Mutual Aid · Chapter
II: The Ants explained
This chapter examines the mutual aid instincts of ants, drawing on the foundational work of Pierre Huber and subsequent confirmations by Forel, Lubbock, and Adlerz.
What happens
This chapter examines the mutual aid instincts of ants, drawing on the foundational work of Pierre Huber and subsequent confirmations by Forel, Lubbock, and Adlerz. It critiques attempts to downplay ant cooperation, such as those by Sutherland, and highlights the complex social organization of ant colonies, including the sharing of food and the formation of large 'nations' composed of multiple nests.
Themes in this chapter
Mutual Aid as a Factor of Evolution
The chapter provides extensive evidence of mutual aid among ants, including food sharing and cooperation between nests, supporting the idea that mutual aid is a key factor in evolution.
Sociability in Nature
Ants are presented as a prime example of sociability in nature, with complex social structures and cooperative behaviors that challenge the notion of a purely competitive natural world.
Critique of Social Darwinism
The chapter critiques attempts to minimize the importance of sympathy and cooperation among ants, such as Sutherland's dismissal of Huber's and Forel's work, countering the Social Darwinist emphasis on competition.
Characters to notice
- Pierre Huber
Author of 'Les fourmis indigènes', considered the best work on ants and a model of scientific research; his observations on mutual aid among ants were confirmed by later naturalists.
- Charles Darwin
Described Pierre Huber as an even greater naturalist than his father.
- John Lubbock
Conducted experiments on ants in artificial glass nests, initially critical of Huber's claims but later confirmed them.
- Auguste Forel
Swiss myrmecologist who began work intending to disprove Huber's assertions but ended up confirming them; his observations on ant mutual aid are cited.
- Alexander Sutherland
Author of 'Origin and Growth of Moral Instinct'; criticized for dismissing Huber's and Forel's work as sentimental anecdotes.
- Ludwig Büchner
Author of 'Mind in Animals', referenced by Sutherland in his critique of ant sympathy.
- Gottfried Adlerz
Swedish professor whose recent work on ants confirmed Huber's and Forel's observations, including experiments on inter-nest interactions and ant 'nations'.
- Maurice Maeterlinck
Author of an admirably written book on bees, though marred by metaphysical 'words'.
Key passages
“Darwin was quite right in describing Pierre Huber as an even greater naturalist than his father.”
Darwin correctly judged Pierre Huber to be a more accomplished naturalist than his father.
Highlights Darwin's endorsement of Huber's scientific stature.
“Mr. Sutherland ( Origin and Growth of Moral Instinct ) evidently began his book with the intention of proving that all moral feelings have originated from parental care and familial love, which both appeared only in warm-blooded animals; consequently he tries to minimize the importance of sympathy and cooperation among ants.”
Sutherland set out to show that moral feelings stem from parental care in warm-blooded animals, so he downplays ant cooperation.
Summarizes Sutherland's bias against ant mutual aid.
“Professor G. Adlerz gives also very interesting experiments to prove what Huber had already observed; namely, that ants from two different nests do not always attack each other.”
Adlerz's experiments confirm Huber's earlier observation that ants from different nests do not always fight.
Reinforces the finding of inter-nest tolerance.
