第1章
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  \"THEmoreIthinkofit,\"saysMr。Ruskin,\"Ifindthisconclusionmoreimpresseduponme——thatthegreatestthingahumansouleverdoesinthisworldistoseesomething,andtellwhatitsawinaplainway。\"Inthesepagesanattemptismadetotell\"inaplainway\"afewofthethingswhichScienceisnowseeingwithregardtotheAscentofMan。Whethertheseseeingsarethereatallisanothermatter。But,evenifvisions,everythinkingmind,throughwhatevermedium,shouldlookatthem。WhatSciencehastosayabouthimselfisoftranscendentinteresttoMan,andthepracticalbearingsofthisthemearecomingtobemorevitalthananyonthefieldofknowledge。Thethreadwhichbindsthefactsis,itistrue,butahypothesisAsthetheory,nevertheless。

  withwhichatpresentallscientificworkisbeingdone,itisassumedineverypagethatfollows。

  Thoughitsstand-pointisEvolutionanditssubjectMan,thisbookisfarfrombeingdesignedtoprovethatManhasrelations,compromisingorotherwise,withloweranimals。ItsthemeisAscent,notDescent。ItisaHistory,notanArgument。AndEvolution,inthenarrowsenseinwhichitisoftenusedwhenappliedtoMan,playslittlepartinthedramaoutlinedhere。SofarasthegeneralschemeofEvolutionisintroduced——andintheIntroductionandelsewherethisisdoneatlength——theobjectistheimportantoneofpointingouthowitsnaturehasbeenmisconceived,indeedhowitsgreatestfactorhasbeenoverlookedinalmostallcontemporaryscientificthinking。Evolutionwasgiventothemodernworldoutoffocus,wasfirstseenbyitoutoffocus,andhasremainedoutoffocustothepresenthour。Itsgeneralbasishasneverbeenre-examinedsincethetimeofMr。Darwin;andnotonlysuchspeculativesciencesasTeleology,butworkingscienceslikeSociologyhavebeenledastraybyafundamentalomission。AnEvolutionTheorydrawntoscale,andwiththelightsandshadowsproperlyadjusted——adjustedtothewholetruthandrealityofNatureandofMan——isneededatpresentasastandardformodernthought;

  andthoughareconstructionofsuchmagnitudeisnotherepresumed,aprimaryobjectofthesepagesistosupplyatleasttheaccentsforsuchascheme。

  Beyondanattemptedreadjustmentoftheaccentsthereisnothinghereforthespecialist——except,itmaybe,thereflectionofhisownwork。Nor,apartfromTeleology,isthereanythingforthetheologian。

  Thelimitationsofalecture-audiencemadethetreatmentofsuchthemesasmightappealtohimimpossible;whileowingtothebrevityofthecourse,theAscenthadtobestoppedatapointwhereallthehigherinterestbegins。

  AllthatthepresentvolumecoversistheAscentofMan,theIndividual,duringtheearlierstagesofhisevolution。Itisastudyinembryos,inrudiments,ininstallations;thesceneistheprimevalforest;thedate,theworld\'sdawn。TracinghisriseasfarasFamilyLife,thishistorydoesnotevenfollowhimintotheTribe;andasitisonlythenthatsocialandmorallifebegininearnest,noformaldiscussionofthesehighthemesoccurs。AllthehigherforcesandphenomenawithwhichthesciencesofPsychology,Ethics,andTheologyusuallydealcomeontheworld\'sstageatalaterdate,andnooneneedbesurprisedifthesemi-savagewithwhomweleaveoffisfoundwantinginsomanyofthehigherpotentialitiesofahumanbeing。

  TheAscentofMankind,asdistinguishedfromtheAscentoftheIndividual,wasoriginallysummarizedinoneortwoclosinglectures,butthisstupendoussubjectwouldrequireavolumeforitself,andthesefragmentshavebeenomittedforthepresent。Doubtlessitmaydisappointsomethatatthecloseofallthebewilderingvicissitudesrecordedhere,Manshouldappear,afterall,sopooracreature。Butthegreatlinesofhisyoutharethelinesofhismaturity,anditisonlybystudyingthese,inthemselvesandinwhattheyconnote,thatthenatureofEvolutionandthequalityofHumanprogresscanbeperceived。

  HENRYDRUMMOND。

  TheAscentofMan-CONTENTSCONTENTSINTRODUCTIONI。EVOLUTIONINGENERAL

  II。THEMISSINGFACTORINCURRENTTHEORIES

  III。WHYWASEVOLUTIONTHEMETHODCHOSEN?

  IV。EVOLUTIONANDSOCIOLOGYCHAPTERITHEASCENTOFTHEBODYCHAPTERIITHESCAFFOLDINGLEFTINTHEBODYCHAPTERIIITHEARRESTOFTHEBODYCHAPTERIVTHEDAWNOFMINDCHAPTERVTHEEVOLUTIONOFLANGUAGECHAPTERVITHESTRUGGLEFORLIFECHAPTERVIITHESTRUGGLEFORTHELIFEOFOTHERSCHAPTERVIIITHEEVOLUTIONOFAMOTHERCHAPTERIXTHEEVOLUTIONOFAFATHERCHAPTERXINVOLUTION

  TheAscentofMan-INTRODUCTIONINTRODUCTIONIEVOLUTIONINGENERALTHElastromanceofScience,themostdaringithasevertriedtopen,istheStoryoftheAscentofMan。Withheldfromallthewistfuleyesthathavegonebefore,whosereverentignoranceforbadetheirwisestmindstoasktoseeit,thisfinalvolumeofNaturalHistoryhasbeguntoopenwithourcentury\'sclose。

  InthemonographsofHisandMinot,theEmbryologyofManhasalreadyreceivedajustexpression;DarwinandHaeckelhavetracedtheoriginoftheAnimal-Body;

  theresearchesofRomanesmarkabeginningwiththeEvolutionofMind;

  HerbertSpencerhaselaboratedtheoriesofthedevelopmentofMorals;EdwardCairdoftheEvolutionofReligion。Supplementingthecontributionsoftheseauthorities,verifying,criticizing,combating,rebutting,thereworksamultitudeofotherswhohavedevotedtheirlivestothesamerichproblems,andalreadyeverychapterofthebewilderingstoryhasfounditseditors。

  Yet,singularthoughtheomissionmayseem,noconnectedoutlineofthisgreatdramahasyetbeengivenus。Theseresearches,preliminaryreconnaissancesthoughtheybe,aresurelyworthyofbeinglookeduponasawhole。Noonecansaythatthismultitudeofobserversisnotinearnest,northeirworkhonest,northeirmethodscompetenttothelastpowersofscience。Whatevertheuncertaintyofthefield,itisduetothesepioneermindstotreattheirlabourwithrespect。Whattheyseeintheunexploredlandinwhichtheytravelbelongstotheworld。Byjustsuchmethods,andbyjustsuchmen,themapoftheworldofthoughtisfilledin——herefromthetracingupofsomegreatriver,therefromabearingtakenroughlyinadarkenedsky,yonderfromasuddenglintofthesunonafar-offmountain-peak,orbyaswiftinductionofanadventurousmindfromamomentaryglimpseofanaturallaw。Soknowledgegrows;andinacenturywhichhasaddedtothesumofhumanlearningmorethanallthecenturiesthatarepast,itisnottobeconceivedthatsomefurtherrevelationshouldnotawaitusonthehighestthemesofall。

  ThedayisforeverpastwhenscienceneedapologizefortreatingManasanobjectofnaturalresearch。Hamlet\'s\"beingoflargediscourse,lookingbeforeandafter\"iswithalapartofNature,andcanbemadeneitherlargernorsmaller,anticipatelessnorprophesyless,becauseweinvestigate,andperhapsdiscover,thesecretofhispast。

  Andshouldthatpastbeprovedtoberelatedinundreamed-ofwaystothatofallotherthingsinNature,\"allotherthings\"havethattogainbythealliancewhichphilosophyandtheologyforcenturieshavestriventowinforthem。Everystepintheproofoftheonenessinauniversalevolutionaryprocessofthisdivinehumanityofoursisastepintheproofofthedivinityofalllowerthings。Andwhatisofinfinitelygreatermoment,eachfootprintdiscoveredintheAscentofManisaguidetothesteptobetakennext。

  Todiscovertherationaleofsocialprogressistheambitionofthisage。

  Thereisanextraordinaryhumaninterestabroadaboutthispresentworlditself,ayearningdesire,notfromcuriousbutforpracticalreasons,tofindsomelightuponthecourse;andasthegoalcomesnearertheeagernesspassesintosuspensetoknowtheshortestandthequickestroadtoreachit。HencetheAscentofManisnotonlythenoblestproblemwhichsciencecaneverstudy,butthepracticalbearingsofthisthemearegreatbeyondanyotherontherollofknowledge。

  Nowthatthefirstrashrushoftheevolutionaryinvasionispast,andthesinsofitsyouthatonedforbysoberconcession,Evolutionisseentobeneithermorenorlessthanthestoryofcreationastoldbythosewhoknowitbest。\"Evolution,\"saysMr。Huxley,\"ordevelopmentisatpresentemployedinbiologyasageneralnameforthehistoryofthestepsbywhichanylivingbeinghasacquiredthemorphologicalandthephysiologicalcharacterswhichdistinguishit。\"[1]ThoughappliedspecificallytoplantsandanimalsthisdefinitionexpressesthechiefsenseinwhichEvolutionistobeusedscientificallyatpresent。

