266 COSMIC PEILOSOFHY, [pt. ii. 



the increase of progressive communities, in size, in hetero- 

 geneity, and in reciprocity of intercourse. For this many-sided 

 development has not only entailed a relative weakening of 

 the more anti-social impulses and a complicated interlacing 

 of the interests of communities and individuals, but it has 

 also entailed a general widening and diversifying of intellec- 

 tual experiences, enabling men to realize the desirableness of 

 those remoter ends which are indirectly secured by concerted 

 action over wide areas. Thus in a high state of civilization 

 a large amount of concerted action is ensured by the opera- 

 tion of the ordinary incentives to individual activity, without 

 the aid of extraordinary incentives especially embodied in 

 governmental edicts, political, sacerdotal, or ceremonial. But 

 in a primitive state of society it is quite otherwise. It is 

 notorious that uncivilized men cannot be made to act in 

 concert save under the stimulus of loyalty to a chief, or of 

 reverence for some superstition, or of slavish obedience to 

 time-honoured custom. Hence in early times those commu- 

 nities are most likely to prevail, in w^hich loyalty, reverence, 

 and obedience are most strongly developed. From a military 

 point of view there are hardly any other advantages w^hich can 

 outweigh these. Eigidity in family-relationships is one in- 

 stance in which these advantages are manifested. A commu- 

 nity in which thepatriapotesfas is thoroughly established must 

 inevitably subjugate those rival communities in which kin- 

 ship is reckoned through females only. The common-sense 

 of the old historians perceived and insisted upon the fact 

 that much of the marvellous success of the Eoman common- 

 wealth was traceable to strictness of family-discipline. lu 

 like manner, as Mr. Bagehot has suggested, we may discern 

 the true social function performed by those dreadful religions 

 of early times which so naturally awakened l^xathing and 

 horror in such thinkers as Lucretius: they enforced, with 

 tremendous sanctions, such lines of conduct as were pre- 

 Ecribed by the necessities of the primitive community ; they 



