evolution and ethics and other essays-第16章

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agreed　that　the　proportion　of　good　and　evil　in　life　may　be　very
sensibly　affected　by　human　action。　I　never　heard　anybody　doubt　that
the　evil　may　be　thus　increased；　or　diminished；　and　it　would　seem　to
follow　that　good　must　be　similarly　susceptible　of　addition　or
subtraction。　Finally；　to　my　knowledge；　nobody　professes　to　doubt　that；
so　far　forth　as　we　possess　a　power　of　bettering　things；　it　is　our
paramount　duty　to　use　it　and　to　train　all　our　intellect　and　energy　to
this　supreme　service　of　our　kind。

Hence　the　pressing　interest　of　the　question；　to　what　extent　modern
progress　in　natural　knowledge；　and；　more　especially；　the　general
outcome　of　that　progress　in　the　doctrine　of　evolution；　is　competent　to
help　us　in　the　great　work　of　helping　one　another？

The　propounders　of　what　are　called　the　〃ethics　of　evolution；〃　when　the
〃evolution　of　ethics〃　would　usually　better　express　the　object　of　their
speculations；　adduce　a　number　of　more　or　less　interesting　facts　and
more　or　less　sound　arguments　in　favour　of　the　origin　of　the　moral
sentiments；　in　the　same　way　as　other　natural　phenomena；　by　a　process
of　evolution。　I　have　little　doubt；　for　my　own　part；　that　they　are　on
the　right　track；　but　as　the　immoral　sentiments　have　no　less　been
evolved；　there　is；　so　far；　as　much　natural　sanction　for　the　＇80＇　one
as　the　other。　The　thief　and　the　murderer　follow　nature　just　as　much　as
the　philanthropist。　Cosmic　evolution　may　teach　us　how　the　good　and　the
evil　tendencies　of　man　may　have　come　about；　but；　in　itself；　it　is
incompetent　to　furnish　any　better　reason　why　what　we　call　good　is
preferable　to　what　we　call　evil　than　we　had　before。　Some　day；　I　doubt
not；　we　shall　arrive　at　an　understanding　of　the　evolution　of　the
Aesthetic　faculty；　but　all　the　understanding　in　the　world　will　neither
increase　nor　diminish　the　force　of　the　intuition　that　this　is
beautiful　and　that　is　ugly。

There　is　another　fallacy　which　appears　to　me　to　pervade　the　so…called
〃ethics　of　evolution。〃　It　is　the　notion　that　because；　on　the　whole；
animals　and　plants　have　advanced　in　perfection　of　organization　by
means　of　the　struggle　for　existence　and　the　consequent　〃survival　of
the　fittest；〃　therefore　men　in　society；　men　as　ethical　beings；　must
look　to　the　same　process　to　help　them　towards　perfection。　I　suspect
that　this　fallacy　has　arisen　out　of　the　unfortunate　ambiguity　of　the
phrase　〃survival　of　the　fittest。〃　〃Fittest〃　has　a　connotation　of
〃best；〃　and　about　〃best〃　there　hangs　a　moral　flavour。　In　cosmic
nature；　however；　what　is　〃fittest〃　depends　upon　the　conditions。　Long
since　＇Note　19＇；　I　ventured　to　point　out　that　if　our　hemisphere　were
to　cool　again；　the　survival　of　the　fittest　might　bring　about；　in　the
vegetable　kingdom；　a　population　of　more　and　more　stunted　and　humbler
＇81＇　and　humbler　organisms；　until　the　〃fittest〃　that　survived　might　be
nothing　but　lichens；　diatoms；　and　such　microscopic　organisms　as　those
which　give　red　snow　its　colour；　while；　if　it　became　hotter；　the
pleasant　valleys　of　the　Thames　and　Isis　might；　be　uninhabitable　by　any
animated　beings　save　those　that　flourish　in　a　tropical　jungle。　They；
as　the　fittest；　the　best　adapted　to　the　changed　conditions；　would
survive。

Men　in　society　are　undoubtedly　subject　to　the　cosmic　process。　As　among
other　animals；　multiplication　goes　on　without　cessation；　and　involves
severe　competition　for　the　means　of　support。　The　struggle　for
existence　tends　to　eliminate　those　less　fitted　to　adapt　themselves　to
the　circumstances　of　their　existence。　The　strongest；　the　most
self…assertive；　tend　to　tread　down　the　weaker。　But　the　influence　of
the　cosmic　process　on　the　evolution　of　society　is　the　greater　the　more
rudimentary　its　civilization。　　Social　progress　means　a　checking　of　the
cosmic；　process　at　every　step　and　the　substitution　for　it　of　another；
which　may　be　called　the　ethical　process；　the　end　of　which　is　not　the
survival　of　those　who　may　happen　to　be　the　fittest；　in　respect　of　the
whole　of　the　conditions　which　obtain；　but　of　those　who　are　ethically
the　best。＇Note　20＇

