154 MENTAL EVOLUTION IN MAN. 



criticism that is not unlikely to arise. It may be suggested, 

 by way of objection to my views, that if all the foregoing 

 discussion is accepted as paving the way to the conclusion 

 that human intelligence has been developed from animal 

 intelligence, the discussion itself is proving too much. For, if 

 animals possess in so conspicuous a degree the germ of the 

 sign-making faculty, why, it may be asked, has this germ been 

 developed only in the case of our own ancestors ? 



In answer to this question I must begin by reminding the 

 reader, that during the course of the present chapter I have 

 endeavoured to make good the following positions. First, 

 that in the absence of articulation, or of the power of forming 

 verbal signs, the faculty of language is not likely to have 

 made much advance in the animal kingdom. Second, seeing 

 that words are essentially less ideographic, as well as more 

 precise than gestures — and, therefore, more available for the 

 purpose both of expressing and constructing abstract ideas, — 

 I do not think it is probable that in the absence of articu- 

 lation the human race would have made much psychological 

 advance upon the anthropoid apes. Third, that although 

 gesture language is not so efficient a means of developing 

 abstract ideation as is articulate language, it must neverthe- 

 less have been of much service in assisting the growth of the 

 latter ; so that where the power of articulation was present, 

 both systems of sign-making would have co-operated in the 

 development of abstract thought : in the presence of articu- 

 lation, gestures would themselves gain additional influence 

 in this respect. 



From these data there follows the important consequence 

 that only from some species of ape which possessed the 

 requisite anatomical conditions could the human mind have 

 taken its origin. In other words, the above considerations 

 are adduced to show the futility of arguing that, if the human 

 mind has been developed in virtue of the sign-making faculty 

 as this is exemplified in speech, we might therefore have 

 expected that from the same starting-point (namely, the anthro- 

 poid apes) some comparably well-elaborated mind should have 



