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The Descent of Man

The Descent of Man

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most remarkable and typical differences between<br />

savages and brutes." But not only can we<br />

partially understand how it is that man is from<br />

various conflicting influences rendered capricious,<br />

but that the lower animals are, as we<br />

shall hereafter see, likewise capricious in their<br />

affections, aversions, and sense <strong>of</strong> beauty. <strong>The</strong>re<br />

is also reason to suspect that they love novelty,<br />

for its own sake.<br />

BELIEF IN GOD—RELIGION.<br />

<strong>The</strong>re is no evidence that man was aboriginally<br />

endowed with the ennobling belief in the existence<br />

<strong>of</strong> an Omnipotent God. On the contrary<br />

there is ample evidence, derived not from hasty<br />

travellers, but from men who have long resided<br />

with savages, that numerous races have existed,<br />

and still exist, who have no idea <strong>of</strong> one or<br />

more gods, and who have no words in their<br />

languages to express such an idea. (74. See an<br />

excellent article on this subject by the Rev. F.W.

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