As　I　have　already　urged；　the　practice　of　that　which　is　ethically
bestwhat　we　call　goodness　or　virtueinvolves　a　course　of　conduct
which；　in　all　＇82＇　respects；　is　opposed　to　that　which　leads　to　success
in　the　cosmic　struggle　for　existence。　In　place　of　ruthless
self…assertion　it　demands　self…restraint；　in　place　of　thrusting　aside；
or　treading　down；　all　competitors；　it　requires　that　the　individual
shall　not　merely　respect；　but　shall　help　his　fellows；　its　influence　is
directed；　not　so　much　to　the　survival　of　the　fittest；　as　to　the
fitting　of　as　many　as　possible　to　survive。　It　repudiates　the
gladiatorial　theory　of　existence。　It　demands　that　each　man　who　enters
into　the　enjoyment　of　the　advantages　of　a　polity　shall　be　mindful　of
his　debt　to　those　who　have　laboriously　constructed　it；　and　shall　take
heed　that　no　act　of　his　weakens　the　fabric　in　which　he　has　been
permitted　to　live。　Laws　and　moral　precepts　are　directed　to　the　end　of
curbing　the　cosmic　process　and　reminding　the　individual　of　his　duty　to
the　community；　to　the　protection　and　influence　of　which　he　owes；　if
not　existence　itself；　at　least　the　life　of　something　better　than　a
brutal　savage。

It　is　from　neglect　of　these　plain　considerations　that　the　fanatical
individualism　＇Note　21＇　of　our　time　attempts　to　apply　the　analogy　of
cosmic　nature　to　society。　Once　more　we　have　a　misapplication　of　the
stoical　injunction　to　follow　nature；　the　duties　of　the　individual　to
the　state　are　forgotten；　and　his　tendencies　to　self…assertion　are
dignified　by　the　name　of　rights。　It　is　seriously　debated　whether　the
members　of　a　community　are　justified　in　using　＇83＇　their　combined
strength　to　constrain　one　of　their　number　to　contribute　his　share　to
the　maintenance　of　it；　or　even　to　prevent　him　from　doing　his　best　to
destroy　it。　The　struggle　for　existence　which　has　done　such　admirable
work　in　cosmic　nature；　must；　it　appears；　be　equally　beneficent　in　the
ethical　sphere。　Yet　if　that　which　I　have　insisted　upon　is　true；　if　the
cosmic　process　has　no　sort　of　relation　to　moral　ends；　if　the　imitation
of　it　by　man　is　inconsistent　with　the　first　principles　of　ethics；　what
becomes　of　this　surprising　theory？

Let　us　understand；　once　for　all；　that　the　ethical　progress　of　society
depends；　not　on　imitating　the　cosmic　process；　still　less　in　running
away　from　it；　but　in　combating　it。　It　may　seem　an　audacious　proposal
thus　to　pit　the　microcosm　against　the　macrocosm　and　to　set　man　to
subdue　nature　to　his　higher　ends；　but　I　venture　to　think　that　the
great　intellectual　difference　between　the　ancient　times　with　which　we
have　been　occupied　and　our　day；　lies　in　the　solid　foundation　we　have
acquired　for　the　hope　that　such　an　enterprise　may　meet　with　a　certain
measure　of　success。

The　history　of　civilization　details　the　steps　by　which　men　have
succeeded　in　building　up　an　artificial　world　within　the　cosmos。
Fragile　reed　as　he　may　be；　man；　as　Pascal　says；　is　a　thinking　reed：
＇Note　22＇　there　lies　within　him　a　fund　of　energy　operating
intelligently　and　so　far　akin　to　that　which　pervades　the　universe；
that　it　is　competent　＇84＇　to　influence　and　modify　the　cosmic　process。
In　virtue　of　his　intelligence；　the　dwarf　bends　the　Titan　to　his　will。
In　every　family；　in　every　polity　that　has　been　established；　the　cosmic
process　in　man　has　been　restrained　and　otherwise　modified　by　law　and
custom；　in　surrounding　nature；　it　has　been　similarly　influenced　by　the
art　of　the　shepherd；　the　agriculturist；　the　artisan。　As　civilization
has　advanced；　so　has　the　extent　of　this　interference　increased；　until
the　organized　and　highly　developed　sciences　and　arts　of　the　present
day　have　endowed　man　with　a　command　over　the　course　of　non…human
nature　greater　than　that　once　attributed　to　the　magicians。　The　most
impressive；　I　might　say　startling；　of　these　changes　have　been　brought
about　in　the　course　of　the　last　two　centuries；　while　a　right
comprehension　of　the　process　of　life　and　of　the　means　of　influencing
its　manifestations　is　only　just　dawning　upon　us。　　We　do　not　yet　see
our　way　beyond　generalities；　and　we　are　befogged　by　the　obtrusion　of
false　analogies　and　crude　anticipations。　But　Astronomy；　Phy