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brute acts very suddenly, that that isdo be taken as a proof that it acts only 
by instinct and does not give some consideration to its acts. 
Professor MacDonald. — I have listened with great interest to Mr. 
Morshead’s paper, but I must say I object to his opening sentence : — 
“ There is no doubt that man, as an animal, physiologically considered, is 
superior to the other members of the animal creation ; but the superiority of 
his physical organization alone is not sufficient to justify us in assigning to 
him a separate place in nature.” 
I consider that man’s physical and psychical qualities place him 
naturally as far above vertebrate animals as vertebrate animals are 
placed above the invertebrate. Man is an animal, certainly, in his 
physical constitution, but in no way can he be naturally included within the 
class of brute animals. He is not merely superior to them, but he belongs 
to a higher class altogether. His spiritual and intellectual qualities place 
him far above them. Man is the only animal — supposing you are reluctant 
to allow me to remove him from the class — man is the only animal capable of 
apprehending infinity : he is the only animal capable of apprehending a God. 
Races of men may differ, some of them going down to a very low level of 
intelligence ; but whatever differences you may find among them in regard to 
the possession of the high qualities of humanity, yet still you will always 
find that even the lowest races of mankind are infinitely superior to even the 
highest creature among the inferior animals. There is one great distinctive 
mark of power which man possesses and which the lower animals have not — 
I mean the ability to construct offensive and defensive weapons. The lower 
animals have no power of making such weapons. They may be able to take 
up a stone or a stick, or some other missile lying in their way, and throw it 
out at anybody near them whom they are afraid of or wish to injure, or they 
may attack him with their offensive organs ; but they cannot construct an 
engine either to protect themselves or to be aggressive to any one who 
approaches them. That I conceive to be a strong reason for placing man 
in a kingdom separate from animals altogether, and therefore I object to the 
assertion that man is not entitled to “a separate place in nature.” Mr. 
Morshead goes on to say,— 
“ He is subject to the same general laws ; he is born ; he develops into 
maturity ; he eats, drinks, propagates his species, and dies ; and so far he 
is nothing more or less than an animal.” 
Why, the same thing might be said of a prawn, of an insect, and even of 
still lower members of the animal kingdom ! They are born ; they develop 
into maturity ; they eat and drink ; they propagate their species ; and they 
die. But all that does not make them equal to man. Then Mr. Morshead 
says, speaking of “ all animals, man included ” : — 
u The causes of sensation afforded by the world which they inhabit in 
common with ourselves being invariable, their organs of sensation are formed 
on the same principles as ours ; having the same relation to space and 
matter, they are furnished with suitable organs of locomotion, — and so 
forth.” 
