THE BEGINNINGS OF SOCIAL EVOLUTION 133 



to the condition of the primitive human family. 

 Whether it was at first polygamous or monogamous, 

 or whether the family was at the outset communal, 

 with no rules regulating sexual relations except 

 caprice, are questions over which there has been no 

 little dispute. There is no definite agreement on 

 the matter to-day, although there is a growing ten- 

 dency to believe that the human family was very 

 early monogamous. 



It is clear enough, however, that the most prom- 

 inent feature of family life is the regulation of the 

 sexual relations. Among the lowest animals there is 

 no regulation. Among the higher animals, below 

 man, various methods of regulation are found, com- 

 munal, polygamous, promiscuous, etc. Among the 

 higher primates, man's closest allies, there is a ten- 

 dency toward monogamous relations. The individ- 

 uals live in family groups or small parties, and to a 

 certain extent the mating is such that each male has 

 his own female. If such a sexual relation occurs 

 among primates, it is likely that monogamy was the 

 first type of family relation among men. This con- 

 clusion is gradually being adopted to-day as probable. 



Be this as it WlSlj, it is known that there were two 

 powerful forces combining to form the primitive 

 human family. The first was the sexual instinct. 

 This instinct, that impels the sexes to seek each 

 other, is one of the most potent, if not the most 

 potent force influencing the higher animals, and it 

 always tends to bring about an association of indi- 

 viduals. Among all higher animals the sexual in- 

 stinct produces temporary unions ; among some birds 

 and apes it produces associations which approximate 

 those of the human family, but among animals such 



