The origin and development of the moral ideasWestermarck, Edward
Philosophy
The origin and development of the moral ideas
Westermarck, Edward
Ethics; Ethics -- History; Prehistoric peoples
The following is one of the most striking instances of what
Professor Romanes regards as "conscience" in animals; it refers to a
terrier which had never, even in its puppyhood, been known to steal,
but on the contrary used to make an excellent guard to protect
property from other animals, servants, and so forth, even though these
were his best friends. "Nevertheless," says Professor Romanes, "on one
occasion he was very hungry, and in the room where I was reading and
he was sitting, there was, within easy reach, a savoury mutton chop. I
was greatly surprised to see him stealthily remove this chop and take
it under a sofa. However, I pretended not to observe what had
occurred, and waited to see what would happen next. For fully a
quarter of an hour this terrier remained under the sofa without making
a sound, but doubtless enduring an agony of contending feelings.
Eventually, however, conscience came off victorious, for emerging from
his place of concealment and carrying in his mouth the stolen chop, he
came across the room and laid the tempting morsel at my feet. The
moment he dropped the stolen property he bolted again under the sofa,
and from this retreat no coaxing could charm him for several hours
afterwards. Moreover, when during that time he was spoken to or
patted, he always turned away his head in a ludicrously
conscience-stricken manner. Altogether I do not think it would be
possible to imagine a more satisfactory exhibition of conscience by an
animal than this; for . . . the particular animal in question was
never beaten in its life." The author then adds in a note that "mere
dread of punishment cannot even be suspected to have been the motive
principle of action."[4] It may be so, if by punishment be understood
the infliction of physical pain. But it can hardly be doubted that the
terrier suspected his master to be displeased with his behaviour, and
the dread of displeasure or reproof may certainly have been the sole
reason for his bringing back the stolen food. Among {251} "high-life"
dogs, as Professor Romanes himself observes, "wounded sensibilities
and loss of esteem are capable of producing much keener suffering than
is mere physical pain."[5] But fear of the anticipated consequences of
an act, even when mixed with shame, is not the same as the moral
feeling of remorse. There is no indication that the terrier felt that
his act was wrong, in the strict sense of the word.
[Footnote 4: Romanes, 'Conscience in Animals,' in _Quarterly Journal
of Science_, xiii. 156 _sq._]
[Footnote 5: _Idem_, _Animal Intelligence_, p. 439.]
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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