This Simian World | Page 3

fixed than those of
the old Egyptians, and their industry is painful to think of, it's
hyper-Chinese. But we must remember this is a simian comment. The
instincts of the species that you and I belong to are of an opposite kind;

and that makes it hard for us to judge ants fairly.
But we and the ants are alike in one matter: the strong love of property.
And instead of merely struggling with Nature for it, they also fight
other ants. The custom of plunder seems to be a part of most of their
wars. This has gone on for ages among them, and continues today.
Raids, ferocious combats, and loot are part of an ant's regular life. Ant
reformers, if there were any, might lay this to their property sense, and
talk of abolishing property as a cure for the evil. But that would not
help for long unless they could abolish the love of it.
Ants seem to care even more for property than we do ourselves. We
men are inclined to ease up a little when we have all we need. But it no
so with ants: they can't bear to stop: they keep right on working. This
means that ants do not contemplate: they heed nothing outside of their
own little rounds. It is almost as though their fondness for labor had
closed fast their minds.
Conceivably they might have developed inquiring minds. But this
would have run against their strongest instincts. The ant is knowing and
wise; but he doesn't know enough to take a vacation. The worshipper of
energy is too physically energetic to see that he cannot explore certain
higher fields until he is still.
Even if such a race had somehow achieved self-consciousness and
reason, would they have been able therewith to rule their instincts, or to
stop work long enough to examine themselves, or the universe, or to
dream of any noble development? Probably not. Reason is seldom or
never the ruler: it is the servant of instinct. It would therefore have told
the ants that incessant toil was useful and good.
"Toil has brought you up from the ruck of things." Reason would have
plausibly said, "it's by virtue of feverish toil that you have become what
you are. Being endlessly industrious is the best road--for you--to the
heights." And, self-reassured, they would then have had orgies of work;
and thus, by devoted exertion, have blocked their advancement. Work,
and order and gain would have withered their souls.

VI
Let us take the great cats. They are free from this talent for slave-hood.
Stately beasts like the lion have more independence of mind than the
ants,--and a self-respect, we may note, unknown to primates. Or

consider the leopards, with hearts that no tyrant could master. What
fearless and resolute leopard-men they could have fathered! How
magnificently such a civilization would have made its force tell!
A race of civilized beings descended from these great cats would have
been rich in hermits and solitary thinkers. The recluse would not have
been stigmatized as peculiar, as he is by us simians. They would not
have been a credulous people, or easily religious. False prophets and
swindlers would have found few dupes. And what generals they would
have made! what consummate politicians!
Don't imagine them as a collection of tigers walking around on their
hind-legs. They would have only been like tigers in the sense that we
men are like monkeys. Their development in appearance and character
would have been quite transforming.
Instead of the small flat head of the tiger, they would have had clear
smooth brows; and those who were not bald would have had neatly
parted hair--perhaps striped.
Their mouths would have been smaller and more sensitive: their faces
most dignified. Where now they express chiefly savageness, they
would have expressed fir and grace.
They would have been courteous and suave. No vulgar crowding would
have occurred on the streets of their cities. No mobs. No ignominious
subway-jams.
Imagine a cultivated coterie of such men and women, at a ball, dancing.
How few of us humans are graceful. They would have all been
Pavlowas.
Like ants and bees, the cat race is nervous. Their temperaments are
high-strung. They would never have become as poised or as placid
as--say--super-cows. Yet they would have had less insanity, probably,
than we. Monkeys' (and elephants') minds seem precariously balanced,
unstable. The great cats are saner. They are intense, they would have
needed sanitariums: but fewer asylums. And their asylums would have
been not for weak-minded souls, but for furies.
They would have been strong at slander. They would have been far
more violent than we, in their hates, and they would have had fewer
friendships. Yet they might not have been any poorer in