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557
COMMENTARY
to be one of the latest moral acquisitions. . . . This virtue [concern for lower animals], one of the noblest with which man is endowed, seems to arise incidentally from our sympathies becoming more tender and more widely diffused, until they extend to all
sentient beings.2(p147)
558
In concluding the introduction to their edition of Descent of Man,2 Moore and Desmond wrote that some of
Darwins contemporaries who studied this book emphasized
the . . . humane aspects of Darwins Victorian values: duty,
selflessness and compassion.2(plvii) Darwins thinking about
compassion, altruism, and morality certainly reveals a different picture of this great thinkers concerns from that often portrayed by those unacquainted with his writings who
focus on the catchphrase the survival of the fittest (a quote
from Spencer7 not Darwin). Even some scientists are unaware of Darwins commitment to the unity of mankind, his
abolitionist convictions, and his intense interest in moral
principles and human and animal welfare.
Financial Disclosures: None reported.
Additional Contributions: I thank Janet Browne, Helena Cronin, and Erika Rosenberg for the critical reading of an earlier version of the manuscript.
REFERENCES
1. Darwin C. The Descent of Man, and Selection in Relation to Sex. New York,
NY: D. Appleton & Co; 1871.
2. Darwin C. The Descent of Man, and Selection in Relation to Sex. In: Moore J,
Desmond A, eds. New York, NY: Penguin; 2004.
3. Monroe KR. The Heart of Altruism: Perceptions of a Common Humanity. Princeton, NJ: Princeton University Press; 1996.
4. Leahy RL, Gilbert P. Compassion: Conceptualisations, Research, and Use in
Psychotherapy. London, England: Brunner-Routledge; 2005.
5. Mobbs D, Yu R, Meyer M, et al. A key role for similarity in vicarious reward.
Science. 2009;324(5929):900.
6. Lama D, Ekman P. Emotional Awareness. New York, NY: H. Holt; 2008:149.
7. Spencer H. Principles of Biology. London, England: Williams and Norgate; 1864.