

The Swarm 



these flies, individually considered, pos- 

 sess far less genius than the dog, the 

 monkey, or the majority of animals ; that 

 they display far less docility, attachment, 

 or sentiment ; that they have, in a word, 

 less qualities that relate to our own ; and 

 from that we may conclude that their ap- 

 parent intelligence derives only from their 

 assembled multitude ; nor does this union 

 even argue intelligence, for it is governed 

 by no moral considerations, it being with- 

 out their consent that they find themselves 

 gathered together. This society, there- 

 fore, is no more than a physical assem- 

 blage ordained by nature, and independent 

 either of knowledge, or reason, or aim. 

 The mother-bee produces ten thousand 

 individuals at a time, and in the same 

 place; these ten thousand individuals, 

 were they a thousand times stupider than 

 I suppose them to be, would be com- 

 pelled, for the mere purpose of existence, 

 93 



