396 The Morality of Nature 



This may still be observed in the growth of single-celled 

 life. We may know that there are creatures which never de- 

 parted from the pacific co-operative principle, to take up 

 the aggressive and destructive one. This motive always 

 has governed many races of gregarious peaceful creatures, 

 who have maintained themselves at least as successfully as 

 the militant. Therefore there is nothing new in the pacific 

 mode of action, it is the oldest. The new function now to 

 be looked to for future progress is the reasoning, in knowl- 

 edge conscious of the value of this mode, and of its relations 

 to itself. In this endowment it becomes possible to unite 

 in mutual support thousands upon thousands of persons, act- 

 ing under the guidance of a moral purpose. This means 

 the creation of a new conduct creature, operating in a new 

 sphere. It is greater and also higher, than that co-operation 

 by similarity of instinct, such as is shown by the gregarious 

 animals. 



Instinct develops altruistic action in high degree. But 

 the gregarious harmony is based only on the past, and 

 presents a successful survival of fitness. The new form 

 of altruistic co-operation frames its purposes in the future, 

 exercising the new power in addition to the old. 



Thus we find man with moral consciousness able to organ- 

 ize units of conduct in a high order, which we may still call 

 new, because it is even now but partially established, the 

 order of free moral unity of purpose. But we still see hu- 

 manity engaged in conduct and in organizations of mixed 

 types, partly free and partly compelled. Conduct is still 

 partly self -controlled and partly governed by superior force; 

 but the supplanting of the older method by that of self-con- 



