Your points are well made. I was just considering the passage as quoted, rather than in a larger context. As a response to Social Darwinism, and a demonstration of cooperative behaviours, it makes a lot more sense. I may have to add some of his writings to my reading list, although, as you can probably judge from the time it’s taken me to reply, I don’t seem to have much spare time right now!

Cats’ social behaviour, when there’s no resource shortage, is fascinating. They seem to go from hissing, growling and general agression at a new member to head rubs and purring remarkably quickly, although when food gets short all bets are off again. Dropping the agression is beneficial to the individual, as they’re less likely to be injured, and coincidentally helps the group. Cats are an unusual species in that they naturally form social groups where rest, but have individual teritories where they hunt. If you haven’t seen it before, you might enjoy a documentary series called ‘The secret life of cats’ by the BBC. They monitor various groups of cats to see how they interact and go about their lives.