Chap. IV. Moral Sense. 119 



is no reproach with savages. Utter licentiousness, and ur- 

 Datural crimes, prevail to an astounding extent.^" As soon, 

 however, as marriage, whether polygamous, or monogamous, 

 becomes common, jealousy will lead to the inculcation of female 

 virtue; and this, being honoured, will tend to spread to the 

 unmarried females. How slowly it spreads to the male sex, 

 we see at the present day. Chastity eminently requires self- 

 command; therefore it has been honoured from a very early 

 period in the moral history of civilised man. As a consequence 

 of this, the senseless practice of cehbacy has been ranked from a 

 remote period as a virtue.*' The hatred of indecency, which 

 appears to us so natural as to be thought inpate, and which is 

 so valuable an aid to chastity, is a modern virtue, appertaining 

 exclusively, as Sir G. Staunton remarks," to civilised life. This 

 is shewn by the ancient religious rites of various nations, by the 

 drawings on the walls of Pompeii, and by the practices of many 

 savages. 



We have now seen that actions are regarded by savages, and 

 were probably so regarded by primeval man, as good or bad, 

 solely as they obviously affect the welfare of the tribe, — not that 

 of the species, nor that of an individual member of the tribe. 

 This conclusion agrees well with the belief tbat the so-called 

 moral sense is aboriginally derived from the social instincts, for 

 both relate at first exclusively to the community. The chief 

 causes of the low morality of savages, as judged by our 

 standard, are, firstly, the confinement of sympathy to the same 

 tribe. Secondly, powers of reasoning insufficient to recognise 

 the bearing of many virtues, especially of the self-regarding 

 virtues, on the general welfare of the tribe. Savages, for 

 instance, fail to trace the multiplied evils consequent on a 

 want of temperance, chastity, &c. And, thirdly, weak power 

 of self-command ; for this power has not been strengthened 

 through long-continued, perhaps inherited, habit, instruction and 

 religion. 



I have entered into the above details on the immorality of 

 savages,*' because some authors have recently taken a high view 

 of their moral nature, or have attributed most of their crimes to 

 mistaken benevolence.^" These authors appear to rest their 



^= Mr. M'Lennan has given °' ' Embassy to China,' vol. ii. p, 



'' Primitive Msii'viage,' 18B5, p. 348. 



'.76) a good colleution of facts on '° See on this subject copious 



this head. evidence in Chap. vii. of Sir J. Lub- 



*' Lecliy, ' History of European bock, ' Origin of Civilisation,' 1870. 



Morals,' vol. i. 1869, p. 109. ■"" For instance Leclty, ' Hist 



li^iurupean Morals,' vol. i. p, 124. 



