The Passing of the Phantoms — Charles Joseph Patten
The Passing of the Phantoms | Project Gutenberg You may copy it, give it away or re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.org . If you are not located in the United States, you will have to check the laws of the country where you are located before using this eBook. Title : The passing of the phantoms A study of evolutionary psychology and morals Author : Charles Joseph Patten Release date : November 6, 2025 [eBook #77186] Language : English Original publication : New York: E. P. Dutton & Company, 1925 Other information and formats : www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/77186 Credits : Produced by Donald Cummings and the Online Distributed Proofreading Team at https://www.pgdp.net (from images made available by the HathiTrust Digital Library). The Passing of the Phantoms | Project Gutenberg THE PASSING OF THE PHANTOMS OTHER VOLUMES IN THE TO-DAY AND TO-MORROW SERIES DAEDALUS, or Science and the Future By J. B. S. 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DUTTON & COMPANY 681 Fifth Avenue The Passing of the Phantoms | Project Gutenberg Copyright , 1925 By E. P. DUTTON & COMPANY All rights Reserved PRINTED IN THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA The Passing of the Phantoms | Project Gutenberg To W. J. N. V. PREFACE In this little book the author recounts, first hand, a number of instances—out of many more known to him—illustrating the evolution of the mental and moral faculties in lower animals. Animal behaviour is a study which at all times gives much pleasure and amusement; but its supreme importance and interest is found in the fact that it places in our hands the master-key which unlocks the secrets regarding the Evolution of Human Morality. C. J. PATTEN. The University, Sheffield. The Passing of the Phantoms | Project Gutenberg CONTENTS CHAPTER PAGE I. The Reality of Evolution 1 II. Evidences of the Evolution of Mental Powers 31 III. Evidences of the Evolution of the Moral Sense 53 IV. The Evolution of Human Morality 67 The Passing of the Phantoms | Project Gutenberg THE PASSING OF THE PHANTOMS CHAPTER I THE REALITY OF EVOLUTION The widening of the horizon of biological knowledge within recent years has been remarkable and has cast a flood of light on the question of ‘Man’s Place in Nature.’ At the present day well-informed persons have abandoned the idea of a ‘miraculous’ or special creation of man, yet it is curious to note with what tenacity tradition adheres, and how speculative theories and poetical imaginations to a large extent still prejudice the mind to shut out pure reasoning and rational philosophical thinking. While it has become very general now-a-days to accept the idea of evolution as that method by which man came to inhabit this planet, one still asks do most of us thoroughly grasp the principles of the doctrine which we profess to accept? While many of us do, still it would appear that there are others who vaguely accept the doctrine because it is becoming more fashionable to do so every day. That is to say man, a highly gregarious animal, is carried away to follow the strong leaders of the flock. But to get a clear conception of the wonders of organic descent one must insist that it is not enough to listen only to lectures: we must be students of Nature, endowed with a wholesome amount of scepticism, and not content ourselves with accepting en masse the evidence of others without verifying for ourselves as far as we can the revelations made in the study of the biological sciences. I introduce these few sentences at the outset because I wish to point out what a very strong attitude of mind in Evolution a reality favour of the reality of human evolution is fostered by those of us who have had the opportunities of making a special study of biology, more particularly when this includes a detailed knowledge of human anatomy and embryology. But it might be asked: Why then do our medical brethren who study anatomy in detail not act more fervently as propagandists of the theme of evolution? As a matter of fact, I have seldom met with a medical student who at the end of his anatomical course has not, at least in an unprejudiced and general way, accepted evolutionary principles; but, even if such fail to occupy a foremost place in his mind, it is not surprising considering the strongly utilitarian view he takes of the study in question. The medical student, and he who teaches the subject of anatomy from this utilitarian standpoint alone, obtain but a limited view of the great principles of human structure. This is brought home to us at once by taking one or two familiar examples. The medical student seldom stops to consider the significance of the presence of the mammary gland in the male. To him its presence is probably a matter of little import. But in the Evidence of Evolution from vestigial Sex-organs mind of the anatomist the question at once arises: Why is the organ there at all, if it be useless? And he finds by further examination in an early stage of the intra-uterine development of the individual that the gland is already pr