As, therefore, human discrimination is to that of the lower animals,
so the discrimination of the lower animals and plants is to that of
inorganic things. In each case it is greater discriminating power
(and this is mental power) that underlies the differentiation, but in
no case can there be a denial of mental power altogether.
Opinion and Matter
Moral force and material force do pass into one another; a conflict
of opinion often ends in a fight. Putting it the other way, there is
no material conflict without attendant clash of opinion. Opinion and
matter act and react as do all things else; they come up hand in hand
out of something which is both and neither, but, so far as we can
catch sight of either first on our mental horizon, it is opinion that
is the prior of the two.
Moral Influence
The caracal lies on a shelf in its den in the Zoological Gardens
quietly licking its fur. I go up and stand near it. It makes a face
at me. I come a little nearer. It makes a worse face and raises
itself up on its haunches. I stand and look. It jumps down from its
shelf and makes as if it intended to go for me. I move back. The
caracal has exerted a moral influence over me which I have been
unable to resist.
Moral influence means persuading another that one can make that other
more uncomfortable than that other can make oneself.
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