52 THE CONTROL OF LIFE 



holds in regard to capacities for making pictures or 

 imagery, remembering and associating these, for build- 

 ing up general ideas or concepts, and for relating these 

 experimentally to one another. Again it seems legiti- 

 mate to say that our common human inheritance 

 includes a number of fundamental appetites and instincts 

 which we share with all our fellows. Here, more than 

 in the field of intelligence, we recognise the touch of 

 common nature that makes all mankind kin. Among 

 the fundamental appetites are such as hunger and love. 

 Among the fundamental instincts are such as the self- 

 preservative instinct to avoid danger and resist assault ; 

 the maternal instinct to care for offspring ; and the 

 herd instinct or kin instinct leading to gregariousness 

 and solidarity. These instincts are very generalised 

 in contrast to the particularised instincts of, say, ants 

 and bees, for intelligent control has in big-brained 

 organisms taken the place of instinctive guidance. In 

 Man, in particular, the old-established hereditary 

 instinctive predispositions have an impulsive rather 

 than a directive role. The great difference between 

 man and man as regards instinctive predispositions is 

 in part due to the fact that the instincts are nowadays 

 in great part under-currents in Man ; they have to work 

 their way up through upper currents of controlled 

 thought which differ greatly with individuals. In 

 this connection a middle course must be found between 

 ignoring the part which the instinctive under-currents 

 play in human life and depreciating the controlling 

 efficacy of thoughtful consideration. It seems that all 



