186 THE DESCENT OF MAN 



Bympathy with them, and to perform various services for 

 them. The services may be of a definite and evidently in- 

 stinctive nature, or there may be only a wish and readiness, 

 as with most of the higher social animals, to aid their fellows 

 in certain general ways. But these feelings and services are 

 by no means extended to all the individuals of the same 

 species, only to those of the same association. Secondly, as 

 soon as the mental faculties had become highly developed, 

 images of all past actions and motives would be incessantly 

 passing through the brain of each individual ; and that feel- 

 ing of dissatisfaction, or even misery, which invariably re- 

 sults, as we shall hereafter see, from any unsatisfied instinct, 

 would arise, as often as it was perceived that the enduring 

 and always present social instinct had yielded to some other 

 instinct, at the time stronger, but neither enduring in its 

 nature nor leaving behind it a very vivid impression. It 

 is clear that many instinctive desires, such as that of hun- 

 ger, are in their nature of short duration; and after being 

 satisfied, are not readily or vividly recalled. Thirdly, after 

 the power of language had been acquired, and the wishes 

 of the community could be expressed, the common opinion 

 how each member ought to a' for the public good would 

 naturally become in a paramount degree the guide to action. 

 But it should be borne in mind that, however great weight 

 we may attribute to public opinion, our regard for the ap- 

 probation and disapprobation of our fellows depends on 

 sympathy, which, as we shall see, forms an essential pa*-'^ 

 of th6 social instinct, and is indeed its foundation-stone. 

 , Lastly, habit, in the individual, would ultimately play a 

 very important part in guiding the conduct of each mem- 

 ber; for the social instinct, together with sympathy, is, like 

 any other instinct, greatly strengthened by habit, and so 

 consequently would be obedience to the wishes and judg- 

 ment of the community. These several subordinate propo- 

 sitions must now be discussed, and some of them at con- 

 siderable length. 



It may be well first to premise that I do not wish to 



