evolution and ethics and other essays-第7章

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the　energy　and　courage　to　which　the　successful　soldier　owes　his　rise；
the　cool　and　daring　subtlety　to　which　the　great　financier　owes　his
fortune；　may　very　easily；　under　unfavourable　conditions；　lead　their
possessors　to　the　gallows；　or　to　the　hulks。　Moreover；　it　is　fairly
probable　that　the　children　of　a　〃failure〃　will　receive　from　their
other　parent　just　that　little　modification　of　character　which　makes
all　the　difference。　I　sometimes　wonder　whether　people；　who　talk　so
freely　about　extirpating　the　unfit；　ever　dispassionately　consider
their　own　history。　Surely；　one　must　be　very　〃fit；〃　indeed；　not　to　know
of　an　occasion；　or　perhaps　two；　in　one's　life；　when　it　would　have　been
only　too　easy　to　qualify　for　a　place　among　the　〃unfit。〃

＇40＇　In　my　belief　the　innate　qualities；　physical；　intellectual；　and
moral；　of　our　nation　have　remained　substantially　the　same　for　the　last
four　or　five　centuries。　If　the　struggle　for　existence　has　affected　us
to　any　serious　extent　（and　I　doubt　it）　it　has　been；　indirectly；
through　our　military　and　industrial　wars　with　other　nations。


　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　XIV。


What　is　often　called　the　struggle　for　existence　in　society　（I　plead
guilty　to　having　used　the　term　too　loosely　myself）；　is　a　contest；　not
for　the　means　of　existence；　but　for　the　means　of　enjoyment。　Those　who
occupy　the　first　places　in　this　practical　competitive　examination　are
the　rich　and　the　influential；　those　who　fail；　more　or　less；　occupy　the
lower　places；　down　to　the　squalid　obscurity　of　the　pauper　and　the
criminal。　Upon　the　most　liberal　estimate；　I　suppose　the　former　group
will　not　amount　to　two　per　cent。　of　the　population。　I　doubt　if　the
latter　exceeds　another　two　per　cent。；　but　let　it　be　supposed；　for　the
sake　of　argument；　that　it　is　as　great　as　five　per　cent。*

　　　　*　Those　who　read　the　last　Essay　in　this　volume　will　not　accuse
　　　　me　of　wishing　to　attenuate　the　evil　of　the　existence　of　this
　　　　group；　whether　great　or　small。

As　it　is　only　in　the　latter　group　that　any　thing　comparable　to　the
struggle　for　existence　in　the　state　of　nature　can　take　place；　as　it　is
＇41＇　only　among　this　twentieth　of　the　whole　people　that　numerous　men；
women；　and　children　die　of　rapid　or　slow　starvation；　or　of　the
diseases　incidental　to　permanently　bad　conditions　of　life；　and　as
there　is　nothing　to　prevent　their　multiplication　before　they　are
killed　off；　while；　in　spite　of　greater　infant　mortality；　they　increase
faster　than　the　rich；　it　seems　clear　that　the　struggle　for　existence
in　this　class　can　have　no　appreciable　selective　influence　upon　the
other　95　per　cent。　of　the　population。

What　sort　of　a　sheep　breeder　would　he　be　who　should　content　himself
with　picking　out　the　worst　fifty　out　of　a　thousand；　leaving　them　on　a
barren　common　till　the　weakest　starved；　and　then　letting　the　survivors
go　back　to　mix　with　the　rest？　And　the　parallel　is　too　favourable；
since　in　a　large　number　of　cases；　the　actual　poor　and　the　convicted
criminals　are　neither　the　weakest　nor　the　worst。

In　the　struggle　for　the　means　of　enjoyment；　the　qualities　which　ensure
success　are　energy；　industry；　intellectual　capacity；　tenacity　of
purpose；　and；　at　least；　as　much　sympathy　as　is　necessary　to　make　a　man
understand　the　feelings　of　his　fellows。　Were　there　none　of　those
artificial　arrangements　by　which　fools　and　knaves　are　kept　at　the　top
of　society　instead　of　sinking　to　their　natural　place　at　the　bottom；*
the　struggle　for　the　means　＇42＇　of　enjoyment　would　ensure　a　constant
circulation　of　the　human　units　of　the　social　compound；　from　the　bottom
to　the　top　and　from　the　top　to　the　bottom。　　The　survivors　of　the
contest；　those　who　continued　to　form　the　great　bulk　of　the　polity；
would　not　be　those　〃fittest〃　who　got　to　the　very　top；　but　the　great
body　of　the　moderately　〃fit；〃　whose　numbers　and　superior　propagative
power；　enable　them　always　to　swamp　the　exceptionally　endowed　minority。

