Survival of the Fittest. 45 1 



defend each other, would without doubt succeed the best and 

 conquer the other. The advantage which disciplined sol- 

 diers have over undisciplined hordes follows mainly from the 

 confidence which each soldier has in his comrades. Obedi- 

 ence is of the highest importance, for any form of government 

 is better than none. Selfish and contentious people will not 

 cohere, and without coherence nothing can be effected. 

 Thus, a tribe possessing these qualities in an eminent degree 

 would spread and be victorious over other tribes. But, in 

 the course of events, or all past history is a myth, this suc- 

 cessful tribe would in its turn be overcome by some other 

 more highly-endowed tribe ; and thus would the social and 

 moral qualities tend slowly to advance and be diffused 

 throughout the world. 



Praise and the blame of our fellow-men are much more 

 powerful stimuli to the development of the social qualities. 

 These virtues are primarily due to the instinct of sym- 

 pathy, and this instinct, like all other social instincts, was 

 doubtlessly acquired through Natural Selection. How early 

 man's progenitors, in the course of their development, became 

 capable of feeling and being impelled by the praise or blame 

 of their fellow-men, we are unable to say. Even dogs 

 appreciate encouragement, praise and blame, and it would be 

 strange if such could not be predicated of beings higher in 

 the scale. The wildest savages feel the sentiment of 

 glory. This is clearly shown by their preservation of the 

 trophies of their bravery, by their habit .of excessive boast- 

 ing, and even by the extreme care they take of their per- 

 sonal appearance and adornments. Unless, however, they 

 regarded the opinion of their comrades, such habits would 

 be without meaning and senseless. How far the savage expe- 

 riences remorse, is doubtful. He certainly feels shame and 

 contrition for the breach of some of the lesser rules of his 

 tribe. It is true that remorse is a deeply-hidden feeling, 

 but it is hardly credible that a being who will sacrifice his 

 life rather than betray his tribe, or give himself up as a 



