evolution and ethics and other essays-第2章

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secured　against　malversation；　the　objections；　on　social　and　political
grounds；　to　Mr。　　Booth's　despotic　organization；　with　its　thousands　of

docile　satellites　pledged　to　blind　obedience；　set　forth　in　the
letters；　would　be　in　no　degree　weakened。　The　〃sixpennyworth　of　good〃
would　still　be　out…weighed　by　the　〃shillingsworth　of　harm〃；　if　indeed
the　relative　worth；　or　unworth；　of　the　latter　should　not　be　rated　in
pounds　rather　than　in　shillings。

What　would　one　not　give　for　the　opinion　of　the　financial　members　of
the　Committee　about　the　famous　Bank；　and　that　of　the　legal　experts
about　the　proposed　〃tribunes　of　the　people〃？

HODESLEA；　EASTBOURNE；
　　　　　　　　July；　1894。




　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　CONTENTS

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　I

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　PAGE
EVOLUTION　AND　ETHICS。　PROLEGOMENA　＇1894＇　。　。　。　。　。　。　1

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　II

EVOLUTION　AND　ETHICS　＇1893＇。　。　。　。　。　。　。　。　。　。　。　。　。46

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　III

SCIENCE　AND　MORALS　＇1886＇。　。　。　。　。　。　。　。　。　。　。　。　。　117

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　IV

CAPITALTHE　MOTHER　OF　LABOUR　＇1890＇　。　。　。　。　。　。　。　147

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　V

SOCIAL　DISEASES　AND　WORSE　REMEDIES　＇1891＇。　。　。　。　。　188

Preface。　。　。　。　。　。　。　。　。　。　。　。　。　。　。　。　。　。　。　188
The　Struggle　for　Existence　in　Human　Society。　195
Letters　to　the　Times　。　。　。　。　。　。　。　。　。　。　。　。　237
Legal　Opinions　。　。　。　。　。　。　。　。　。　。　。　。　。　。　。　312
The　Articles　of　War　of　the　Salvation　Army。　。　321




＇1＇


　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　I。

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　EVOLUTION　AND　ETHICS。

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　PROLEGOMENA。

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　＇1894。＇


　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　I。

IT　may　be　safely　assumed　that；　two　thousand　years　ago；　before　Caesar
set　foot　in　southern　Britain；　the　whole　country…side　visible　from　the
windows　of　the　room　in　which　I　write；　was　in　what　is　called　〃the　state
of　nature。〃　Except；　it　may　be；　by　raising　a　few　sepulchral　mounds；
such　as　those　which　still；　here　and　there；　break　the　flowing　contours
of　the　downs；　man's　hands　had　made　no　mark　upon　it；　and　the　thin　veil
of　vegetation　which　overspread　the　broad…backed　heights　and　the
shelving　sides　of　the　coombs　was　unaffected　by　his　industry。　The
native　grasses　and　weeds；　the　scattered　patches　of　gorse；　contended
with　one　another　for　the　possession　of　the　scanty　surface　soil；　they
fought　against　the　droughts　of　summer；　the　frosts　of　winter；　and　the
furious　gales　which　swept；　with　unbroken　force；　now　from　the　＇2＇
Atlantic；　and　now　from　the　North　Sea；　at　all　times　of　the　year；　they
filled　up；　as　they　best　might；　the　gaps　made　in　their　ranks　by　all
sorts　of　underground　and　overground　animal　ravagers。　One　year　with
another；　an　average　population；　the　floating　balance　of　the　unceasing
struggle　for　existence　among　the　indigenous　plants；　maintained　itself。
It　is　as　little　to　be　doubted；　that　an　essentially　similar　state　of
nature　prevailed；　in　this　region；　for　many　thousand　years　before　the
coming　of　Caesar；　and　there　is　no　assignable　reason　for　denying　that
it　might　continue　to　exist　through　an　equally　prolonged　futurity；
except　for　the　intervention　of　man。

Reckoned　by　our　customary　standards　of　duration；　the　native　vegetation；
like　the　〃everlasting　hills〃　which　it　clothes；　seems　a　type　of
permanence。　The　little　Amarella　Gentians；　which　abound　in　some　places
to…day；　are　the　descendants　of　those　that　were　trodden　underfoot；　by
the　prehistoric　savages　who　have　left　their　flint　tools；　about；　here
and　there；　and　they　followed　ancestors　which；　in　the　climate　of　the
glacial　epoch；　probably　flourished　better　than　they　do　now。　Compared
with　the　long　past　of　this　humble　plant；　all　the　history　of　civilized
men　is　but　an　episode。

