June 22, 1882] 



NATURE 



171 



large classes of phenomena which bad been previously 

 wholly unintelligible. 



" The Expression of the Emotions in Man and Ani- 

 mals" is an essay which may be more suitably mentioned 

 in the present article than in any of the preceding. The 

 work is a highly interesting one, not only on account of 

 its philosophical theories, but also as an extensive accu- 

 mulation of facts. " The three chief principles "enunciated 

 by the former are : (1) " the principle of serviceable asso- 

 ciated habits " ; (2) " the principle of antithesis " ; and (3) 

 " the principle of actions due to the constitution of the 

 Nervous System, independently from the first of the Will, 

 and independently to a ceitain extent of Habit." It is 

 shown that the first of these principles leads to the per- 

 formance of actions expressive of emotions because " cer- 

 tain complex actions are of direct or indirect service 

 under certain states of mind, in order to relieve or gratify 

 certain sensations, desires, &c. ; and whenever the same 

 state of mind is induced, however feebly, there is a ten- 

 dency through the force of habit and association for the 

 same movements to be performed, though they may not 

 then be of the least use." The second principle arises 

 because, " when a directly opposite state of mind is in- 

 duced, there is a strong and involuntary tendency to the 

 performance of movements of a directly opposite nature, 

 though these are of no use ; and such movements are in 

 some cases highly expressive." And the third principle 

 occurs because " when the sensorium is strongly excited, 

 nerve-force is generated in excess, and is transmitted in 

 certain definite directions, depending on the connection 

 of the nerve-cells, and partly on habit." All these prin- 

 ciples are more or less well substantiated by large bodies 

 of facts, and although the essay, from the nature of its 

 subject-matter, is necessarily not of so transforming a 

 character in psychology as those which we have already 

 considered, and although we may doubt whether it gives 

 a full explanation of every display of expressive move- 

 ment, we think there can be no reasonable question that 

 the three principles above quoted are shown to be true 

 principles, and therefore that the essay is completely 

 successful within the scope of its purposes. 



Lastly, we have to allude to the brief paper published 

 in Mind on the psychogenesis of a child. These notes 

 were not published till long after they were taken, so that 

 Mr. Darwin was the first observer, by many years, in 

 a department of psychology which — owing chiefly to 

 the attention which his other writings have directed to 

 the phenomena of evolution — is now being very fully 

 explored. The observations relate entirely to matters 

 of fact, and display the same qualities of thoughtfulness 

 and accuracy which are so conspicuous in all his other 

 work. 



On the whole, then, we must say that Mr. Darwin has 

 left as broad and deep a mark upon Psychology as he has 

 upon Geology, Botany, and Zoology. Groups of facts 

 which previously seemed to be separate, are now seen to 

 be bound together in the most intimate manner ; and 

 some of what must be regarded as the first principles of 

 the science, hitherto unsuspected, have been brought to 

 light. No longer is it enough to say that such and such 

 actions are the result of instinct, and so beyond the reach 

 of explanation ; for now the very thing to be explained is the 

 character and origin of the instinct — the causes which led to 



its development, its continuance, its precision, and its use. 

 No longer is it enough to consider the instincts manifested 

 by an animal, or group of animals, as an isolated body of 

 phenomena, devoid of any scientific meaning because 

 standing out of relation to any known causes ; for now 

 the whole scientific import of instincts as manifested by 

 one animal depends on the degree in which they are con- 

 nected by general principles of causation with the instincts 

 that are manifested by other animals. And not only in 

 respect of instincts, but also in respect of intelligence, 

 the science of comparative psychology may be said for the 

 first time really to have begun with the discovery of the 

 general causes in question ; while from the simplest reflex 

 actions, up to the most recondite processes of reason and 

 the most imperious dictates of conscience, we are able to 

 trace a continuity of development. A revelation of truth 

 so extensive as this in the department of science which> 

 in most nearly touching the personality of man, is of most 

 importance for man to explore, cannot fail to justify the 

 anticipations of the revealer, who in referring to psy- 

 chology, could "in the future see open fields for far more 

 important researches " than those relating to geology and 

 biology. If the proper study of mankind is man, Mr. 

 ! Darwin has done more than any other human being to 

 further the most desirable kind of learning, for it is 

 through him that humanity in our generation has first 

 been able to begin its response to the precept of antiquity 

 — know thyself. 



The series of brief articles whereby we have endeavoured 

 to take a sort of bird's eye view of Mr. Darwin's great and 

 many labours have now drawn to a close. But we can- 

 not finish this very rudimentary sketch of his work with- 

 out alluding once more to what was said in the opening 

 paragraphs of the series, and which cannot be more 

 terseley repeated than in Mr. Darwin's own words there 

 quoted with reference to Prof. H en slow : — "Reflecting 

 over his character with gratitude and reverence, his moral 

 attributes rise, as they should do in the highest character- 

 in pre-eminence over his intellect." 



In the gratitude and reverence which we feel in a 

 measure never to be expressed, we sometimes regret that 

 the ill-health which led to his seclusion prevented the 

 extraordinary beauty of his character from being more 

 generally known by personal intercourse. True it is that 

 the world has shown in a wonderful degree a just appre- 

 ciation of this character, so that many thousands in many 

 nations who had never even seen the man heard that 

 Charles Darwin was dead with a shock like that which 

 follows such an announcement in the case of a well-loved 

 friend; still it seems almost sad that when such an 

 exalted character has lived, it should only have been to 

 so comparatively few of us that the last farewell over the 

 open grave at Westminster implied a severance of feelings 

 which had never been formed before, and which, while 

 ever living among the most hallowed lights of memory, 

 we know too well can never be formed again. But to 

 those of us who have now to mourn so unspeakable a loss, 

 it is some consolation to think, while much that was 

 sweetest and much that was noblest in our lives has 

 ended in that death, his great life and finished work still 

 stand before our view ; and in regarding them we may 

 almost bring our hearts to cry— Not for him, but for 

 ourselves, we weep. 