　　　　*　I　have　elsewhere　lamented　the　absence　from　society　of　a
　　　　machinery　for　facilitating　the　descent　of　incapacity。
　　　　〃Administrative　Nihilism。〃　Collected　Essays；　vol。　i。　p。　54。

I　think　it　must　be　obvious　to　every　one；　that；　whether　we　consider　the
internal　or　the　external　interests　of　society；　it　is　desirable　they
should　be　in　the　hands　of　those　who　are　endowed　with　the　largest　share
of　energy；　of　industry；　of　intellectual　capacity；　of　tenacity　of
purpose；　while　they　are　not　devoid　of　sympathetic　humanity；　and；　in　so
far　as　the　struggle　for　the　means　of　enjoyment　tends　to　place　such　men
in　possession　of　wealth　and　influence；　it　is　a　process　which　tends　to
the　good　of　society。　But　the　process；　as　we　have　seen；　has　no　real
resemblance　to　that　which　adapts　living　beings　to　current　conditions
in　the　state　of　nature；　nor　any　to　the　artificial　selection　of　the
horticulturist。

＇43＇　To　return；　once　more；　to　the　parallel　of　horticulture。　In　the
modern　world；　the　gardening　of　men　by　themselves　is　practically
restricted　to　the　performance；　not　of　selection；　but　of　that　other
function　of　the　gardener；　the　creation　of　conditions　more　favourable
than　those　of　the　state　of　nature；　to　the　end　of　facilitating　the　free
expansion　of　the　innate　faculties　of　the　citizen；　so　far　as　it　is
consistent　with　the　general　good。　　And　the　business　of　the　moral　and
political　philosopher　appears　to　me　to　be　the　ascertainment；　by　the
same　method　of　observation；　experiment；　and　ratiocination；　as　is
practised　in　other　kinds　of　scientific　work；　of　the　course　of　conduct
which　will　best　conduce　to　that　end。

But；　supposing　this　course　of　conduct　to　be　scientifically　determined
and　carefully　followed　out；　it　cannot　put　an　end　to　the　struggle　for
existence　in　the　state　of　nature；　and　it　will　not　so　much　as　tend；　in
any　way；　to　the　adaptation　of　man　to　that　state。　Even　should　the　whole
human　race　be　absorbed　in　one　vast　polity；　within　which　〃absolute
political　justice〃　reigns；　the　struggle　for　existence　with　the　state
of　nature　outside　it；　and　the　tendency　to　the　return　to　the　struggle
within；　in　consequence　of　over…multiplication；　will　remain；　and；
unless　men's　inheritance　from　the　ancestors　who　fought　a　good　fight　in
the　state　of　＇44＇　nature；　their　dose　of　original　sin；　is　rooted　out　by
some　method　at　present　unrevealed；　at　any　rate　to　disbelievers　in
supernaturalism；　every　child　born　into　the　world　will　still　bring　with
him　the　instinct　of　unlimited　self…assertion。　He　will　have　to　learn
the　lesson　of　self…restraint　and　renunciation。　But　the　practice　of
self…restraint　and　renunciation　is　not　happiness；　though　it　may　be
something　much　better。

That　man；　as　a　〃political　animal；〃　is　susceptible　of　a　vast　amount　of
improvement；　by　education；　by　instruction；　and　by　the　application　of
his　intelligence　to　the　adaptation　of　the　conditions　of　life　to　his
higher　needs；　I　entertain　not　the　slightest　doubt。　But　so　long　as　he
remains　liable　to　error；　intellectual　or　moral；　so　long　as　he　is
compelled　to　be　perpetually　on　guard　against　the　cosmic　forces；　whose
ends　are　not　his　ends；　without　and　within　himself；　so　long　as　he　is
haunted　by　inexpugnable　memories　and　hopeless　aspirations；　so　long　as
the　recognition　of　his　intellectual　limitations　forces　him　to
acknowledge　his　incapacity　to　penetrate　the　mystery　of　existence；　the
prospect　of　attaining　untroubled　happiness；　or　of　a　state　which　can；
even　remotely；　deserve　the　title　of　perfection；　appears　to　me　to　be　as
misleading　an　illusion　as　ever　was　dangled　before　the　eyes　of　poor
humanity。　And　there　have　been　many　of　them。

