ANIMAL ETHICS.

Grey River Argus, 8 May 1912, Page 2

ANIMAL ETHICS.

Since the day when the .ph.ilosop'hei Descartes 'pronbuueed all animals to be unconsc-ous maohines, without w^l and without „moral sentiinenvs, a 'grer.r,; development has ■ "taken -place .in our conceptions'with regard to the animal kingdom./ With the advent of Darwinism" the" Cartesian idea- received :■ its deathblow, and we were forced rto. admit thac the moral idea-s 'which" we so adin':red' in. our own species .existed, although in a less developed state, in the higher and even to some extent in the lower animals. A leading- naturalist, . Mr. Ernest Thompson Sevon, in a recent address delivered in London,, brought forward instances 'with a view to showing that.t'he%code of moral . commandments recognised by man held good for the" whole 'of "creation. He traced the evolution of monogamy among animals, pointing out the immense advantage assured to the young, of the monogamist animal, which had;tw.o adulfs to protect it, while the young of the polygamist animal had.. only • one and that of the weaker sex, The most vigorously monogamic of andmals- were the grey wolf.and^ the blue fox of Alaska, .. whichV"abs6lutely refused -to re-, mate if their first mates died-, and lived up to their. principles with such scrupulous, exactitude that a hunter in a report declared: — "Until we can break down the high moral standard of the foxes our profits will be greatly curtail cd." Many animas, a hare hunted by a weasel, or a moose by a" dog, show cd a strong" disposition, which was stronger according- as die animal was higher in the scale of development to throw themselves when m diro extremities on the mercy of a "higher 'power," namely, man. Most animals Mr. Se-.pir pointed out,- possessed a keen- propor-vy-senso. . Squirrels had their own trees, birds ..Appropriated certain articles, .and. would, fiffh: for their ownership. -Dogs in particular, showed a remarkable recognition of ; pioperty rights, arid had a very clear consciousness of :he 'sin of -trespass--ing. ' Mr'.'Setoh apparently considers; these facts make out a case foi- the re^ cognition of a high, ethiial standard amongs: certain animals.' ■ '

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