MORAL SENSE. 131 



rence of incest is duo to our possessing a special God- 

 implanted conscience. On the whole it is intelligible, that 

 a man urged by so powerful a sentiment as remorse though 

 arising as above explained, should be led to act in a manner, 

 which he has been taught to believe serves as an expiation, 

 such as delivering himself up to justice. 



Man prompted by his conscience, will through long habit 

 acquire such perfect self-command, that his desires and 



11 ,1 -i - .-\ i i i i I 



judgment of his fellows. The still hungry 

 still revengeful, man will not think of stealing food, or oi 

 wreaking his vengeance. It is possible, or as we shall here- 

 after see, even probable, that the habit of self-command 

 may, like other habits, be inherited. Thus at last man 

 comes to feel, through acquired and perhaps inherited 

 habit, that it is best for him to obey his more persistent 

 impulses. The imperious word ought seems merely to 

 imply the consciousness of the existence of a rule of con- 

 duct, however it may have originated. Formerly it must 

 have been often vehemently urged that an insulted 

 gentleman ought to fight a duel. We even say that a 



Eointer ought to point, and a retriever to retrieve game, 

 f they fail to do so, they fail in their duty and act 

 wrongly. 



If any desire or instinct leading to an action opposed to 

 the good of others still appears, when recalled to mind, as 

 strong as, or stronger than, the social instinct, a man will 

 feel no keen regret at having followed it; but he will be 

 conscious that if his conduct were known to his fellows, it 

 would meet with their disapprobation; and few are so desti- 

 tute of sympathy as not to feel discomfort when this is 

 realized. If he has no such sympathy, and if his desires 

 leading to bad actions are at the time strong, and when 

 recalled are not overmastered by the persistent social 

 instincts, and the judgment of others, then he is essen- 

 tially 9, bad man;* and the sole restraining motive left 

 is t>j fear of punishment, and the conviction that in the 

 kr'.g run it would be best for his own selfish interests to 

 ? e ^Ll^l^ j- others rather than his own. 



*Dr. Prosper Despine in his " Psychologic Naturelle," 1868 (tora. 

 >, p. 243; torn, ii, p. 169), gives many curious cases of the worst 

 criminals, who apparently have beer: entirely destitute of conscience. 



