DARWIN AND HUMBOLDT. 



[329] 25 



history. The investigation possesses, 

 also, some independent interest, as an 

 attempt to see how far the study of 

 the lower animals throws light on 

 one of the highest psychical faculties 

 of man." 



The result of this investigation and 

 study has been to give, if not a new 

 point of departure to the science of 

 ethics, at least a completely new con- 

 ception as to the origin of the faculties 

 with which that science has to deal ; 

 and without attempting to discuss the 

 objections which have been raised 

 against the doctrine, or to enumerate 

 the points of contact between this 

 doctrine and older ethical theories — 

 to neither of which undertakings 

 would our present space be adapted — ■ 

 we may say in general, that, as in the 

 case of instinct, so in that of con- 

 science, we feel persuaded that Mr. 

 Darwin's genius has been the first 

 to bring within the grasp of human 

 understanding large classes of phe- 

 nomena which had been previously 

 wholly unintelligible. 



"The Expression of the Emotions 

 in Man and Animals" is an essay 

 which may be more suitably men- 

 tioned in the present division 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 accumulation 

 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 independent- 

 ly to a certain extent of Habit." It 

 is shown that the first of these prin- 

 ciples leads to the performance of ac- 

 tions expressive of emotions, because 

 " certain complex actions are of direct 

 or indirect service under certain states 

 of mind, in order to relieve or gratify 

 certain sensations desired, etc. ; and 

 whenever the same state of mind is in- 

 duced, however feebly, there is a ten- 

 den cy through the force of habit and as- 

 sociation 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 

 induced, there is a strong and invol- 

 untary 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 connec- 

 tion of the nerve-cells, and partly on 

 habit." All these principles 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 trans- 

 forming a character in psychology as 

 those which we have already con- 

 sidered, and although we may doubt 

 whether it gives a full explanation of 

 every display of expressive movement, 

 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 com- 

 pletely 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, 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 dis- 

 play the same qualities of thoughtf ill- 

 ness and accuracy which are so con- 

 spicuous 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 