  Weshallusetheword,nodoubt,inothersofitsmanysenses;butafterallthebloodspilt,Evolutionissimply\"history,\"a\"historyofsteps,\"

  a\"generalname\"forthehistoryofthestepsbywhichtheworldhascometobewhatitis。Accordingtothisgeneraldefinition,thestoryofEvolutionisnarrative。Itmaybewronglytold;itmaybecoloured,exaggerated,over-orunder-statedliketherecordofanyothersetoffacts;itmaybetoldwithatheologicalbiasorwithananti-theologicalbias;theoriesoftheprocessmaybeaddedbythisthinkerorbythat;butthesearenotofthesubstanceofthestory。WhetherhistoryistoldbyaGibbonoraGreenthefactsremain,andwhetherEvolutionbetoldbyaHaeckeloraWallaceweacceptthenarrativesofarasitisarenderingofNature,andnomore。Itistrue,beforethisstorycanbefullytold,centuriesstillmustpass。Atpresentthereisnotachapteroftherecordthatiswhollyfinished。Themanuscriptisalreadywornwitherasures,thewritingisoftenblurred,theverylanguageisuncouthandstrange。Yetevennowtheoutlineofacontinuousstoryisbeginningtoappear——astorywhosechiefcredentialliesinthefactthatnoimaginationofmancouldhavedesignedaspectaclesowonderful,orworkedoutaplotatoncesointricateandsotranscendentlysimple。

  Thisstorywillbeoutlinedherepartlyforthestoryandpartlyforapurpose。Ahistoriandarenothaveaprejudice,buthecannotescapeapurpose——thepurpose,consciousorunconscious,ofunfoldingthepurposewhichliesbehindthefactswhichhenarrates。

  Theinterestofadrama——theauthorshipoftheplayapart——isintheplayers,theircharacter,theirmotives,andthetendencyoftheiraction。Itisimpossibletotreattheseplayersasautomata。Evenifautomata,thoseintheaudiencearenot。Hence,whereinterpretationseemslawful,orcommentwarrantedbythefacts,neitherwillhewithheld。

  TogiveanaccountofEvolution,itneedscarcelyberemarked,isnottoaccountforit。NolivingthinkerhasyetfounditpossibletoaccountforEvolution。Mr。HerbertSpencer\'sfamousdefinitionofEvolutionas\"achangefromanindefiniteincoherenthomogeneitytoadefinitecoherentheterogeneitythroughcontinuousdifferentiationsandintegrations\"[2]——theformulaofwhichtheContemporaryReviewerremarkedthat\"theuniversemaywellhaveheavedasighofreliefwhen,throughthecerebrationofaneminentthinker,ithadbeendeliveredofthisaccountofitself\"——issimplyasummaryofresults,andthrowsnolight,thoughitisoftensupposedtodoso,uponultimatecauses。Whileitistrue,asMr。Wallaceaffirmsinhislatestwork,that\"Descentwithmodificationisnowuniversallyacceptedastheorderofnatureintheorganicworld,\"thereiseverywhereatthismomentthemostdisturbinguncertaintyastohowtheAscentevenofspecieshasbeenbroughtabout。TheattacksontheDarwiniantheoryfromtheoutsidewereneversokeenasarethecontroversiesnowraginginscientificcircles,overthefundamentalprinciplesofDarwinismitself。

  Onatleasttwomainpoints——sexualselectionandtheoriginofthehighermentalcharacteristicsofman——MrAlfredRusselWallace,co-discovererwithDarwinoftheprincipleofNaturalSelectionthoughhebe,directlyopposeshiscolleague。ThepowerfulattackofWeismannontheDarwinianassumptionoftheinheritabilityofacquiredcharactershasopenedoneoftheliveliestcontroversiesofrecentyears,andthewholefieldofscienceishotwithcontroversiesanddiscussions。Inhis`GermPlasm,\'

  theGermannaturalistbelieveshimselftohavefinallydisposedofbothDarwin\'s\"gemmules\"andHerbertSpencer\'s\"primordialunits,\"whileEimerbreaksalancewithWeismannindefenceofDarwin,andHerbertSpencerrepliesforhimself,assuringusthat\"eithertherehasbeeninheritanceofacquiredcharactersortherehasbeennoevolution。\"

  ItisthegreatestcomplimenttoDarwinismthatitshouldhavesurvivedtodeservethiseraofcriticism。MeantimeallprudentmencanbutholdtheirjudgmentinsuspensebothastothatspecifictheoryofonedepartmentofEvolutionwhichiscalledDarwinism,andastothefactorsandcausesofEvolutionitself。NooneasksmoreofEvolutionatpresentthanpermissiontouseitasaworkingtheory。

  UndoubtedlytherearecasesnowbeforeSciencewhereitismorethantheory——thedemonstrationfromYale,forinstance,oftheEvolutionoftheHorse;andfromSteinheimofthetransmutationofPlanorbis。Inthesecasesthemissinglinkshavecomeinoneafteranother,andinseriessoperfect,thattheevidencefortheirevolutionisirresistible。\"OntheevidenceofPalaeontology,\"

  saysMr。HuxleyintheEncyclopaediaBritannica,\"theevolutionofmanyexistingformsofanimallifefromtheirpredecessorsisnolongeranhypothesisbutanhistoricalfact。\"AndevenastoMan,mostnaturalistsagreewithMr。Wallacewho\"fullyacceptsMr。Darwin\'sconclusionastotheessentialidentityofMan\'sbodilystructurewiththatofthehighermammaliaandhisdescentfromsomeancestralformcommontomanandtheanthropoidapes,\"for\"theevidenceofsuchdescentappearsoverwhelmingandconclusive。\"[3]ButastothedevelopmentofthewholeManitissufficientforthepresenttorankitasatheory,nomatterhowimpressivetheconvictionbethatitismore。Withoutsomehypothesisnoworkcaneverbedone,and,aseveryoneknows,manyofthegreatestcontributionstohumanknowledgehavebeenmadebytheuseoftheorieseitherseriouslyimperfectordemonstrablyfalse。ThisistheageoftheevolutionofEvolution。AllthoughtsthattheEvolutionistworkswith,alltheoriesandgeneralizations,havebeenthemselvesevolvedandarenowbeingevolved。Evenwerehistheoryperfected,itsfirstlessonwouldbethatitwasitselfbutaphaseoftheEvolutionoffurtheropinion,nomorefixedthanaspecies,nomorefinalthanthetheorywhichitdisplaced。OfallmentheEvolutionist,bytheverynatureofhiscalling,themeretoolsofhiscraft,hisunderstandingofhishourlyshiftingplaceinthisalwaysmovingandevermoremysteriousworld,mustbehumble,tolerant,andundogmatic。

  These,nevertheless,arecoldwordswithwhichtospeakofaVision——forEvolutionisafterallaVision——whichisrevolutionizingtheworldofNatureandofthought,and,withinlivingmemory,hasopenedupavenuesintothepastandvistasintothefuturesuchassciencehasneverwitnessedbefore。WhilemanyofthedetailsofthetheoryofEvolutionareinthecrucibleofcriticism,andwhilethefieldofmodernsciencechangeswithsuchrapiditythatinalmosteverydepartmentthetextbooksoftenyearsagoareobsoleteto-day,itisfairtoaddthatnooneofthesechanges,norallofthemtogether,havetouchedthegeneraltheoryitselfexcepttoestablishitsstrength,itsvalue,anditsuniversality。

  Evenmoreremarkablethantherapidityofitsconquestistheauthoritywithwhichthedoctrineofdevelopmenthasseemedtospeaktothemostauthoritativemindsofourtime。Ofthosewhoareinthefrontrank,ofthosewhobytheirknowledgehave,bycommonconsent,therighttospeak,therearescarcelyanywhodonotinsomeformemployitinworkingandinthinking。Authoritymaymeanlittle;theworldhasoftenbeenmistaken;

  butwhenmindssodifferentasthoseofCharlesDarwinandofT。H。Green,ofHerbertSpencerandofRobertBrowning,buildhalfthelaboursoftheirlifeonthisonelaw,itisimpossible,andespeciallyintheabsenceofanyotherevencompetingprincipleatthepresenthour,totreatitasabaselessdream。Onlythepeculiarnatureofthisgreatgeneralizationcanaccountfortheextraordinaryenthusiasmofthisacceptance。EvolutionhasdoneforTimewhatAstronomyhasdoneforSpace。AssublimetothereasonastheScienceoftheStars,asoverpoweringtotheimagination,ithasthrowntheuniverseintoafreshperspective,andgiventhehumanmindanewdimension。Evolutioninvolvesnotsomuchachangeofopinionasachangeinman\'swholeviewoftheworldandoflife。Itisnotthestatementofamathematicalpropositionwhichmenarecalledupontodeclaretrueorfalse。ItisamethodoflookinguponNature。Scienceforcenturiesdevoteditselftothecataloguingoffactsandthediscoveryoflaws。Eachworkertoiledinhisownlittleplace——thegeologistinhisquarry,thebotanistinhisgarden,thebiologistinhislaboratory,theastronomerinhisobservatory,thehistorianinhislibrary,thearchaeologistinhismuseum。Suddenlytheseworkerslookedup;theyspoketooneanother;

  theyhadeachdiscoveredalaw;theywhispereditsname。ItwasEvolution。

  Henceforththeirworkwasone,sciencewasone,theworldwasone,andmind,whichdiscoveredtheoneness,wasone。

