The Swarm 
these flies, individually considered, pos- 
sess far less genius than the dog, the 
monkey, or the majority of animals; that 
they display far less docility, attachment, 
or sentiment; that they have, in a word, 
less qualities that relate to our own; and 
from that we may conclude that their ap- 
parent intelligence derives only from their 
assembled multitude; nor does this union 
even argue intelligence, for it is governed 
by no moral considerations, it being with- 
out their consent that they find themselves 
gathered together. This society, there- 
fore, is no more than a physical assem- 
blage ordained by nature, and independent 
either of knowledge, or reason, or aim. 
The mother-bee produces ten thousand 
individuals at a time, and in the same 
place; these ten thousand individuals, 
were they a thousand times stupider than 
I suppose them to be, would be com- 
pelled, for the mere purpose of existence, 
93 
