01-what is man-第15章

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guest　again。　　Gulls　do　not　rank　high　mentally；　but　this　one　had

memory　and　the　reasoning　faculty；　you　see；　and　applied　them

Edisonially。



Y。M。　　Yet　it　was　not　an　Edison　and　couldn't　be　developed　into　one。



O。M。　　Perhaps　not。　　Could　you？



Y。M。　　That　is　neither　here　nor　there。　　Go　on。



O。M。　　If　Edison　were　in　trouble　and　a　stranger　helped　him

out　of　it　and　next　day　he　got　into　the　same　difficulty　again；　he

would　infer　the　wise　thing　to　do　in　case　he　knew　the　stranger's

address。　　Here　is　a　case　of　a　bird　and　a　stranger　as　related　by　a

naturalist。　　An　Englishman　saw　a　bird　flying　around　about　his

dog's　head；　down　in　the　grounds；　and　uttering　cries　of　distress。

He　went　there　to　see　about　it。　　The　dog　had　a　young　bird　in　his

mouthunhurt。　　The　gentleman　rescued　it　and　put　it　on　a　bush　and

brought　the　dog　away。　　Early　the　next　morning　the　mother　bird

came　for　the　gentleman；　who　was　sitting　on　his　veranda；　and　by

its　maneuvers　persuaded　him　to　follow　it　to　a　distant　part　of　the

groundsflying　a　little　way　in　front　of　him　and　waiting　for　him

to　catch　up；　and　so　on；　and　keeping　to　the　winding　path；　too；

instead　of　flying　the　near　way　across　lots。　　The　distance　covered

was　four　hundred　yards。　　The　same　dog　was　the　culprit；　he　had　the

young　bird　again；　and　once　more　he　had　to　give　it　up。　　Now　the

mother　bird　had　reasoned　it　all　out：　　since　the　stranger　had

helped　her　once；　she　inferred　that　he　would　do　it　again；　she　knew

where　to　find　him；　and　she　went　upon　her　errand　with　confidence。

Her　mental　processes　were　what　Edison's　would　have　been。　　She　put

this　and　that　togetherand　that　is　all　that　thought　ISand　out

of　them　built　her　logical　arrangement　of　inferences。　　Edison

couldn't　have　done　it　any　better　himself。



Y。M。　　Do　you　believe　that　many　of　the　dumb　animals　can　think？



O。M。　　Yesthe　elephant；　the　monkey；　the　horse；　the　dog；　the

parrot；　the　macaw；　the　mocking…bird；　and　many　others。　　The

elephant　whose　mate　fell　into　a　pit；　and　who　dumped　dirt　and

rubbish　into　the　pit　till　bottom　was　raised　high　enough　to　enable

the　captive　to　step　out；　was　equipped　with　the　reasoning　quality。

I　conceive　that　all　animals　that　can　learn　things　through

teaching　and　drilling　have　to　know　how　to　observe；　and　put　this

and　that　together　and　draw　an　inferencethe　process　of　thinking。

Could　you　teach　an　idiot　of　manuals　of　arms；　and　to　advance；

retreat；　and　go　through　complex　field　maneuvers　at　the　word　of

command？



Y。M。　　Not　if　he　were　a　thorough　idiot。



O。M。　　Well；　canary…birds　can　learn　all　that；　dogs　and　elephants

learn　all　sorts　of　wonderful　things。　　They　must　surely　be　able

to　notice；　and　to　put　things　together；　and　say　to　themselves；

〃I　get　the　idea；　now：　　when　I　do　so　and　so；　as　per　order；

I　am　praised　and　fed；　when　I　do　differently　I　am　punished。〃

Fleas　can　be　taught　nearly　anything　that　a　Congressman　can。



Y。M。　　Granting；　then；　that　dumb　animals　are　able　to　think

upon　a　low　plane；　is　there　any　that　can　think　upon　a　high　one？

Is　there　one　that　is　well　up　toward　man？



O。M。　　Yes。　　As　a　thinker　and　planner　the　ant　is　the　equal　of

any　savage　race　of　men；　as　a　self…educated　specialist　in　several

arts　she　is　the　superior　of　any　savage　race　of　men；　and　in　one　or

two　high　mental　qualities　she　is　above　the　reach　of　any　man；

savage　or　civilized！



Y。M。　　Oh；　come！　you　are　abolishing　the　intellectual　frontier

which　separates　man　and　beast。



O。M。　　I　beg　your　pardon。　　One　cannot　abolish　what　does　not　exist。



Y。M。　　You　are　not　in　earnest；　I　hope。　　You　cannot　mean　to

seriously　say　there　is　no　such　frontier。



O。M。　　I　do　say　it　seriously。　The　instances　of　the　horse；　the

gull；　the　mother　bird；　and　the　elephant　show　that　those　creatures

put　their　this's　and　thats　together　just　as　Edison　would　have

done　it　and　drew　the　same　inferences　that　he　would　have　drawn。

Their　mental　machinery　was　just　like　his；　also　its　manner　of

