The imputation of acting
by instinct cuts both ways. We, too, are creatures of instinct. We
breathe and eat by instinct: but we talk and build houses by reason.
And so may the birds. It is more philosophical, surely, to attribute
actions in them to the same causes to which we attribute them (from
experience) in ourselves. 'But if so,' some will say, 'birds must
have souls.' We must define what our own souls are, before we can
define what kind of soul or no-soul a bird may or may not have. The
truth is, that we want to set up some 'dignity of human nature;' some
innate superiority to the animals, on which we may pride ourselves as
our own possession, and not return thanks with fear and trembling for
it, as the special gift of Almighty God. So we have given the poor
animals over to the mechanical philosophy, and allowed them to be
considered as only mere cunningly devised pieces of watch-work, if
philosophy would only spare us, and our fine human souls, of which we
are so proud, though they are doing all the wrong and folly they can
from one week's end to the other.
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