Page:Karl Kautsky - Ethics and The Materialist Conception of History - tr. J. B. Askew (1906).pdf/77

 strength as commands of duty. Nevertheless, that does not hinder in such a case a special impulse, say of self-preservation or of reproduction, being temporarily stronger than the social impulse and overcoming it. But as the danger passes the strength of the self-preserving impulse or the reproductive instinct diminishes, just as that of reproduction after the completion of the act. The social instinct remains, however, existing in the old force, regains the dominion over the individual, and works now in him as the voice of conscience and of repentance. Nothing is more mistaken than to see in conscience the voice of fear of his fellows, their opinion, or even their power of physical compulsion. It has effect even in respect to acts which no one has heard of, even acts which may appear to those nearest as very praiseworthy; it can even act as repugnance to acts which have been undertaken from fear of his fellows and their public opinion.

Public opinion, praise and blame, are certainly very influential factors. But their effect assumes in advance a certain social impulse—namely, ambition—they are not capable of producing the social impulses.

We have no reason to assume that conscience is confined to man. It would be difficult to discover even in men if everyone did not feel its effect on himself. Conscience is certainly a force which does not obviously and openly show itself, but works only in the innermost being. But, nevertheless, many investigators have gone so far as to point, even in animals, to a kind of conscience. Darwin says in his book, "The Descent of Man":—

"Besides love and sympathy, the animals show other qualities connected with the social instincts which we should call moral in men; and I agree with Agassiz that dogs have something very like a conscience. Dogs certainly have a certain power of self-control, and this does not appear to be altogether a consequence of fear. As Braubach remarks, 'A dog will restrain itself from stealing food in the absence of its master.'"