THE LESSON OF EVOLUTION 19 



Psychological evolution consists of two parts. The 

 first is intellectual, and is found in all the higher 

 animals as well as in man. The second is ethical, and 

 is exclusively human. 



Intellectual evolution, like biological evolution, is 

 due to competition between different individuals and 

 the action of selection. We probably see the first 

 germs of ethical evolution in parental affection, which, 

 among gregarious animals of sufficient intelligence, 

 widened into social sympathy, and this in man gave 

 rise to the social or civic virtues. This advance also 

 appears to have been or, at any rate, may have been 

 due to selection, and the result was the emergence 

 of what is called utilitarian morality. Morality in the 

 strict sense of the term that is formal morality also 

 appears to have arisen from sympathy, but not by 

 means of selection. The long and constant use by 

 man of formal morality has made it instinctive and 

 has thus given rise to the conscience. 



How sympathy gave rise to the conscience is a 

 difficult problem, about which we know very little 

 at present ; for few people have taken up the study 

 of ethics from an observational basis. Darwin asks, 

 Why does man regret, even though trying to banish 

 such regret, that he has followed a natural impulse 

 rather than a higher ideal ; and why does he further 

 feel that he ought to regret his conduct, while such 

 a course never occurs to animals ? And he answers, 

 It is because the higher impulse, due to sympathy, 

 is continuous ; while the lower one, due to selfishness, 

 is temporary. And, comparing the transient impres- 

 sions of past indulgence with the ever-present feeling 

 of sympathy, he feels that he was mistaken in follow- 



