imals, and often quite elaborate.
In man, courtship is elaborate enough, but not definitely organized as
an instinct; and yet it follows much the same line as we observe in
animal courtship. It begins with admiring attention to one of the
opposite sex, followed by efforts to attract that one's attention by
"display" (strutting, decoration of the person, demonstrating one's
prowess, especially in opposition to rivals). Then the male takes an
aggressive attitude, the {148} female a coy attitude; the male woos,
the female hangs back, and something analogous to pursuit and capture
takes place, except that the capture may be heartily accepted by both
parties.

The "survival value" of this instinct is absolute; without it the race
would not long survive. But it has "play value" also, it contributes
to the joy of living as well as to the struggle for survival. There is
much in social intercourse, and in literature and art, that is
motivated by the sex impulse. Some would-be psychologists have been so
much impressed by the wide ramifications of the sex motive in human
conduct that they have attributed to it all play, all enjoyment, all
the softer and lighter side of life, even all the spiritual side of
life. One need only run over the long list of instincts, especially
those that still remain to be mentioned, in order to be convinced of
the one-sidedness of such a view. On the other hand, some moralists
have been so deeply impressed by the difficulties that arise out of
the sex motive, as to consider it essentially gross and bad; but this
is as false as the other view. The sex impulse is like a strong but
skittish horse that is capable of doing excellent work but requires a
strong hand at the reins and a clear head behind. It is a horse that
does not always pull well in a team; yet it is capable of fine
teamwork. It can be harnessed up with other tendencies, and when so
combined contribute some of its motive force to quite a variety of
human activities.

The parental or mothering instinct.

In many species of animals, though not by any means in all, one or
both of the parents stays by the young till some degree of maturity is
reached. In some kinds of fish, it is the male that cares for the
young; in birds it is often both parents. In mammals it is always the
mother. Instinctively, the mammalian mother feeds, warms and defends
her young. Just as {149} instinctively, the human mother does the
same. This instinctive reactio