  Suchbeingthescopeofthetheory,itisessentialthatforitsinterpretationthisuniversalcharacterberecognized,andnophenomenoninnatureorinhumannaturebeleftoutofthefinalreckoning。Itisequallyclearthatinmakingthatinterpretationwemustbeginwiththefinalproduct,Man。IfEvolutioncanbeprovedtoincludeMan,thewholecourseofEvolutionandthewholeschemeofNaturefromthatmomentassumeanewsignificanceThebeginningmustthenbeinterpretedfromtheend,nottheendfromthebeginning。Anengineeringworkshopisunintelligibleuntilwereachtheroomwherethecompletedenginestands。

  Everythingculminatesinthatfinalproduct,iscontainedinit,isexplainedbyit。TheEvolutionofManisalsothecomplementandcorrectiveofallotherformsofEvolution。Fromthisheightonlyisthereafullview,atrueperspective,aconsistentworld。ThewholemistakeofnaturalismhasbeentointerpretNaturefromthestandpointoftheatom——tostudythemachinerywhichdrivesthisgreatmovingworldsimplyasmachinery,forgettingthattheshiphasanypassengers,orthepassengersanycaptain,orthecaptainanycourse。Itisasgreatamistake,ontheotherhand,forthetheologiantoseparateofftheshipfromthepassengersasforthenaturalisttoseparateoffthepassengersfromtheship。ItishewhocannotincludeManamongthelinksofEvolutionwhohasgreatlytofearthetheoryofdevelopment。Inhisjealousyforthatreligionwhichseemstohimhigherthanscience,heremovesatoncetherationalbasisfromreligionandthelegitimatecrownfromscience,forgettingthatinsodoingheofferstotheworldanunnaturalreligionandaninhumanscience。ThecureforallthesmallmentaldisorderswhichspringuparoundrestrictedapplicationsofEvolutionistoextenditfearlesslyinalldirectionsasfarasthemindcancarryitandthefactsallow,tilleachman,workingathissubordinatepart,iscompelledtoown,andadjusthimselfto,thewhole。

  Ifthetheologicalmindbecalledupontomakethisexpansion,thescientificmanmustbeaskedtoenlargehisviewinanotherdirection。IfheinsistsuponincludingManinhisschemeofEvolution,hemustseetoitthatheincludethewholeMan。ForhimatleastnoformofEvolutionisscientificoristobeconsidered,whichdoesnotincludethewholeMan,andallthatisinMan,andalltheworkandthoughtandlifeandaspirationofMan。Thegreatmoralfacts,themoralforcessofarastheyareprovedtoexist,themoralconsciousnesssofarasitisreal,mustcomewithinitsscope。HumanHistorymustbeasmuchapartofitasNaturalHistory。Thesocialandreligiousforcesmustnomorebeleftoutsidethantheforcesofgravitationoroflife。

  ThereasonwhythenaturalistdoesnotusuallyincludetheseamongthefactorsinEvolutionisnotoversight,butundersight。Sometimes,nodoubt,hemaytakeattheirwordthosewhoassurehimthatEvolutionhasnothingtodowiththosehigherthings,butthemainreasonissimplythathisworkdoesnotlieonthelevelswherethoseforcescomeintoplay。Thespecialistisnottobeblamedforthis;limitationishisstrength。Butwhenthespecialistproceedstoreconstructtheuniversefromhislittlecornerofit,andespeciallyfromhislevelofit,henotonlyinjuresscienceandphilosophy,butmayfatallymisleadhisneighbours。ThemanwhoisbusywiththestarswillnevercomeacrossNaturalSelection,yetsurelymustheallowforNaturalSelectioninhisconstructionoftheworldasawhole。Hewhoworksamongstar-fishwillencounterlittleofMentalEvolution,yetwillhenotdenythatitexists。Thestarshavevoices,butthereareothervoices;thestar-fisheshaveactivities,butthereareotheractivities。Man,body,soul,spirit,arenotonlytobeconsidered,butarefirsttobeconsideredinanytheoryoftheworld。Youcannotdescribethelifeofkings,orarrangetheirkingdoms,fromthecellarbeneaththepalace。\"Art,\"asBrowningremindsus,\"Mustfumbleforthewhole,oncefixingonapart,Howeverpoor,surpassthefragment,andaspireToreconstructtherebytheultimateentire。\"IITHEMISSINGFACTORINCURRENTTHEORIESButitisnotsomuchinignoringManthatevolutionaryphilosophyhasgoneastray;for,ofthaterrorithasseriouslybeguntorepent。Whatwehavenowtochargeagainstit,whatisamainobjectofthesepagestopointout,isthatithasmisreadNatureherself。In\"fixingonapart\"wherebyto\"reconstructtheultimate,\"ithasfixeduponapartwhichisnotthemostvitalpart,andthereconstructions,therefore,havecometobewhollyoutoffocus。Fixuponthewrong\"part,\"andtheinstabilityofthefabricbuiltuponitisaforegoneconclusion。Now,althoughreconstructionsofthecosmosinthelightofEvolutionarethechieffeatureofthescienceofourtime,inalmostnocasedoesevenahintofthetruescientificstandpointappeartobeperceived。Andalthoughitanticipatesmuchthatweshouldprefertoleaveuntoucheduntilitappearsinitsnaturalsetting,thegravityoftheissuesmakesitessentialtosummarizethewholesituationnow。

  Therootoftheerrorlies,indirectlyratherthandirectly,withMr。Darwin。In1859,throughthepublicationoftheOriginofSpecies,heofferedtotheworldwhatpurportedtobethefinalcluetothecourseoflivingNature。ThatcluewastheprincipleoftheStruggleforLife。Aftertheyearsofstormandstresswhichfollowtheintrusionintotheworldofallgreatthoughts,thisprinciplewasuniversallyacceptedasthekeytoallthescienceswhichdealwithlife。

  SoceaselesswasMr。Darwin\'semphasisuponthisfactor,andsomasterfulhisinfluence,that,afterthefirstsharpconflict,eventhecontroversydieddown。WithscarceachallengetheStruggleforLifebecameacceptedbythescientificworldasthegoverningfactorindevelopment,andthedramaofEvolutionwasmadetohingeentirelyuponitsaction。Itbecamethe\"part\"fromwhichsciencehenceforthwenton\"toreconstructthewhole,\"

  andbiology,sociology,andteleology,werebuiltanewonthisfoundation。

  ThattheStruggleforLifehasbeenaprominentactorinthedramaiscertain。Furtherresearchhasonlydeepenedtheimpressionofthemagnitudeanduniversalityofthisgreatandfar-reachinglaw。ButthatitisthesoleoreventhemainagentintheprocessofEvolutionmustbedenied。Creationisadrama,andnodramawaseverputuponthestagewithonlyoneactor。TheStruggleforLifeisthe\"Villain\"ofthepiece,nomore;and,likethe\"Villain\"intheplay,itschieffunctionistore-actupontheotherplayersforhigherends。Thereis,inpointoffact,asecondfactorwhichonemightventuretocalltheStrugglefortheLifeofOthers,whichplaysanequallyprominentpart。

  Evenintheearlystagesofdevelopment,itscontributionisasreal,whileintheworld\'slaterprogress——underthenameofAltruism——itassumesasovereigntybeforewhichtheearlierStrugglesinksintoinsignificance。

  ThatthissecondformofStruggleshouldallbuthaveescapedthenoticeofEvolutionistsisthemoreunaccountablesinceitarises,likethefirst,outofthosefundamentalfunctionsoflivingorganismswhichitisthemainbusinessofbiologicalsciencetoinvestigate。Thefunctionsdischargedbyalllivingthings,plantandanimal,aretwo[4]innumber。ThefirstisNutrition,thesecondisReproduction。ThefirstisthebasisoftheStruggleforLife;thesecond,oftheStrugglefortheLifeofOthers。Thesetwofunctionsruntheirparallelcourse——orspiralcourse,fortheycontinuouslyintertwine——fromtheverydawnoflife。Theyareinvolvedinthefundamentalnatureofprotoplasmitself。Theyaffecttheentireroundoflife;theydeterminethewholemorphologyoflivingthings;inasensetheyarelife。Yet,inconstructingthefabricofEvolution,oneofthesehasbeentaken,theotherleft。

  Partlybecauseofthelimitationsofitspurelyphysicalname,andpartlybecauseithasneverbeenworkedoutasanevolutionaryforce,thefunctionofReproductionwillrequiretobeintroducedtothereaderinsomedetail。Buttorealizeitsimportanceoreventounderstandit,itwillbenecessarytorecalltoourmindsthesupremeplacewhichfunctiongenerallyholdsintheeconomyoflife。

  LifetoananimalortoaManisnotarandomseriesofefforts。Itscourseissetasrigidlyasthecoursesofthestars。