Yet　nothing　is　more　certain　than　that；　measured　by　the　liberal　scale
of　time…keeping　of　the　universe；　this　present　state　of　nature；　however
it　may　seem　to　have　gone　and　to　go　on　for　ever；　is　＇3＇　but　a　fleeting
phase　of　her　infinite　variety；　merely　the　last　of　the　series　of
changes　which　the　earth's　surface　has　undergone　in　the　course　of　the
millions　of　years　of　its　existence。　Turn　back　a　square　foot　of　the
thin　turf；　and　the　solid　foundation　of　the　land；　exposed　in　cliffs　of
chalk　five　hundred　feet　high　on　the　adjacent　shore；　yields　full
assurance　of　a　time　when　the　sea　covered　the　site　of　the　〃everlasting
hills〃；　and　when　the　vegetation　of　what　land　lay　nearest；　was　as
different　from　the　present　Flora　of　the　Sussex　downs；　as　that　of
Central　Africa　now　is。*　No　less　certain　is　it　that；　between　the　time
during　which　the　chalk　was　formed　and　that　at　which　the　original　turf
came　into　existence；　thousands　of　centuries　elapsed；　in　the　course　of
which；　the　state　of　nature　of　the　ages　during　which　the　chalk　was
deposited；　passed　into　that　which　now　is；　by　changes　so　slow　that；　in
the　coming　and　going　of　the　generations　of　men；　had　such　witnessed
them；　the　contemporary；　conditions　would　have　seemed　to　be　unchanging
and　unchangeable。

　　　　*　See　〃On　a　piece　of　Chalk〃　in　the　preceding　volume　of　these
　　　　Essays　（vol。　　viii。　p。　1）。

But　it　is　also　certain　that；　before　the　deposition　of　the　chalk；　a
vastly　longer　period　had　elapsed；　throughout　which　it　is　easy　to
follow　the　traces　of　the　same　process　of　ceaseless　modification　and　of
the　internecine　struggle　for　existence　of　living　things；　and　that　even
when　we　can　get　no　further　＇4＇　back；　it　is　not　because　there　is　any
reason　to　think　we　have　reached　the　beginning；　but　because　the　trail
of　the　most　ancient　life　remains　hidden；　or　has　become　obliterated。

Thus　that　state　of　nature　of　the　world　of　plants　which　we　began　by
considering；　is　far　from　possessing　the　attribute　of　permanence。　Rather
its　very　essence　is　impermanence。　It　may　have　lasted　twenty　or　thirty
thousand　years；　it　may　last　for　twenty　or　thirty　thousand　years　more；
without　obvious　change；　but；　as　surely　as　it　has　followed　upon　a　very
different　state；　so　it　will　be　followed　by　an　equally　different
condition。　That　which　endures　is　not　one　or　another　association　of
living　forms；　but　the　process　of　which　the　cosmos　is　the　product；　and
of　which　these　are　among　the　transitory　expressions。　And　in　the　living
world；　one　of　the　most　characteristic　features　of　this　cosmic　process
is　the　struggle　for　existence；　the　competition　of　each　with　all；　the
result　of　which　is　the　selection；　that　is　to　say；　the　survival　of
those　forms　which；　on　the　whole；　are　best　adapted；　to　the　conditions
which　at　any　period　obtain；　and　which　are；　therefore；　in　that　respect；
and　only　in　that　respect；　the　fittest。*　The　acme　reached　by　the　cosmic
＇5＇　process　in　the　vegetation　of　the　downs　is　seen　in　the　turf；　with
its　weeds　and　gorse。　Under　the　conditions；　they　have　come　out　of　the
struggle　victorious；　and；　by　surviving；　have　proved　that　they　are　the
fittest　to　survive。

　　　　*　That　every　theory　of　evolution　must　be　consistent　not　merely
　　　　with　progressive　development；　but　with　indefinite　persistence
　　　　in　the　same　condition　and　with　retrogressive　modification；　is　a
　　　　point　which　I　have　insisted　upon　repeatedly　from　the　year　1862
　　　　till　now。　See　Collected　Essays；　vol。　ii。　pp。　461…89；　vol。　iii。
　　　　p。　33；　vol。　viii。　p。　304。　In　the　address　on　〃Geological
　　　　Contemporaneity　and　Persistent　Types〃　（1862）；　the
　　　　paleontological　proofs　of　this　proposition　were；　I　believe；
　　　　first　set　forth。

