Survival of the Fittest. 451 
defend each other, would without doubt succeed the best and 
conquer the other. The advantage which disciplined sol- 
diers have over undisciplined hordes follows mainly from the 
confidence which each soldier has in his comrades. Obedi- 
ence is of the highest importance, for any form of government 
is better than none. Selfish and contentious people will not 
cohere, and without coherence nothing can be effected. 
Thus, a tribe possessing these qualities in an eminent degree 
would spread and be victorious over other tribes. But, in 
the course of events, or all past history is a myth, this suc- 
cessful tribe would in its turn be overcome by some other 
more highly-endowed tribe; and thus would the social and 
moral qualities tend slowly to advance and be diffused 
throughout the world. 
Praise and the blame of our fellow-men are much more 
powerful stimuli to the development of the social qualities. 
These virtues are primarily due to the instinct of sym- 
pathy, and this instinct, like all other social instincts, was 
doubtlessly acquired through Natural Selection. How early 
man’s progenitors, in the course of their development, became 
capable of feeling and being impelled by the praise or blame 
of their fellow-men, we are unable to say. Even dogs 
appreciate encouragement, praise and blame, and it would be 
strange if such could not be predicated of beings higher in 
the scale. The wildest savages feel the sentiment of 
glory. This is clearly shown by their preservation of the 
trophies of their bravery, by their habit of excessive boast- 
ing, and even by the extreme care they take of their per- 
sonal appearance and adornments. Unless, however, they 
regarded the opinion of their comrades, such habits would 
be without meaning and senseless. How far the savage expe- 
riences remorse, is doubtful. He certainly feels shame and 
contrition for the breach of some of the lesser rules of his 
tribe. It is true that remorse is a deeply-hidden feeling, 
but it is hardly credible that a being who will sacrifice his 
life rather than betray his tribe, or give himself up as a 
