COSMIC PHILOSOPHY 



concisely expresses it, " The state of hostility is 

 the normal state of the race in early times/' ^ 

 The environment of each little tribe is a con- 

 geries of neighbouring hostile tribes ; and the 

 necessity of escaping captivity or death involves 

 continual readiness for warfare, and the contin- 

 ual manifestation of the entire class of warlike 

 unsocial passions. While, on the other hand, 

 the tribe is so small and homogeneous, that the 

 opportunity for the exercise of sympathetic and 

 social feelings is confined chiefly to the conjugal 

 and parental relations. Nevertheless in the ex- 

 ercise of these feelings in these relations are con- 

 tained the germs of all subsequent social progress. 

 While without the limited sphere of the tribe 

 all is hatred, revenge, and desire to domineer, 

 within the limits of the tribe there is room for 

 the rudimentary display of such feelings as loy- 

 alty, gratitude, equity, family affection, personal 

 friendship, and regard for the claims of others. 

 Since these feelings can be exercised only within 

 family or tribal limits, it follows that the sphere 

 for their exercise is relatively small ; while as 

 the hostile or egoistic feelings are conformed to 

 the whole environment outside of the tribe, it 

 follows that the sphere for their exercise is large. 

 Hence, in this primitive state of society, the 

 egoistic feelings, being oftenest called into play 

 in the habitual occupations of life, will be most 

 1 Primitive Marriage^ p. 134. 

 298 



