Social Instincts Basis of Moral Sense 285 



had become as well, or nearly as well, developed as in 

 man. For, firstly, the social instincts lead an animal* 

 to take pleasure in the society of its fellows, to feel a 

 certain amount of sympathy with them, and to per- 

 form various services for them. The services may be' 

 of a definite and evidently instinctive nature, or there 

 may be only a wish and readiness, as with most of the 

 higher social animals, to aid their fellows in certain 

 general ways. But these feelings and services are by 

 no means extended to all the individuals of the same 

 species, only to those of the same association. Secondly, 

 as soon as the mental faculties had become highly 

 developed, images of all past actions and motives would 

 be incessantly passing through the brain of each 

 individual; and that feeling of dissatisfaction, or even 

 misery, which invariably results from any unsatisfied 

 instinct, would arise, as often as it was perceived that 

 the enduring and always present social instinct had 

 yielded to some other instinct, at the time stronger, 

 but neither enduring in its nature nor leaving behind 

 it a very vivid impression. It is clear that many 

 instinctive desires, such as that of hunger, are in their 

 nature of short duration; and after being satisfied, 

 are not readily or vividly recalled. Thirdly, after, 

 the power of language had been acquired, and the 

 wishes of the community could be expressed, the 

 common opinion how each member ought to act for 

 the pubHc good would naturally become in a para- 

 mount degree the guide to action. But it should be 

 borne in mind that, however great weight we may 

 attribute to public opinion, our regard for the appro- 

 bation and disapprobation of our fellows depends on"" 

 sympathy, which, as we shall see, forms an essential 

 part of the social instinct, and is indeed its foundation- 



