Page:Popular Science Monthly Volume 33.djvu/774

754 existence, without prying curiously into its constituents. The power to dwell on the varying phases of the inner life, to analyze them, and to base the outlines of a system of intellectual and moral philosophy upon them, is the result of a high degree of culture and a habit of observing the operations and power of the mind.

It thus seems that what Dr. Hopkins demands as perquisites of personality, viz., consciousness, reason, and a moral sense, are all to be found, in some degree, entering into the constitution of the lower animals. If man is a person, with the accompanying rights growing out of his personality, so is an elephant a person, in his degree, and has his rights accordingly; so is a dog, or a fox, etc., each in his degree. In this manner the immense chasm which Dr. Hopkins has invented as existing between man and the lower animals disappears, and the whole realm of animated nature is restored to unity, as the product of the divine mind. This view, as Dr. Hopkins acknowledges (p. 100), is entirely in accordance with the opinions of the great majority of naturalists now living.

A few words, in conclusion, as to Dr. Hopkins's idea of man being formed for dominion over the whole lower world of sentient being. While we admit that his higher powers give him a certain amount of control over some of the lower and humbler creatures, it is to be borne in mind that innumerable millions of animals lived and roamed over the earth, through many geologic ages, before man appeared on the scene. Were they waiting all this time for their ruler? Man is a very recent animal, and does not go back, probably, further than the Tertiary period at the utmost. But, even since man appeared, his rule over the lower creation has been extremely limited. He has not exercised control over one in a million of the other orders of animals. Beyond a few animals he has been able to domesticate, his rule and kingship have been practically null. Dr. Hopkins feels this difficulty as to his theory when he says (p. 105), "In this sphere his dominion is evidently most limited and imperfect compared with what it would have been if he had not lost dominion over himself." If this is correct, it may be said in reply, that, since man has lost his dominion, it is needless to build up a theory upon the basis of his still retaining it.

believes that he can trace a direct derivation of the oldest characters used by the Chinese from the Chaldean cuneiform writing. This system, which had already become old and corrupted, came from Babylonia through Elam. Tseng-hieh, to whom Chinese tradition ascribes the invention of writing—Dung-kih, or Dunkih, in the oldest form of the name—was probably the celebrated Chaldean king Dungi, known for his numerous inscriptions, who is supposed to have lived about 2500