afford no evidence of con- 

 scious knowledge of its feelings, because the sensi- 

 tive plant shows equal sensibility. 



6. The sea anemone's method of capturing its 

 prey affords no evidence of conscious thought, 

 because the sundew plant catches prey by the 

 same method. 



7. The sea anemone's method of defending 

 itself by stinging affords no evidence of conscious 

 thought, because the nettle plant defends itself 

 by the same method. 



8. No other of the ordinary, instinctive actions 



[180] " 