That　the　state　of　nature；　at　any　time；　is　a　temporary　phase　of　a
process　of　incessant　change；　which　has　been　going　on　for　innumerable
ages；　appears　to　me　to　be　a　proposition　as　well　established　as　any　in
modern　history。

Paleontology　assures　us；　in　addition；　that　the　ancient　philosophers
who；　with　less　reason；　held　the　same　doctrine；　erred　in　supposing　that
the　phases　formed　a　cycle；　exactly　repeating　the　past；　exactly
foreshadowing　the　future；　in　their　rotations。　On　the　contrary；　it
furnishes　us　with　conclusive　reasons　for　thinking　that；　if　every　link
in　the　ancestry　of　these　humble　indigenous　plants　had　been　preserved
and　were　accessible　to　us；　the　whole　would　present　a　converging　series
of　forms　of　gradually　diminishing　complexity；　until；　at　some　period　in
the　history　of　the　earth；　far　more　remote　than　any　of　which　organic
remains　have　yet　been　discovered；　they　would　merge　in　those　low　groups
among　which　the　Boundaries　between　animal　and　vegetable　life　become
effaced。*

　　　　*　〃On　the　Border　Territory　between　the　Animal　and　the　Vegetable
　　　　Kingdoms；〃　Essays；　vol。　viii。　p。　162

＇6＇　The　word　〃evolution；〃　now　generally　applied　to　the　cosmic　process；
has　had　a　singular　history；　and　is　used　in　various　senses。*　Taken　in
its　popular　signification　it　means　progressive　development；　that　is；
gradual　change　from　a　condition　of　relative　uniformity　to　one　of
relative　complexity；　but　its　connotation　has　been　widened　to　include
the　phenomena　of　retrogressive　metamorphosis；　that　is；　of　progress
from　a　condition　of　relative　complexity　to　one　of　relative　uniformity。

As　a　natural　process；　of　the　same　character　as　the　development　of　a
tree　from　its　seed；　or　of　a　fowl　from　its　egg；　evolution　excludes
creation　and　all　other　kinds　of　supernatural　intervention。　As　the
expression　of　a　fixed　order；　every　stage　of　which　is　the　effect　of
causes　operating　according　to　definite　rules；　the　conception　of
evolution　no　less　excludes　that　of　chance。　　It　is　very　desirable　to
remember　that　evolution　is　not　an　explanation　of　the　cosmic　process；
but　merely　a　generalized　statement　of　the　method　and　results　of　that
process。　And；　further；　that；　if　there　is　proof　that　the　cosmic　process
was　set　going　by　any　agent；　then　that　agent　will　be；　the　creator　of　it
and　of　all　its　products；　although　supernatural　intervention　may　remain
strictly　excluded　from　its　further　course。

So　far　as　that　limited　revelation　of　the　nature　of　things；　which　we
call　scientific　knowledge；　has　＇7＇　yet　gone；　it　tends；　with　constantly
increasing　emphasis；　to　the　belief　that；　not　merely　the　world　of
plants；　but　that　of　animals；　not　merely　living　things；　but　the　whole
fabric　of　the　earth；　not　merely　our　planet；　but　the　whole　solar
system；　not　merely　our　star　and　its　satellites；　but　the　millions　of
similar　bodies　which　bear　witness　to　the　order　which　pervades
boundless　space；　and　has　endured　through　boundless　time；　are　all
working　out　their　predestined　courses　of　evolution。

　　　　*　See　〃Evolution　in　Biology；〃　Essays；　vol。　ii。　p。　187

With　none　of　these　have　I　anything　to　do；　at　present；　except　with　that
exhibited　by　the　forms　of　life　which　tenant　the　earth。　All　plants　and
animals　exhibit　the　tendency　to　vary；　the　causes　of　which　have　yet　to
be　ascertained；　it　is　the　tendency　of　the　conditions　of　life；　at　any
given　time；　while　favouring　the　existence　of　the　variations　best
adapted　to　them；　to　oppose　that　of　the　rest　and　thus　to　exercise
selection；　and　all　living　things　tend　to　multiply　without　limit；　while
the　means　of　support　are　limited；　the　obvious　cause　of　which　is　the
production　of　offspring　more　numerous　than　their　progenitors；　but　with
equal　expectation　of　life　in　the　actuarial　sense。　Without　the　first
tendency　there　could　be　no　evolution。　　Without　the　second；　there　would
be　no　good　reason　why　one　variation　should　disappear　and　another　take
its　place；　that　is　to　say　there　would　be　no　sele