Two Views of Religion 49 



superficial view of the phenomenon. For, however 

 much man's religions may have been marred by intel- 

 lectual errors, superstitious beliefs, revolting cruelties, 

 or gross practises, at their core there always appears to 

 have been some glimmering of the principle of altruism ; 

 and progress, as we have seen, seems to depend on 

 altruism. Sacrifice seems always to have been accom- 

 panied sooner or later by self-sacrifice. The purely 

 selfish instinct of the individual has become merged in 

 the higher social instinct of the general welfare, whether 

 the general be confined to family, clan, nation, or race. 

 I confidently challenge any one to point out to-day a 

 single tribe of human beings so degraded, so degenerate, 

 or so undeveloped, that it has succeeded as yet in throw- 

 ing off this yoke of duty to the general good in more 

 or less limited degree. Even where man wanders about 

 in detached family groups of two or three at the most, 

 where he has not yet apparently risen to the tribal idea, 

 where his intellectual faculties are so low that he cannot 

 count above two, this sense of the religious duty of 

 subordination of the individual to the general family 

 welfare appears to prevail. He must occasionally 

 meet in common council; he must unite for common 

 defense. 1 Co-operation seems to be forced upon him 

 by the very conditions of his life. It would appear 

 to be precisely the same instinct of race preservation 

 which rules among the higher social quadrumana and 

 insects, but the distinction is that man raises it through 

 his ever-advancing reason from an instinct to an intel- 

 1 Descent of Man, vol. I. p. 81. 



