(1) At bottom, of course, lay the natural restlessness and passions
of men, the impatience of control, the longing for liberty, and the
craving for self-expression. The combative instinct, pride, obstinacy,
and notably the sex-instinct, were from earliest times spurring men
on to a disregard of the conventional and the formation of individual
standards.
(2) We may make special mention of the love of power over others, which
has been one of the deep roots of the perpetual internecine struggles
of man. There is a need of leadership in every group; and this need
is felt more and more keenly as the groups increase in size. At first
the authority of the elders suffices, or of strong men who push to
the fore at times of crisis, as in the case of the so called judges,
the military dictators, as we might better call them, of early Israel.
But as Israel, grown in numbers, and feeling the need of greater unity
and readiness, clamored for a king, so generally, at a certain stage
of culture, permanent chiefs of some sort become necessary. Now the
chief, enjoying his sense of power, usually imposed his will upon the
people; his individuality, at least, had more or less free play. And
thus, through the changing decrees of successive rulers, all sorts
of varying standards became realized, and the rigidity of early custom
was steadily loosened.
(3) In the hunting stage of primitive life, and even in the pastoral
stage, there was little private property, and hence little opportunity
for the development of the acquisitive instinct.
Pages:
56
57
58
59
60
61
62
63
64
65
66
67
68
69
70
71
72
73
74
75
76
77
78
79
80