MORAL SENSE. 135 



as a virtue,* The hatred of indecency, which appears to 

 us so natural as to be thought innate, and which is so val- 

 uable an aid to chastity, is a modern virtue, appertaining 

 exclusively, as Sir G. Staunton remarks,! to civilized life. 

 This is shown by the ancient religious rites of various 

 nations, by the drawings on the walls of Pompeii, and by 

 the practices of many savages. 



We have now seen that actions are regarded by savages, 

 and were probably so regarded by primeval man, as good or 

 bad, solely as they obviously affect the welfare "of the tribe 

 not that of the species, nor that of an individual member 

 of the tribe. This conclusion agrees well with the belief 

 that the so-called moral sense is aboriginally derived from 

 the social instinct*, for both relate at first exclusively to 

 the community. 



The chief causes of the low morality of savages, as 

 judged by our standard, are, firstly, the confinement of 

 sympathy to the same tribe. Secondly, powers of reason- 

 ing insufficient to recognize the bearing of many virtues, 

 especially of the self-regarding virtues, on the general wel- 

 fare of the tribe. Savages, for instance, fail to trace the 

 multiplied evils consequent on a want of temperance, 

 chastity, etc. And, thirdly, weak power of self-command; 

 for this power has not been strengthened through long-con- 

 tinued, perhaps inherited, habit, instruction and religion. 



I have entered into the above details on the immorality 

 of savages,]; because some authors have recently taken a 

 high view of their moral nature, or have attributed most of 

 their crimes to mistaken benevolence. These authors 

 appear to rest their conclusion on savages possessing those 

 virtues which are serviceable, or even necessary, for the 

 existence of the family and of the tribe qualities which 

 they undoubtedly do possess, and often in a high degree. 



Concluding Remarks. It was assumed formerly by phi- 

 losophers of the derivative || school of morals that the 



*Lecky, "History of European Morals," vol. i, 1869. p. 109. 



f " Embassy to China," vol. ii, p. 348. 



\ See on this subject copious evidence in ebap. vii, of Sir J. Lub- 

 bock, "Origin of Civilization," 1870 



For instance, Lecky " Hist. European Morals," vol i, p. 124. 



| Tins term is used in an able article in the ' Westminster Be- 

 view, "Oct., 1809, p. 498. For the "greatest happiness principle," 

 see J. S. Mil], Utilitarianism," u 17. 