  Allitsmovementsandchanges,itsapparentdeflectionsandperturbationsareguidedbyunalterablepurposes;itsenergiesandcapricesdefinitelycontrolled。Whatcontrolsitareitsfunctions。Theseandtheseonlydeterminelife;livingouttheseislife。Tracebackanyone,orall,ofthecountlessactivitiesofananimal\'slife,anditwillbefoundthattheyareatbottomconnectedwithoneorotherofthetwogreatfunctionswhichmanifestthemselvesinprotoplasm。Takeanyorganofthebody——handorfoot,eyeorear,heartorlung——oranytissueofthebody——muscleornerve,boneorcartilage——anditwillbefoundtobeconnectedeitherwithNutritionorwithReproduction。

  Justaseverythingaboutanengine,everybolt,bar,valve,crank,lever,wheel,hassomethingtodowiththeworkofthatengine,everythingaboutananimal\'sbodyhassomethingtodowiththeworkprescribedbythosetwofunctions。Ananimal,oraMan,isaconsistentwhole,arationalproduction。

  Nowtherationaleoflivingstandsrevealedtousinprotoplasm。Protoplasmsetslifeitstask。Livingcanonlybedonealongitslines。Therestartthechannelsinwhichalllifemustrun,andthoughthechannelsbifurcateendlesslyastimegoeson,andthoughmorelifeandfullerisevercoursingthroughthem,itcanneveroverflowthebanksappointedfromthebeginning。

  Butthisisnotall。Theactivitiesevenofthehigherlife,thoughnotqualitativelylimitedbythelower,aredeterminedbythesesamelines。Werethesefactsonlyrelevantinthedomainofphysiology,theywouldbeofsmallaccountinastudyoftheAscentofMan。ButthemoreprofoundlytheEvolutionofManisinvestigatedthemoreclearlyisitseenthatthewholecourseofhisdevelopmenthasbeenconductedonthisfundamentalbasis。Life,alllife,higherorlower,isanorganicunity。Naturemayvaryhereffects,mayintroducequalitativechangessostupendousastomaketheiraffinitieswithlowerthingsunthinkable,butshehasneverre-laidthefoundationsoftheworld。EvolutionbeganwithprotoplasmandendedwithMan,andallthewaybetween,thedevelopmenthasbeenasymmetrywhosesecretliesinthetwoorthreegreatcrystallizingforcesrevealedtousthroughthisfirstbasis。

  Havingrealizedthesignificanceofthephysiologicalfunctions,letusnowaddressourselvestotheirmeaningandconnotations。

  Thefirst,thefunctionofNutrition,onwhichtheStruggleforLifedepends,requiresnoexplanation。Mr。Darwinwascarefultogivetohisfavouritephrase,theStruggleforLife,awidermeaningthanthatwhichassociatesitmerelywithNutrition;butthisqualificationseemslargelytohavebeenlostsightof——tosomeextentevenbyhimself——andtheprincipleasitstandsto-dayinscientificandphilosophicaldiscussionispracticallysynonymouswiththeStruggleforFood。AstimegoesonthisStruggle——atfirstaconflictwithNatureandtheelements,sustainedbyhunger,andintensifiedbycompetition——assumesmanydisguises,andisultimatelyknowninthemodernworldunderthenamesofWarandIndustry。Intheselaterphasestheearlyfunctionofprotoplasmisobscured,butonthelastanalysis,WarandIndustry——pursuitsinwhichhalftheworldisnowengaged——areseentobesimplyitsnaturaldevelopments。

  Theimplicationsofthesecondfunction,Reproduction,liefurtherfromthesurface。TosaythatReproductionissynonymouswiththeStrugglefortheLifeofOthersconveysatfirstlittlemeaning,forthephysiologicalaspectsofthefunctionpersistinthemind,andmakeevenaglimpseofitstruecharacterdifficult。Intwoorthreechaptersinthetext,theimplicationsofthisfunctionwillbeexplainedatlength,andthereaderwhoissufficientlyinterestedintheimmediateproblem,orwhoseesthatthereisheresomethingtobeinvestigated,maydowelltoturntotheseatonce。SufficeitforthemomenttosaythatthephysiologicalaspectsoftheStrugglefortheLifeofOthersaresoovershadowedeventowardsthecloseoftheAnimalKingdombythepsychicalandethicalthatitisscarcelynecessarytoemphasizetheformeratall。One\'sfirstandnaturalassociationwiththeStrugglefortheLifeofOthersiswithsomethingdoneforposterity——intheplanttheStruggletoproduceseeds,intheanimaltobegetyoung。Butthisisapreliminarywhich,comparedwithwhatdirectlyandindirectlyrisesoutofit,maybealmostpassedover。Thesignificantnoteisethical,thedevelopmentofOther-ism,asAltruism——itsimmediateandinevitableoutcome。Watchanyhigheranimalatthatmostcriticalofallhours——foritself,andforitsspecies——thehourwhenitgivesbirthtoanothercreaturelikeitself。Passoverthepurelyphysiologicalprocessesofbirth;observethebehaviouroftheanimal-motherinpresenceofthenewandhelplesslifewhichpalpitatesbeforeher。Thereitlies,tremblinginthebalancebetweenlifeanddeath。Hungertorturesit;coldthreatensit;dangerbesetsit;itsblindexistencehangsbyathread。

  ThereistheopportunityofEvolution。Thereisanopeningappointedinthephysicalorderfortheintroductionofamoralorder。IfthereismoreinNaturethantheselfishStruggleforLifethesecretcannowbetold。

  Hitherto,theworldbelongedtotheFood-seeker,theSelf-seeker,theStrugglerforLife,theFather。NowisthehouroftheMother。And,animalthoughshebe,sherisestohertask。Andthathour,assheministerstoheryoung,becomestotheworldthehourofitsholiestbirth。

  Sympathy,tenderness,unselfishness,andthelonglistofvirtueswhichmakeupAltruism,arethedirectoutcomeandessentialaccompanimentofthereproductiveprocess。Withoutsomerudimentarymaternalsolicitudefortheegginthehumblestformsoflife,orfortheyoungamonghigherforms,thelivingworldwouldnotonlysuffer,butwouldcease。Foratimeinthelifehistoryofeveryhigheranimalthedirect,personal,gratuitous,unrewardedhelpofanothercreatureisaconditionofexistence。EveninthelowliestworldofplantsthelaboursofMaternitybegin,andtheanimalkingdomcloseswiththecreationofaclassinwhichthisfunctionisperfectedtoitslastconceivableexpression。ThevicariousprincipleisshotthroughandthroughthewholevastwebofNature;andifoneactorhasplayedamightierpartthananotherinthedramaofthepast,ithasbeenself-sacrifice。WhatmorehascomeintohumanityalongthelineoftheStrugglefortheLifeofOtherswillbeshownlater。Butitisquitecertainthat,ofallthethingsthatministertothewelfareandgoodofMan,ofallthatmaketheworldvariedandfruitful,ofallthatmakesocietysolidandinteresting,ofallthatmakelifebeautifulandgladandworthy,byfarthelargerparthasreachedusthroughtheactivitiesoftheStrugglefortheLifeofOthers。

  Howgravetheomissionofthissupremefactorfromourreckoning,howserioustheeffectuponourwholeviewofnature,mustnowappear。TimewaswhenthescienceofGeologywasinterpretedexclusivelyintermsoftheactionofasingleforce——fire。Thenfollowedthetheoriesofanopposingschoolwhosawalltheearth\'sformationstobetheresultofwater。AnyBiology,anySociologyanyEvolution,whichisbasedonasinglefactor,isasuntrueastheoldGeology。ItisonlywhenboththeStruggleforLifeandtheStrugglefortheLifeofOthersarekeptinview,thatanyscientifictheoryofEvolutionispossible。Combinethem,contrastthem,assigneachitsplace,allowfortheirinter-actions,andtheschemeofNaturemaybeworkedoutintermsofthemtothelastdetail。Allalongtheline,throughthewholecourseofthedevelopment,thesetwofunctionsactandreactupononeanother;andcontinuallyastheyco-operatetoproduceasingleresult,theirspecificdifferencesareneverlost。

  Thefirst,theStruggleforLife,is,throughout,theSelf-regardingfunction;thesecond,theOther-regardingfunction。

  Thefirst,inlowerNature,obeyingthelawofself-preservation,devotesitsenergiestofeeditself;theother,obeyingthelawofspecies-preservation,tofeeditsyoung。Whilethefirstdevelopstheactivevirtuesofstrengthandcourage,theotherlaysthebasisforthepassivevirtues,sympathy,andlove。Inthelaterworldoneseeksitsendinpersonalaggrandizement,theotherinministration。Onebegetscompetition,self-assertion,war;

  theotherunselfishness,self-effacement,peace。OneisIndividualism,theother,Altruism。

  TosaythatnoethicalcontentcanbeputintothedischargeofeitherfunctionintheearlierreachesofNaturegoeswithoutsaying。Butthemomentwereachacertainheightinthedevelopment,ethicalimplicationsbegintoarise。These,inthecaseofthefirst,havebeenreadintoNature,loweraswellashigher,withanexaggeratedandmercilessmalevolence。Theothersidehasreceivedalmostnoexpression。

