GENESIS OF MAN, MORALLY 



the brief and intermittent periods in which there 

 are helpless offspring to be protected. Now it 

 might be maintained that the complex intelli- 

 gence of the highest mammal led him vaguely to 

 recognize the advantage of associating in more 

 and more permanent groups for the sake of 

 mutual protection. From this point of view 

 Mr. Darwin argues that men were originally a 

 race of weak and mild creatures like chimpan- 

 zees, and not a race of strong and ferocious 

 creatures like gorillas, and were accordingly- 

 forced to combine because unable to defend 

 themselves singly. It is undeniable that man 

 is, relatively to his size, a weak animal ; and 

 there is much value in Mr. Darwin's sugges- 

 tion, in so far as it goes, to explain the origin of 

 gregariousness among those primates who were 

 the ancestors of man. Nevertheless it can hardly 

 be said to explain Sociality as distinguished 

 from Gregariousness. It may also be argued 

 that the superior sagacity even of the lowest 

 savage makes him quite a formidable antagonist 

 to animals much more powerful than himself. 

 Besides, the study of savage life brings out re- 

 sults at variance with the notion of man's primi- 

 tive gentleness. A strong case might be made 

 in support of the statement that uncivilized 

 man is an extremely ferocious animal, and that 

 among savage races, which certainly differ very 

 notably in natural ferocity of disposition, the 

 VOL. IV 129 



