. A dyspeptic gourmand is
helped by "cutting down his rations." In our mental disease we need
the same course of treatment. Let us read fewer books and papers and
think more about what we do read.

Society may foster original thinking; it is none the less opposed to
it.

"Yon Cassius has a lean and hungry look,
He thinks too much; such men are dangerous."

This is the motto of all great parties in Church and State. Still
social life has undoubtedly fostered thought. We think vastly more
and better than primitive man; still we have much to learn. Society
puts the experience of centuries at the service of every individual.
Poor and unsatisfactory as are our modes of education, they are a
great blessing intellectually and will become more helpful.
And, after all, the friction of mind against mind in social
life--provided social intercourse is this, and not the commingling
of two vacua--is a continual education of inestimable advantage. And
all these advantages would without language have been absolutely
impossible. Intellectually our debt to society is inestimable.

And how does social life aid man morally? I cannot help believing
that primitive society was the first school of the human conscience.
It was a rude school, but it taught man some grand lessons.

The primitive clan would seem to have existed as a rude army for
the defence of its members and for offensive operations against
enemies. Individual responsibility on the part of its members was
slight for offences against individuals of other clans, or against
the gods. For any such offence of one of its members the whole clan
was held, or held itself, largely responsible. If one man sinned,
the clan suffered. It could not therefore afford to pardon wilful
disobedience to regulations made by it or its leaders. Its very
existence depended on this strict discipline. And much the same
stern discipline has to be maintained in our modern armies or they
become utterly worthless.

Furthermore, man, as a social being, is very ready to accept the
estimate of his actions placed upon them by his fellows. It is not
easy to resist public opinion now. The tie of class or professional
feeling is a tremendous power for good and evil. It must have been
almost irresistible in that primitive army, which summarily outlawed
or killed the obstinately disobedient. But all obedience was lauded
and rewarded. It had to be so. And if the tribe was worthy to
survive, be