  ThefinalresultisapictureofNaturewhollypaintedinshadow——apicturesodarkastobeachallengetoitsMaker,anunansweredproblemtophilosophy,anabidingoffencetothemoralnatureofMan。Theworldhasbeenhelduptousasonegreatbattlefieldheapedwiththeslain,anInfernoofinfinitesuffering,aslaughter-houseresoundingwiththecriesofaceaselessagony。

  Beforethisversionofthetragedy,authenticatedbythehighestnamesontherollofscience,humanitywasdumb,moralitymystified,naturaltheologystultified。Atruerreadingmaynotwhollyrelievethefirst,enlightenthesecond,orre-instatethethird。Butitatleastre-openstheinquiry;andwhenallitsbearingscometobeperceived,thelightthrownuponthefieldofNaturebythesecondfactormaybemoreimpressivetoreasonthantheapparentshadowofthefirsttosense。

  Torelievethestrainofthepositionforceduponethicsbytheone-sidedtreatmentoftheprocessofEvolution,heroicattemptshavebeenmade。Somehaveattemptedtomitigatetheamountofsufferingitinvolves,andassureusthat,afterall,theStruggle,exceptasametaphor,scarcelyexists。\"Thereis,\"protestsMr。AlfredRusselWallace,\"goodreasontobelieve……thatthesupposed`torments`and`miseries`ofanimalshavelittlerealexistence,butarethereflectionoftheimaginedsensationsofcultivatedmenandwomeninsimilarcircumstances;

  andthattheamountofactualsufferingcausedbytheStruggleforExistenceamonganimalsisaltogetherinsignificant。\"[5]Mr。Huxley,ontheotherhand,willmakenocompromise。TheStruggleforLifetohimisaportentousfact,unmitigatedandunexplained。Nometaphorsarestrongenoughtodescribetheimplacabilityofitssway。\"Themoralindifferenceofnature\"and\"theunfathomableinjusticeofthenatureofthings\"everywherestarehimintheface。\"Forhissuccessfulprogress,asfarasthesavagestate,Manhasbeenlargelyindebtedtothosequalitieswhichheshareswiththeapeandthetiger。\"[6]Thatstagereached,\"forthousandsandthousandsofyears,beforetheoriginoftheoldestknowncivilizations,menweresavagesofaverylowtype。

  Theystrovewiththeirenemiesandtheircompetitors;theypreyeduponthingsweakerorlesscunningthanthemselves;theywereborn,multipliedwithoutstint,anddied,forthousandsofgenerations,alongsidethemammoth,theurus,thelion,andthehyaena,whoseliveswerespentinthesameway;andtheywerenomoretobepraisedorblamed,onmoralgrounds,thantheirlesserectandmorehairycompatriots……Lifewasacontinualfreefight,andbeyondthelimitedandtemporaryrelationsofthefamily,theHobbesianwarofeachagainstallwasthenormalstateofexistence。Thehumanspecies,likeothers,plashedandflounderedamidthegeneralstreamofevolution,keepingitsheadabovewaterasitbestmight,andthinkingneitherofwhencenorwhither。\"[7]

  HowthendoesMr。Huxleyact——foritisinstructivetofollowouttheconsequencesofanerror——inthefaceofthistremendousproblem?Hegivesitup。Thereisnosolution。Natureiswithoutexcuse。

  Afterframinganindictmentagainstitintheseverestlanguageathiscommand,heturnshisbackuponNature——sub-humanNature,thatis——andleavesteleologytosettlethescoreasbestitcan。\"Thehistoryofcivilization,\"

  hetellsus,\"istherecordoftheattemptsofthehumanracetoescapefromthisposition。\"Butwhitherdoeshebetakehimself?IshenotpartofNature,andthereforeasharerinitsguilt?Bynomeans。Forbyanastonishingtourdeforce——thelast,ashisformerassociatesintheevolutionaryrankshavenotfailedtoremindhim,whichmighthavebeenexpectedofhim——heejectshimselffromtheworld-order,andwasheshishandsofitinthenameofEthicalMan。AftersharingthefortunesofEvolutionallhislife,bearingitsburdensandsolvingitsdoubts,heabandonsitwithoutapang,andsetsupanimperiuminimperio,where,asamoralbeing,the`cosmic\'Struggletroubleshimnomore。\"CosmicNature,\"hesays,inapartingshotathisformercitadel,\"isnoschoolofvirtue,butthehead-quartersoftheenemyofethicalnature。\"[8]SofarfromtheAscentofManrunningalongtheancientline,\"Socialprogressmeansacheckingofthecosmicprocessateverystepandthesubstitutionforitofanother,whichmaybecalledtheethicalprocess;theendofwhichisnotthesurvivalofthosewhomayhappentobethefittest,inrespectofthewholeoftheconditionswhichexist,butofthosewhoareethicallythebest。\"[9]

  Theexpedient,tohim,wasanecessity。ViewingNatureasMr。Huxleyviewedittherewasnootherrefuge。The\"cosmicprocess\"

  meanttohimtheStruggleforLife,andtoescapefromtheStruggleforLifehewascompelledtoturnawayfromtheworld-order,whichhaditsbeingbecauseofit。Asithappens,Mr。Huxleyhashitupontherightsolution,onlythemethodbywhichhereachesitiswhollywrong。Andthemischievousresultofitisobvious——itleavesalllowerNatureinthelurch。WithacuriousdisregardoftheprincipleofContinuity,towhichallhispreviousworkhaddonesuchhomage,hesplitsuptheworld-orderintotwoseparatehalves。Theearlierdominatedbythe`cosmic`principle——theStruggleforLife;theotherbythe`ethical`principle——virtually,theStrugglefortheLifeofOthers。TheStruggleforLifeisthusmadetostopatthe`ethical`process;theStrugglefortheLifeofOtherstobegin。Neitherisjustifiedbyfact。TheStrugglefortheLifeofOthers,aswehaveseen,startsitsupwardcoursefromthesameprotoplasmastheStruggleforLife;

  andtheStruggleforLiferunsonintothe`ethical\'sphereasmuchastheStrugglefortheLifeofOthers。OnehasonlytoseewhereMr。Huxleygetshis`ethical`worldtoperceivetheextentoftheanomaly。Forwheredoeshegetit,andwhatmannerofworldisit?\"Thehistoryofcivilizationdetailsthestepsbywhichmenhavesucceededinbuildingupanartificialworldwithinthecosmos。\"[10]Anartificialworldwithinthecosmos?

  Thissuggestedbreachbetweentheearlierandthelaterprocess,ifindeedwearetotakeitseriously,isscientificallyindefensible,andthemoreunfortunatesincethesameresult,orabetter,canbeobtainedwithoutit。Therealbreachisnotbetweentheearlierandthelaterprocess,butbetweentworival,ortwoco-operatingprocesses,whichhaveexistedfromthefirst,whichhaveworkedtogetherallalongtheline,andwhichtookon`ethical`charactersatthesamemomentintime。TheStrugglefortheLifeofOthersissunkasdeepinthe\"cosmicprocess\"astheStruggleforLife;theStruggleforLifehasashareinthe\"ethicalprocess\"asmuchastheStrugglefortheLifeofOthers。Botharecosmicprocesses;bothareethicalprocesses;botharebothcosmicalandethicalprocesses。Nothingbutconfusioncanarisefromacross-classificationwhichdoesjusticetoneitherhalfofNature。

  TheconsternationcausedbyMr。Huxley\'schangeoffront,orsupposedchangeoffront,ismatterofrecenthistory。Mr。

  LeslieStephenandMr。HerbertSpencerhastenedtoprotest;theolderschoolofmoralistshaileditalmostasaconversion。Buttheonefacteverywhereapparentthroughoutthediscussionisthatneithersideapprehendedeithertheultimatenatureorthetruesolutionoftheproblem。Theseatofthedisorderisthesameinbothattackersandattacked——theone-sidedviewofNature。UniversallyNature,asfarastheplant,animal,andsavagelevels,istakentobesynonymouswiththeStruggleforLife。Darwinismheldthemonopolyofthatlowerregion,andDarwinismrevengeditselfinamannerwhichhasatleastshowntheinadequacyofthemostwidelyacceptedpremiseofrecentscience。

  ThatMr。HuxleyhasmisgivingsonthematterhimselfisapparentfromhisNotes。\"Ofcourse,\"heremarks,inreferencetothetechnicalpoint,\"strictlyspeaking,sociallifeandtheethicalprocess,invirtueofwhichitadvancestowardsperfection,arepartandparcelofthegeneralprocessofEvolution。\"[11]Andhegetsamomentaryglimpseofthe\"ethicalprocess\"inthecosmos,which,ifhehadfolloweditout,musthavemodifiedhiswholeposition。

  \"Evenintheserudimentaryformsofsociety,loveandfearcomeintoplay,andenforceagreaterorlessrenunciationofself-will。Tothisextentthegeneralcosmicprocessbeginstobecheckedbyarudimentaryethicalprocess,whichis,strictlyspeaking,partoftheformer,justasthe`governor\'

  inasteam-engineispartofthemechanismoftheengine。\"[12]

