334
PARTISAN REVIEW
whether the dog was urged to do what he did by instinct or something
which is more than instinct. Clear recognition of this fact would, however,
make us realize the tremendous possibilities which exist for the re-estah·
lishment of a new and more primitive order. In the fascist countries, they
have succeeded in coming down to the state of barbarism, but there's no
reason to believe that we'll remain in that state for a thousand years.
Judging from how quickly humanity has come down the first steps, I think
we have a good prospect of moving backwards much more rapidly. Ac·
cording to Haeckel's law, our species worked itself up from below passing
through all stages in the evolution of the animal world before coming out
on top. Now the trend is definitely in the opposite direction. Downward
from above. Refraining from answering the question of in how short a
time we might arrive at the state of the link between man and ape, I ven·
ture to say that we will, if we hurry, be beyond it soon and become reptiles
before long.
Intricate problems such as the question of at what stage of the evolu·
tionary process living creatures begin to show signs of possessing reason
and a soul might be solved empirically as we are regressing. We would
only have to watch and see how quickly all signs of both are lost.
My poor dog looked worse every day. His fur was shaggy and soiled.
One could count his ribs and the other bones under his skin. His
lips
drooped forming what seemed like bags near the corners of his mouth
and exposing his lower teeth and jawbones. His tail seemed to have lost
all connection with his body and to perform little uncontrolled movements
of its own. His eyes were mostly closed. When he opened them they had
an abnormally bright gleam which dulled and soon disappeared com·
pletely. And yet, although he was a pitiful sight, he showed that he had
once been beautiful. He neither snapped nor barked nor grqwled when
people kicked him with their feet. This meekness often reminded me of
that of the human beings who suffer tortures at the hands of others and
never think of hitting them back. I thought he was a canine Tolstoian.
Sometimes I called him Severing, the name of the man who permitted the
Nazis to kick him out without dealing them a single blow.
The waiter on the Prado Terrace chased my dog away when guests
arrived. As little as a year ago, the dog had come there frequently with
his master. In those days the guests admired and petted the dog and the
waiter gave the well-fed animal morsels of meat and cake, for which kind·
ness he received an extra tip. Nobody could, at that time, have dared to
chase out the dog without meeting with the strong disapproval of every·
body who was present.
What determines our so-called aesthetic sense? Why do human
beings feel drawn. to beautiful and well-nourished creatures and recoil
from those who look worn and hungry? Do
they
act
rationally?
Or do
they merely follow the promptings of their instinct?
Many of the refugees in France went out peddling cheap stationery,
pencils and ties-although they knew that peddling without a license was
punishable and involved imprisonment or expulsion or both. Some of
