402]

+445. Modesty. Shame.+ Aristotle[1403] hardly rated shame as a virtue.
He said that it is only a passing emotion, "an apprehension of
dishonor." In his view virtues were habits trained in by education. He
deduced them from philosophy and sought to bring them to act on life. He
did not regard them as products of life actions. Wundt[1404] says that
shame is a specific human sentiment, because men alone of animals wear a
concealing dress on one part of the body when they wear nothing else. He
thinks that men began to cover the body in obedience to the sentiment of
decency. The facts here alleged are all incorrect. There are many people
who wear something on the body but do not cover the parts referred to
(sec. 447). It is certain that pet animals manifest shame when caught
doing what they have been taught not to do,--just like children. As to
dress, it would be an interesting experiment to let pet dogs play
together for a month, dressed in coats and blankets, and then to bring
one of them to the meeting without his dress while the others wore
theirs. Would he not show shame at not being like the others? A lady
made a red jacket for a Javanese ape. He was greatly pleased, buttoned
and unbuttoned the jacket, and showed displeasure when it was taken
off. He showed that it aroused his vanity.[1405] People who deal with
high-bred horses say that they show shame and dissatisfaction if they
are in any way inferior to others. It was recently reported in the
newspapers that the employes in a menagerie threw some of the beasts
into great irritation by laughing in chorus near their cages in such a
way that the beasts thought that they were being laughed at. Shame is a
product of wounded vanity. It is due to a consciousness, or a fear, of
disapproval. It is not limited to exposure of the body, but may be due
to disapproval for any reason whatever.

+446. The line of decency in dress.+ The line of decency, for instance
in dress, is always paradoxical. No matter where it may be drawn,
decency is close to it on one side and indecency on the other. A Moslem
woman on the street looks like a bundle of bedclothes. Where all women
so look one woman who left off her mantle would seem indecent, and the
comparative display of the outlines of the figure would seem shameless.
Where low-necked dresses are commonly worn they are not indecent, but
they may become so at a point which varies according to custom from
place to place and from class