  Herethewholepositionisvirtuallyconceded;

  andonlythepre-conceptionsofDarwinismandthelackofacompleteinvestigationintothenatureandextentofthe\"rudimentaryethicalprocess\"canhaveprevailedinthefaceofsuchanadmission。Followoutthemetaphorofthe`governor,\'and,withoneimportantmodification,thetruesituationalmoststandsdisclosed。Forwhatappearstobethe`governor\'intherudimentaryethicalprocessbecomesthe`steam-engine\'inthelaterprocess。Themerefactthatitexistsinthe\"generalcosmicprocess\"altersthequalityofthatprocess;andthefactthat,aswehopetoshow,itbecomestheprimemoverinthelaterprocess,entirelychangesoursubsequentconceptionofit。Thebeginningofaprocessistobereadfromtheendandnotfromthebeginning。Andifevenarudimentofamoralorderbefoundinthebeginningsofthisprocessitrelatesitselfandthatprocesstoafinalendandafinalunity。

  Philosophyreadsendintotheearlierprocessbyanecessityofreason。ButhowmuchstrongeritspositionifitcouldaddtothatabasisinthefactsofNature?\"Iasktheevolutionist,\"pertinentlyinquiresMr。Huxley\'scritic,\"whohasnootherbasisthantheStruggleforexistence,howheaccountsfortheintrusionofthesemoralideasandstandardswhichpresumetointerferewiththecosmicprocessandsitinjudgmentuponitsresults。\"[13]Mayweaskthephilosopherhowheaccountsforthem?Aslittlecanheaccountforthemashewhohas\"nootherbasisthantheStruggleforexistence。\"Truly,thewritercontinues,thequestion\"cannotbeansweredsolongasweregardmoralitymerelyasanincidentalresult,aby-product,asitwere,ofthecosmicalsystem。\"Butwhatifmoralitybethemainproductofthecosmicalsystem——ofeventhecosmicalsystem?Whatifitcanbeshownthatitistheessentialandnottheincidentalresultofit,andthatsofarfrombeingaby-product,itisimmoralitythatistheby-product?

  Theseinterrogationsmaybetoostronglyput。

  `Accompaniments\'ofthecosmicalsystemmightbebetterthan`products\';

  `revelationsthroughthatprocess\'maybenearerthetruththan`results\'

  ofit。Butwhatitisintendedtoshowisthatthemoralorderisacontinuouslinefromthebeginning,thatithashadthroughout,sotospeak,abasisinthecosmos,thatuponthis,asatrellis-work,ithasclimbedupwardstothetop。Theone——thetrelliswork——istobeconceivedofasanincarnation;

  theother——themanifestation——asarevelation;theoneisanEvolutionfrombelow,theotheranInvolutionfromabove。Philosophyhaslongsinceassuredusofthelast,butbecauseitwasneverabletoshowusthecompletenessofthefirst,sciencerefusedtobelieveit。Thedefaulterneverthelesswasnotphilosophybutscience。Itsbusinesswaswiththetrellis-work。

  Anditgaveusabrokentrellis-work,aladderwithonlyoneside,andeverystepontheothersiderestingonair。Whensciencetriedtoclimbtheladderitfailed;thestepsrefusedtobearanyweight。Whatdidmenofsciencedo?Theycondemnedtheladderand,balancingthemselvesonthesidethatwassecure,proclaimedtheirAgnosticismtophilosophy。Andwhatdidphilosophydo?Itstoodontheotherhalfoftheladder,thehalfthatwasnotthere,andratedthem。Thattheotherhalfwasnottherewasoflittlemoment。Itwasinthemselves。Itoughttobethere;thereforeitmustbethere。Anditisquitetrue;itisthere。Philosophy,likePoetry,isprophetic:\"Thesenseofthewhole,\"itsays,\"comesfirst。\"[14]

  Butsciencecouldnotacceptthealternative。

  Ithadlooked,anditwasnotthere;fromitsstandpointtheonlyrefugewasAgnosticism——therewerenofacts。Tillthefactsarrived,therefore,philosophywaspowerlesstorelieveherally。SciencelookedtoNaturetoputinherownends,andnottophilosophytoputtheminforher。Philosophymightinterpretthemaftertheywerethere,butitmusthavesomethingtostartfrom;andallthatsciencehadsuppliedherwithmeantimewasthefactoftheStruggleforLife。WorkingfromthestandpointofthelargerNature,HumanNatureitself,philosophycouldputinotherends;butthereappearednosolidbackingfortheseinfacts,andsciencerefusedtobesatisfied。Thepositionwasafairone。Thedangerofphilosophyputtingintheendsisthatshecannotconvinceeveryonethattheyaretherightones。

  Andwhatisthevalidanswer?Ofcourse,thatNaturehasputinherownendsifwewouldtakethetroubletolookforthem。Shedoesnotrequirethemtobesecretlymanufacturedupstairsandcreditedtoheraccount。Bythatprocessmistakesmightariseinthereckoning。

  Thephilosophersupstairsmightdifferaboutthefigures,oratleastinequatingthem。Thephilosopherrequiresfact,phenomenon,naturallaw,ateveryturntokeephimright;andwithoutatleastsomeglimpseofthese,hemaytravelfarafield。SolongasSchopenhauerseesonethinginthecourseofNatureandRousseauanother,itwillalwaysbewelltohaveNatureherselftoactasreferee。TheendasreadinNature,andtheendasre-readin,andinterpretedby,thehigherNatureofManmaybeverydifferentthings;butnothingcanbedonetilltheEnd-in-the-phenomenonclearsthewayfortheEnd-in-itself——tillscienceovertakesphilosophywithfacts。

  Whenthatisdone,everythingcanbedone。Withthefindingoftheotherhalfoftheladder,evenAgnosticismmayretire。Sciencecannotpermanentlypronounceitself\"notknowing,\"tillithasexhaustedthepossibilitiesofknowing。AndinthiscasetheAgnosticismispremature,forsciencehasonlytolookagain,anditwilldiscoverthatthemissingfactsarethere。

  Seldomhastherebeenaninstanceonsolargeascaleofabiologicalerrorcorruptingawholephilosophy。Bacon\'saphorismwasnevermoretrue:\"ThisIdareaffirminknowledgeofNature,thatalittlenaturalphilosophy,andthefirstentranceintoit,dothdisposetheopiniontoatheism,butontheotherside,muchnaturalphilosophy,andwadingdeepintoit,willbringaboutmen\'smindstoreligion。\"[15]Hitherto,theEvolutionisthashadpracticallynootherbasisthantheStruggleforLife。Supposeevenweleavethatuntouched,theadditionofanOther-regardingbasismakesaninfinitedifference。Forwhenitisthenaskedonwhichofthemtheprocessturns,andtheanswerisgiven`Onboth,\'

  weperceivethatitisneitherbytheonealone,norbytheotheralone,thattheprocessistobeinterpreted,butbyahigherunitywhichresolvesandembracesall。Andasbothareequallynecessarytotheantinomy,eventhatofthetwowhichseemsirreconcilablewithhigherendsisseentobenecessary。Viewedsimpliciter,theStruggleforLifeappearsirreconcilablewithethicalends,aprodigiousanomalyinamoralworld;

  butviewedincontinuousreactionwiththeStrugglefortheLifeofOthers,itdisclosesitselfasaninstrumentofperfectionthemostsubtleandfar-reachingthatreasoncoulddevise。

  Thepresenceofthesecondfactortherefore,whileitleavesthefirstuntouched,cannotleaveitsimplicationsuntouched。

  Itcompletelyalterstheseimplications。IthasneverbeendeniedthattheStruggleforLifeisanefficientinstrumentofprogress;thesoledifficultyhasalwaysbeentojustifythenatureoftheinstrument。Butifevenitbeshownthatthisisonlyhalftheinstrument,teleologygainssomething。IfthefullerviewtakesnothingawayfromtheprocessofEvolution,itimportssomethingintoitwhichchangesthewholeaspectofthecase。

  Forevenfromthefirstthatfactoristhere。TheStrugglefortheLifeofOthers,aswehaveseen,isnointerpolationattheendoftheprocess,butradical,engrainedintheworld-orderasprofoundlyastheStruggleforLife。Bywhatright,then,hasNaturebeeninterpretedonlybytheStruggleforLife?WithfargreaterjusticemightscienceinterpretitinthelightoftheStrugglefortheLifeofOthers。For,inthefirstplace,unlesstherehadbeenthissecondfactor,theworldcouldnothaveexisted。WithouttheStrugglefortheLifeofOthers,obviouslytherewouldhavebeennoOthers。Inthesecondplace,unlesstherehadbeenaStrugglefortheLifeofOthers,theStruggleforLifecouldnothavebeenkeptup。AswillbeshownlatertheStruggleforLifealmostwhollysupportsitselfontheproductsoftheStrugglefortheLifeofOthers。Inthethirdplace,withouttheStrugglefortheLifeofOthers,theStruggleforLifeasregardsitsenergieswouldhavedieddown,andfailedofitswholeachievement。

  ItistheceaselesspressureproducedbytheexuberantfertilityofReproductionthatcreatesanyvaluableStruggleforLifeatall。Themoment\"Others\"

  multiply,theindividualstrugglebecomeskeenuptothedisciplinarypoint。

  Itwasthis,indeed——throughthereadingofMalthusonOver-population——thatsuggestedtoMr。DarwinthevalueoftheStruggleforLife。ThelawofOver-populationfromthattimeforwardbecamethefoundation-stoneofhistheory;andrecentbiologicalresearchhasmadethebasismoresolidthanever。TheStrugglefortheLifeofOthersontheplantandanimalplane,inthemereworkofmultiplyinglives,isafinalconditionofprogress。

