COSMIC PHILOSOPHY 



ings of regret and remorse, which are the fun- 

 damental ingredients of conscience. This part 

 of the subject has been ably treated by Mr. 

 Darwin, whose chapter on the Moral Sense is 

 one of the most profound and suggestive chap- 

 ters in his recent work on the " Descent of 

 Man." Mr. Darwin points to the important 

 fact, that, while the incentives to actions bene- 

 ficial to the community are always steadily in 

 operation, on the other hand the purely selfish 

 impulses, although frequently strong enough to 

 acquire temporary mastery over the others, are 

 nevertheless accompanied by pleasures that are 

 brief in duration and leave behind memories of 

 comparatively slight vividness. Now, when in- 

 telligence has progressed to a point where there 

 is some definite memory of particular past ac- 

 tions, the workings of the mind, with reference 

 to conduct, begin to assume a more strictly 

 moral character. Though at the moment of ac- 

 tion a man may yield to the desire of gratifying 

 hunger, or revenge, or cupidity, at the cost of 

 violating the rules enforced by social sanctions, 

 yet afterwards, when " past and weaker impres- 

 sions are contrasted with the ever-enduring so- 

 cial instincts, retribution will surely come. Man 

 will then feel dissatisfied with himself, and will 

 resolve, with more or less force, to act differ- 

 ently for the future. This is conscience — for 

 conscience looks backward and judges past ac- 



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