That　which　lies　before　the　human　race　is　a　＇45＇　constant　struggle　to
maintain　and　improve；　in　opposition　to　the　State　of　Nature；　the　State
of　Art　of　an　organized　polity；　in　which；　and　by　which；　man　may　develop
a　worthy　civilization；　capable　of　maintaining　and　constantly　improving
itself；　until　the　evolution　of　our　globe　shall　have　entered　so　far
upon　its　downward　course　that　the　cosmic　process　resumes　its　sway；
and；　once　more；　the　State　of　Nature　prevails　over　the　surface　of　our
planet。

　　　　　Note：　（See　p。　30）。It　seems　the　fashion　nowadays　to　ignore
Hartley；　though；　a　century　and　a　half　ago；　he　not　only　laid　the
foundations　but　built　up　much　of　the　superstructure　of　a　true　theory
of　the　Evolution　of　the　intellectual　and　moral　faculties。　He　speaks　of
what　I　have　termed　the　ethical　process　as　〃our　Progress　from
Self…interest　to　Self…annihilation。〃　Observations　on　Man　（1749）；　vol。
ii　p。　281。

＇46＇

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　II。

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　EVOLUTION　AND　ETHICS。

　　　　　　　　　　　　　＇The　Romanes　Lecture；　1893。＇

Soleo　enim　et　in　aliena　castra　transire；　non　tanquam　transfuga　sed
tanquam　explorator。　（L。　ANNAEI　SENECAE　EPIST。　II。　4。）

THERE　is　a　delightful　child's　story；　known　by　the　title　of　〃Jack　and
the　Bean…stalk；〃　with　which　my　contemporaries　who　are　present　will　be
familiar。　　But　so　many　of　our　grave　and　reverend　Juniors　have　been
brought　up　on　severer　intellectual　diet；　and；　perhaps；　have　become
acquainted　with　fairyland　only　through　primers　of　comparative
mythology；　that　it　may　be　needful　to　give　an　outline　of　the　tale。　It
is　a　legend　of　a　bean…plant；　which　grows　and　grows　until　it　reaches
the　high　heavens　and　there　spreads　out　into　a　vast　canopy　of　foliage。
The　hero；　being　moved　to　climb　the　stalk；　discovers　that　the　leafy
expanse　supports　a　world　composed　of　the　same　elements　as　that　below
but　yet　strangely　new；　and　his　adventures　there；　on　which　I　may　not
dwell；　must　＇47＇　have　completely　changed　his　views　of　the　nature　of
things；　though　the　story；　not　having　been　composed　by；　or　for；
philosophers；　has　nothing　to　say　about　views。

My　present　enterprise　has　a　certain　analogy　to　that　of　the　daring
adventurer。　I　beg　you　to　accompany　me　in　an　attempt　to　reach　a　world
which；　to　many；　is　probably　strange；　by　the　help　of　a　bean。　It　is；　as
you　know；　a　simple；　inert…looking　thing。　Yet；　if　planted　under　proper
conditions；　of　which　sufficient　warmth　is　one　of　the　most　important；
it　manifests　active　powers　of　a　very　remarkable　kind。　A　small　green
seedling　emerges；　rises　to　the　surface　of　the　soil；　rapidly　increases
in　size　and；　at　the　same　time；　undergoes　a　series　of　metamorphoses
which　do　not　excite　our　wonder　as　much　as　those　which　meet　us　in
legendary　history；　merely　because　they　are　to　be　seen　every　day　and
all　day　long。

By　insensible　steps；　the　plant　builds　itself　up　into　a　large　and
various　fabric　of　root；　stem；　leaves；　flowers；　and　fruit；　every　one
moulded　within　and　without　in　accordance　with　an　extremely　complex
but；　at　the　same　time；　minutely　defined　pattern。　In　each　of　these
complicated　structures；　as　in　their　smallest　constituents；　there　is　an
immanent　energy　which；　in　harmony　with　that　resident　in　all　the
others；　incessantly　works　towards　the　maintenance　；of　the　whole　and
the　efficient　performance　of　the　part　which　it　has　to　play　in　the
economy　of　nature。

＇48＇　But　no　sooner　has　the　edifice；　reared　with　such　exact
elaboration；　attained　completeness；　than　it　begins　to　crumble。　By
degrees；　the　plant　withers　and　disappears　from　view；　leaving　behind
more　or　fewer　apparently　inert　and　simple　bodies；　just　like　the　bean
from　which　it　sprang；　and；　like　it；　endowed　with　the　potentiality　of
giving　rise　to　a　similar　cycle　of　manifes