  Withoutcompetitiontherecanbenofight,andwithoutfighttherecanbenovictory。Inotherwords,withouttheStrugglefortheLifeofOtherstherecanbenoStruggleforLife,andthereforenoEvolution。Finally,andallthereasonsalreadygivenarefrivolousbesideit,hadtherebeennoAltruism——Altruisminthedefinitesenseofunselfishness,sympathy,andself-sacrificeforOthers,thewholehigherworldoflifehadperishedassoonasitwascreated。Forhours,ordays,orweeksintheearlyinfancyofallhigheranimals,maternalcareandsympathyareaconditionofexistence。

  Altruismhadtoentertheworld,andanyspecieswhichneglecteditwasextinguishedinageneration。

  NodoubtacasecouldbemadeoutlikewisefortheimperativevalueoftheStruggleforLife。Thepositionhasjustbeengranted。Sofarfromdisputingit,weassumeittobeequallyessentialtoNatureandtoajudgmentupontheprocessofEvolution。ButwhatisdisputedisthattheStruggleforLifeiseitherthekeytoNature,orthatitismoreimportantinitselfthantheStrugglefortheLifeofOthers。

  Itispitifulworkpittingtherighthandagainsttheleft,theheartagainstthehead;butifitbeinsistedthatthereisneitherrighthandnorheart,theproclamationisnecessarynotonlythattheyexist,butthatabsolutelytheyareasimportantandrelativelytoethicalManofinfinitelygreatermomentthananythingthatfunctionseitherintheanimalorsocialorganism。

  Butwhy,ifallthisbetrueoftheStrugglefortheLifeofOthers,hasaclaimsoimperiousnotbeenrecognizedbyscience?Thataphenomenonofthisdistinctionshouldhaveattractedsolittleattentionsuggestsasuspicion。Doesitreallyexist?

  Isthebiologicalbasissound?Havewenotatleastexaggerateditssignificance?Thebiologistwilljudge。ThoughnodoubtthefunctionofReproductionisintimatelyconnectedinPhysiologywiththefunctionofNutrition,thefactsasstatedherearefactsofNature;

  andsomeglimpseoftheinfluenceofthissecondfactorwillbegiveninthesequelfromwhicheventhenon-biologicalreadermaydrawhisownconclusions。

  DifficultasitseemstoaccountfortheignoringofanelementalfactinframingthedoctrineofEvolution,therearecircumstanceswhichmaketheomissionlessunintelligible。Foremost,ofcourse,therestandstheoverpoweringinfluenceofMr。Darwin。Inspiteofthefactthathewarnedhisfollowersagainstit,thislargelyprejudgedtheissue。Nextistobeconsideredthenarrowing,onehadalmostsaidtheblighting,effectofspecialism。Necessarytotheprogressofscience,thefirsteraofareignofspecialismisdisastroustophilosophy。Themenwhoinfieldandlaboratoryareworkingoutthefacts,donotspeculateatall。Contentwithslowlybuildingupthesumofactualknowledgeinsomeneglectedandrestrictedprovince,theyaretooabsorbedtonoticeevenwhattheworkersintheotherprovincesareabout。Thusithappensthatwhiletherearemanyscientificmen,therearefewscientificthinkers。Thecomplaintisoftenmadethatsciencespeculatestoomuch。Itisquitetheotherway。

  Onehasonlytoreadtheaveragebookofscienceinalmostanydepartmenttowonderatthewealthofknowledge,thebrilliancyofobservation,andthebarrennessofidea。Ontheotherhand,thoughscientificexpertswillnotthinkthemselves,thereisalwaysamultitudeofonlookerswaitingtodoitforthem。Amongthesewhatstrikesoneistheignoranceoffactandtheaudacityoftheidea。Themomentanygreathalf-truthinNatureisunearthed,theseunqualifiedpractitionersleaptoageneralization;

  andtheobserversmeantime,onthetrackoftheotherhalf,aretoobusyortoooblivioustorefutetheirheresies。Hence,longafteritsfoundationsareundermined,abrilliantgeneralizationwillretainitsholduponthepopularmind;andbeforethecomplementary,thequalifying,ortheneutralizingfactscanbesupplied,themischiefisdone。

  Butwhilethisistrueofmanywhoplaywiththedouble-edgedtoolsofscience,itisnottrueofathirdclass。Whenweturntothepagesofthefewwhosescienceisadequateandwhosesweepisoverthewholevasthorizon,wefind,asweshouldexpect,somerecognitionofthealtruisticfactor。ThoughMr。HerbertSpencer,towhomtheappealinthisconnectionisobvious,makesadifferentuseofthefact,ithasnotescapedhim。NotonlydoestheOther-regardingfunctionreceiverecognition,butheallotsitahighplaceinhissystem。Ofitsethicalbearingsheisequallyclear。\"What,\"heasks,\"istheethicalaspectofthese[altruistic]

  principles?Inthefirstplace,animallifeofallbutthelowestkindshasbeenmaintainedbyvirtueofthem。ExcludingtheProtozoa,amongwhichtheiroperationisscarcelydiscernible,weseethatwithoutgratisbenefitstooffspring,andearnedbenefitstoadults,lifecouldnothavecontinued。Inthesecondplace,byvirtueofthemlifehasgraduallyevolvedintohigherforms。Bycareofoffspring,whichhasbecomegreaterwithadvancingorganization,andbysurvivalofthefittestinthecompetitionamongadults,whichhasbecomemorehabitualwithadvancingorganization,superiorityhasbeenperpetuallyfosteredandfurtheradvancescaused。\"[16]Fiske,Littre,Romanes,LeConte,L。Buchner,MissBuckley,andPrinceKropotkinhaveexpressedthemselvespartlyinthesamedirection;andGeddesandThomson,insomanywords,recognize\"theco-existenceoftwin-streamsofegoismandaltruism,whichoftenmergeforaspacewithoutlosingtheirdistinctness,andaretraceabletoacommonorigininthesimplestformsoflife。\"[17]Thelastnamed——doubtlessbecausetheirstudieshavetakenthembothintothefieldsofpurebiologyandofbionomics——moreclearlythananyothermodernwriters,havegraspedthebearingsofthisthemeinalldirections,andtheyfearlesslytaketheirstandpointfromthephysiologyofprotoplasm。

  Thus,\"inthehungerandreproductiveattractionsofthelowestorganisms,theself-regardingandother-regardingactivitiesofthehigherfindtheirstarting-point。Thoughsomevagueconsciousnessisperhapsco-existentwithlifeitself,wecanonlyspeakwithconfidenceofpsychicalegoismandaltruismafteracentralnervoussystemhasbeendefinitelyestablished。

  Atthesametime,theactivitiesofeventhelowestorganismsareoftendistinctlyreferabletoeithercategory……Hardlydistinguishableattheoutset,theprimitivehungerandlovebecomethestarting-pointsofdivergentlinesofegoisticandaltruisticemotionandactivity。\"[18]

  Thatatamuchearlierstagethanisusuallysupposed,Evolutionvisiblyentersuponthe\"rudimentaryethical\"

  plane,iscertain,andweshallhopetooutlinetheproof。Butevenifthethesisfails,itremainstochallengethegeneralviewthattheStruggleforLifeiseverything,andtheStrugglefortheLifeofOthersnothing。

  Seeingnotonlythatthesecondisthemoreimportant,butalsothisfarmoresignificantfact——whichhasnotyetbeenalludedto——thatasEvolutionproceedstheoneStrugglewaxes,andtheotherwanes,woulditnotbewisertostudythedramaneareritsdenouementbeforedecidingwhetheritwasamoral,anon-moral,oranimmoralplay?

  LesttheallegedwaningoftheStruggleforLifeconveyawrongimpression,letitbeaddedthatofcoursethewordistobetakenqualitatively。TheStruggleinitselfcannevercease。

  Whatceasesisitsso-calledanti-ethicalcharacter。FornothingisinfinerevidenceasweriseinthescaleoflifethanthegradualtemperingoftheStruggleforLife。Itsslowameliorationistheworkofages,maybetheworkofagesstill,butitsanimalqualitiesinthesociallifeofManarebeingsurelyleftbehind;andthoughthemarkofthesavageandthebrutestillmaritshandiwork,theseharsherqualitiesmustpassaway。Inthatnewsocialorderwhichthegatheringmightofthealtruisticspiritiscreatingnowaroundus,inthatreignofLovewhichmustoneday,ifthecourseofEvolutionholdsonitsway,berealized,thebaserelementswillfindthatsolventpreparedforthemfromthebeginninginanticipationofahigherruleonearth。InterpretingthecourseofEvolutionscientifically,whetherfromitsstarting-pointinthefirstprotoplasm,orfromtherallying-pointofitstwogreatforcesinthesocialorganismofto-day,itbecomesmoreandmorecertainthatonlyfromthecommingledachievementofbothcanthenatureoftheprocessbetrulyjudged。Yet,asoneseestheonesunset,andtheotherrisewithasplendourthemoreastonishingandbewilderingasthecenturiesrollon,itisimpossibletowithholdaverdictastowhichmaybemostreasonablylookeduponastheultimaterealityoftheworld。ThepathofprogressandthepathofAltruismareone。EvolutionisnothingbuttheInvolutionofLove,therevelationofInfiniteSpirit,theEternalLifereturningtoItself。EventhegreatshadowofEgoismwhichdarkensthepastisrevealedasshadowonlybecausewearecompelledtoreaditbythehigherlightwhichhascome。Intheveryactofjudgingittobeshadow,weassumeandvindicatethelight。Andineveryvisionofthelight,contrariwise,weresolvetheshadow,andperceivetheendforwhichbothlightanddarkaregiven。

  \"Icanbelieve,thisdreadmachineryOfsinandsorrow,wouldconfoundmeelse,Devised——allpain,atmostexpenditureOfpainbyWhodevisedpain——toevolve,Bynewmachineryincounterpart,ThemoralqualitiesofMan——howelse?——

  Tomakehimloveinturn,andbebeloved,Creativeandself-sacrificingtoo,AndthuseventuallyGodlike。\"[19]IIIWHYWASEVOLUTIONTHEMETHODCHOSEN?Oneseldom-raisedyetnotmerelycuriousquestionofEvolutionis,whytheprocessshouldbeanevolutionatall?IfEvolutionissimplyamethodofCreation,whywasthisveryextraordinarymethodchosen?Creationtoutd\'uncoupmighthaveproducedthesameresult;aninstantaneousactoranage-longprocesswouldbothhavegivenustheworldasitis?

