The Descent of Man

y the same instinctive motive, which made the
heroic little American monkey, formerly described,
save his keeper, by attacking the great
and dreaded baboon. Such actions as the above
appear to be the simple result of the greater
strength of the social or maternal instincts rather
than that of any other instinct or motive; for
they are performed too instantaneously for reflection,
or for pleasure or pain to be felt at the
time; though, if prevented by any cause, distress
or even misery might be felt. In a timid
man, on the other hand, the instinct of selfpreservation
might be so strong, that he would
be unable to force himself to run any such risk,
perhaps not even for his own child.
I am aware that some persons maintain that
actions performed impulsively, as in the above
cases, do not come under the dominion of the
moral sense, and cannot be called moral. They
confine this term to actions done deliberately,
after a victory over opposing desires, or when