working。　　Their　equipment　was　as　inferior　to　the　Strasburg　clock；

but　that　is　the　only　differencethere　is　no　frontier。



Y。M。　　It　looks　exasperatingly　true；　and　is　distinctly

offensive。　　It　elevates　the　dumb　beasts　toto



O。M。　　Let　us　drop　that　lying　phrase；　and　call　them　the

Unrevealed　Creatures；　so　far　as　we　can　know；　there　is　no　such

thing　as　a　dumb　beast。



Y。M。　　On　what　grounds　do　you　make　that　assertion？



O。M。　　On　quite　simple　ones。　　〃Dumb〃　beast　suggests　an　animal

that　has　no　thought…machinery；　no　understanding；　no　speech；　no

way　of　communicating　what　is　in　its　mind。　　We　know　that　a　hen　HAS

speech。　　We　cannot　understand　everything　she　says；　but　we　easily

learn　two　or　three　of　her　phrases。　　We　know　when　she　is　saying；

〃I　have　laid　an　egg〃；　we　know　when　she　is　saying　to　the　chicks；

〃Run　here；　dears；　I've　found　a　worm〃；　we　know　what　she　is　saying

when　she　voices　a　warning：　　〃Quick！　hurry！　gather　yourselves

under　mamma；　there's　a　hawk　coming！〃　　We　understand　the　cat　when

she　stretches　herself　out；　purring　with　affection　and　contentment

and　lifts　up　a　soft　voice　and　says；　〃Come；　kitties；　supper's

ready〃；　we　understand　her　when　she　goes　mourning　about　and　says；

〃Where　can　they　be？　　They　are　lost。　　Won't　you　help　me　hunt　for

them？〃　and　we　understand　the　disreputable　Tom　when　he　challenges

at　midnight　from　his　shed；　〃You　come　over　here；　you　product　of

immoral　commerce；　and　I'll　make　your　fur　fly！〃　　We　understand　a

few　of　a　dog's　phrases　and　we　learn　to　understand　a　few　of　the

remarks　and　gestures　of　any　bird　or　other　animal　that　we

domesticate　and　observe。　　The　clearness　and　exactness　of　the　few

of　the　hen's　speeches　which　we　understand　is　argument　that　she

can　communicate　to　her　kind　a　hundred　things　which　we　cannot

comprehendin　a　word；　that　she　can　converse。　　And　this　argument

is　also　applicable　in　the　case　of　others　of　the　great　army　of　the

Unrevealed。　　It　is　just　like　man's　vanity　and　impertinence　to

call　an　animal　dumb　because　it　is　dumb　to　his　dull　perceptions。

Now　as　to　the　ant



Y。M。　　Yes；　go　back　to　the　ant；　the　creature　thatas　you

seem　to　thinksweeps　away　the　last　vestige　of　an　intellectual

frontier　between　man　and　the　Unrevealed。



O。M。　　That　is　what　she　surely　does。　　In　all　his　history　the

aboriginal　Australian　never　thought　out　a　house　for　himself　and

built　it。　　The　ant　is　an　amazing　architect。　　She　is　a　wee　little

creature；　but　she　builds　a　strong　and　enduring　house　eight　feet

higha　house　which　is　as　large　in　proportion　to　her　size　as　is

the　largest　capitol　or　cathedral　in　the　world　compared　to　man's

size。　　No　savage　race　has　produced　architects　who　could　approach

the　air　in　genius　or　culture。　　No　civilized　race　has　produced

architects　who　could　plan　a　house　better　for　the　uses　proposed

than　can　hers。　　Her　house　contains　a　throne…room；　nurseries　for

her　young；　granaries；　apartments　for　her　soldiers；　her　workers；

etc。；　and　they　and　the　multifarious　halls　and　corridors　which

communicate　with　them　are　arranged　and　distributed　with　an

educated　and　experienced　eye　for　convenience　and　adaptability。



Y。M。　　That　could　be　mere　instinct。



O。M。　　It　would　elevate　the　savage　if　he　had　it。　　But　let　us

look　further　before　we　decide。　　The　ant　has　soldiersbattalions；

regiments；　armies；　and　they　have　their　appointed　captains　and

generals；　who　lead　them　to　battle。



Y。M。　　That　could　be　instinct；　too。



O。M。　　We　will　look　still　further。　　The　ant　has　a　system　of

government；　it　is　well　planned；　elaborate；　and　is　well　carried　on。



Y。M。　　Instinct　again。



O。M。　　She　has　crowds　of　slaves；　and　is　a　hard　and　unjust

employer　of　forced　labor。



Y。M。　　Instinct。



O。M。　　She　has　cows；　and　milks　them。



Y。M。　　Instinct；　of　course。



O。M。　　In　Texas　she　lays　out　a　farm　twelve　feet　square；　plants　it；

weeds　it；　cultivates　it；　gathers　the　crop　and　stores　it　away。



Y。M。　　Instinct；　all　the　same。



O。M。　　The　ant　discriminates　between　friend　and　stranger。

Sir　John　Lubbock　took　ants　from　two　different　nests；　made　them