  Theanswerofmodernnaturaltheologyhasbeenthattheevolutionarymethodistheinfinitelynoblerscheme。Aspectacularact,itissaid,savoursofthemagician。Asamereexhibitionofpoweritappealstothelowernature;butaprocessofgrowthsuggeststothereasontheworkofanintelligentMind。Nodoubtthisintellectualgainisreal。Whileacatastropheputstheuniversetoconfusionatthestart,agradualrisemakesthebeginningofNatureharmoniouswithitsend。Howthesurpassinggrandeurofthenewconceptionhasfilledtheimaginationandkindledtoenthusiasmthesoberestscientificminds,fromDarwindownwards,isknowntoeveryone。AsthememorablewordswhichclosetheOriginofSpeciesrecall:\"Thereisagrandeurinthisviewoflife,withitsseveralpowers,havingbeenoriginallybreathedbytheCreatorintoafewformsorintoone;andthatwhilstthisplanethasgonecyclingon,accordingtothefixedlawofgravity,fromsosimpleabeginningendlessformsmostbeautifulandmostwonderfulhavebeen,andarebeingevolved。\"[20]

  Butcananintellectualanswersatisfyusanymorethanthemechanicalanswerwhichitreplaced?AstherewasclearlyamoralpurposeintheendtobeachievedbyEvolution,shouldwenotexpecttofindsomesimilarpurposeinthemeans?Canweperceivenohighdesigninselectingthisparticulardesign,noworthyethicalresultwhichshouldjustifytheconceptionaswellastheexecutionofEvolution?

  Wegotoofar,perhaps,inexpectinganswerstoquestionssotranscendent。Butoneatleastsuggestsitself,whosepracticalvalueisapologyenoughforventuringtoadvanceit。Whenevertheschemewasplanned,itmusthavebeenforeseenthatthetimewouldcomewhenthedirectingofpartofthecourseofEvolutionwouldpassintothehandsofMan。Aspectatorofthedramaforages,tooignoranttoseethatitwasadrama,andtooimpotenttodomorethanplayhislittlepart,thediscoverymustsoonerorlaterbreakuponhimthatNaturemeanthimtobecomeapartnerinhertask,andsharetheresponsibilityoftheclosingacts。ItisnotgiventohimasyettobindthesweetinfluencesofPleiades,ortounloosethebandsofOrion。Inpartonlycanhemakethewindsandwavesobeyhim,orcontrolthefallingrain。Butinlargerpartheholdsthedominionoftheworldoflowerlife。Heexterminateswhathepleases;

  hecreatesandhedestroys;hechanges;heevolves;hisselectionreplacesnaturalselection;hereplenishestheearthwithplantsandanimalsaccordingtohiswill。Butinafargrandersphere,andinaninfinitelyprofoundersense,hasthesovereigntypassedtohim,For,bythesamedecree,hefindshimselftheguardianandthearbiterofhispersonaldestiny,andthatofhisfellow-men。Themouldingofhislifeandofhischildren\'schildreninmeasureliewithhim。Throughinstitutionsofhiscreation,throughParliaments,Churches,Societies,Schools,heshapesthepathofprogressforhiscountryandhistime。Theevilsoftheworldarecombatedbyhisremedies;itspassionsarestayed,itswrongsredressed,itsenergiesforgoodorevildirectedbyhishand。Forunnumberedmillionsheopensorshutsthegatesofhappiness,andpavesthewayformiseryorsocialhealth。

  NeverbeforewasitknownandfeltwiththesamesolemncertaintythatMan,withinboundswhichnonecanpass,mustbehisownmakerandthemakeroftheworld。Forthefirsttimeinhistorynotindividualsonlybutmultitudesofthewisestandthenoblestineverylandtakehometothemselves,andunceasinglyconcernthemselveswith,theproblemoftheEvolutionofMankind。

  Multitudesmore,philanthropists,statesmen,missionaries,humblemenandpatientwomen,devotethemselvesdailytoitspracticalsolution,andeverywheresome,inaGod-likeculminationofAltruism,givetheirverylivesfortheirfellow-men。WhoistohelpthesePracticalEvolutionists——forthosewhoreadthebookofNaturecancallthembynoothername,andthosewhoknowitsspiritcancallthembynohigher——whoistohelpthemintheirtremendoustask?Thereisthewill——whereisthewisdom?

  WherebutinNatureherself。NaturemayhaveentrustedthefurtherbuildingtoMankind,buttheplanhasneverleftherhands。Thelinesofthefuturearetobelearnedfromherpast,andherfellow-helperscanmosteasily,mostloyally,andmostperfectlydotheirpartbystudyingcloselythearchitectureoftheearlierworld,andcontinuingthehalf-finishedstructuresymmetricallytothetop。TheinformationnecessarytocompletetheworkwitharchitecturalconsistencyliesinNature。

  Wemightexpectthatitshouldbethere。Whenabusinessistransferred,orapartnerassumed,thebooksareshown,themethodsofthebusinessexplained,itsfuturedevelopmentspointedout。AllthisisnowdonefortheEvolutionofMankind。InEvolutionCreationhasshownherhand。TohavekeptthesecretfromManwouldhaveimperilledthefurtherevolution。

  Tohaverevealeditsoonerhadbeenpremature。Lovemustcomebeforeknowledge,forknowledgeistheinstrumentofLove,anduselesstillitarrives。ButnowthatthereisAltruismenoughintheworldtobeginthenewera,theremustbewisdomenoughtodirectit。TomakeNaturespelloutherowncareer,toembodythekeytothedevelopmentintheverydevelopmentitself,sothatthekeymightbehandedoveralongwiththework,wastomakethetransferenceofresponsibilitypossibleandrational。Intheseventeenthcentury,Descartes,whowithLeibnitzalreadyforesawtheadumbrationoftheevolutionaryprocess,almostpointedthisout;forspeaking,inanotherconnection,oftheintellectualvalueofaslowdevelopmentofthingsheobserves,\"theirnatureismuchmoreeasytoconceivewhentheyareseenoriginatingbydegreesinthisway,thanwhentheyareconsideredasentirelymade。\"[21]

  ThepastofNatureisaworking-modelofhowworldscanbemade。Theprobabilitiesarethereisnobetterwayofmakingthem。IfMandoesaswellitwillbeenough。InanycasehecanonlybeginwhereNatureleftoff,andworkwithsuchtoolsasareputintohishands。

  Ifthenewpartnerhadbeenintendedmerelytoexperimentwithworld-making,nosuchlegacyofusefullawhadbeenevergivenhim。Andifhehadbeenmeanttobegindenovoonatotallydifferentplan,itisunlikelyeitherthatthatshouldnothavebeenhintedat,orthatinhistouchingandbeautifulendeavourheshouldbeembarrassedandthrownoffthetrackbytheoldplan。Asachildsettocompletesomefineembroideryisshownthestitches,thecolours,andtheoutlinetraceduponthecanvas,sothegreatMotherinsettingtheirdifficulttasktoherlaterchildrenprovidesthemwithonesuperbpartfinishedtoshowthepattern。IVEVOLUTIONANDSOCIOLOGYThemomentitisgraspedthatwemayhaveinNatureakeytothefutureprogressofMankind,thestudyofEvolutionrisestoanimposingrankinhumaninterest。Thereliestheprogrammeoftheworldfromthefirstoftime,theinstrument,thecharter,andstillmoretheprophecyofprogress。Evolutionisthenaturaldirectoryofthesociologist,theguidethroughthatwhichhasworkedinthepasttowhat——subjecttomodifyinginfluenceswhichNaturecanalwaysbetrustedtogivefullnoticeof——maybeexpectedtoworkinthefuture。Here,fortheindividual,isanewandimpressivesummonstopublicaction,avocationchosenofNaturewhichitwillprofithimtoconsider,fortherebyhemaynotonlysavethewholeworld,butfindhisownsoul。\"Thestudyofthehistoricaldevelopmentofman,\"saysProf。

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