evolution and ethics and other essays-第17章

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our　way　beyond　generalities；　and　we　are　befogged　by　the　obtrusion　of
false　analogies　and　crude　anticipations。　But　Astronomy；　Physics；
Chemistry；　have　all　had　to　pass　through　similar　phases；　before　they
reached　the　stage　at　which　their　influence　became　an　important　factor
in　human　affairs。　Physiology；　Psychology；　Ethics；　Political　Science；
must　submit　to　the　same　ordeal。　Yet　it　seems　to　me　irrational　to　doubt
that；　at　no　distant　period；　they　will　work　as　great　a　revolution　in
the　sphere　of　practice。

＇85＇　The　theory　of　evolution　encourages　no　millennial　anticipations。
If；　for　millions　of　years；　our　globe　has　taken　the　upward　road；　yet；
some　time；　the　summit　will　be　reached　and　the　downward　route　will　be
commenced。　The　most　daring　imagination　will　hardly　venture　upon　the
suggestion　that　the　power　and　the　intelligence　of　man　can　ever　arrest
the　procession　of　the　great　year。

Moreover；　the　cosmic　nature　born　with　us　and；　to　a　large　extent；
necessary　for　our　maintenance；　is　the　outcome　of　millions　of　years　of
severe　training；　and　it　would　be　folly　to　imagine　that　a　few　centuries
will　suffice　to　subdue　its　masterfulness　to　purely　ethical　ends。
Ethical　nature　may　count　upon　having　to　reckon　with　a　tenacious　and
powerful　enemy　as　long　as　the　world　lasts。　But；　on　the　other　hand；　I
see　no　limit　to　the　extent　to　which　intelligence　and　will；　guided　by
sound　principles　of　investigation；　and　organized　in　common　effort；　may
modify　the　conditions　of　existence；　for　a　period　longer　than　that　now
covered　by　history。　And　much　may　be　done　to　change　the　nature　of　man
himself。　＇Note　23＇　The　intelligence　which　has　converted　the　brother　of
the　wolf　into　the　faithful　guardian　of　the　flock　ought　to　be　able　to
do　something　towards　curbing　the　instincts　of　savagery　in　civilized
men。

But　if　we　may　permit　ourselves　at　larger　hope　of　abatement　of　the
essential　evil　of　the　world　than　was　possible　to　those　who；　in　the
infancy　of　＇86＇　exact　knowledge；　faced　the　problem　of　existence　more
than　a　score　of　centuries　ago；　I　deem　it　an　essential　condition　of　the
realization　of　that　hope　that　we　should　cast　aside　the　notion　that　the
escape　from　pain　and　sorrow　is　the　proper　object　of　life。

We　have　long　since　emerged　from　the　heroic　childhood　of　our　race；　when
good　and　evil　could　be　met　with　the　same　〃frolic　welcome；〃　the
attempts　to　escape　from　evil；　whether　Indian　or　Greek；　have　ended　in
flight　from　the　battle…field；　it　remains　to　us　to　throw　aside　the
youthful　overconfidence　and　the　no　less　youthful　discouragement　of
nonage。　We　are　grown　men；　and　must　play　the　man

　　　　　〃。。。strong　in　will
　　　　　To　strive；　to　seek；　to　find；　and　not　to　yield；〃

cherishing　the　good　that　falls　in　our　way；　and　bearing　the　evil；　in
and　around　us；　with　stout　hearts　set　on　diminishing　it。　So　far；　we　all
may　strive　in　one　faith　towards　one　hope：

　　　　　〃。。。　It　may　be　that　the　gulfs　will　wash　us　down；
　　　　　It　may　be　we　shall　touch　the　Happy　Isles；

　　　　　。。。　but　something　ere　the　end；
　　　　　Some　work　of　noble　note　may　yet　be　done。〃　＇Note　24＇

＇187＇

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　NOTES。

Note　1　（p。　49）。

I　have　been　careful　to　speak　of　the　〃appearance〃　of　cyclical　evolution
presented　by　living　things；　for；　on　critical　examination；　it　will　be
found　that　the　course　of　vegetable　and　of　animal　life　is　not　exactly
represented　by；　the　figure　of　a　cycle　which　returns　into　itself。　What
actually　happens；　in　all　but　the　lowest　organisms；　is　that　one　part　of
the　growing　germ　（A）　gives　rise　to　tissues　and　organs；　while　another
part　（B）　remains　in　its　primitive　condition；　or　is　but　slightly
modified。　The　moiety　A　becomes　the　body　of　the　adult　and；　sooner　or
later；　perishes；　while　portions　of　the　moiety　B　are　detached　and；　as
offspring；　continue　the　life　of　the　species。　　Thus；　if　we　trace　back
an　organism　along　the　direct　line　of　descent　from　its　remotest
ancestor；　B；　as　a　whole；　has　never　suffered　death；　portions　of　it；
only；　have　been　cast　off　and　died　in　each　individual　offspring。

Everybody　is　familiar　with　the　way　in　which　the　〃suckers〃　of　a
strawberry　plant　behave。　A　thin　cylinder　of　living　tissue　keeps　on
growing　at　its　free　end；　until　it　attains　a　considerable　length。　At
＇88＇　successive　intervals；　it　develops　buds　which　grow　into　strawberry
plants；　and　these　become　independent　by　the　death　of　the　parts　of　the
sucker　which　connect　them。　The　rest　of　the　sucker；　however；　may　go　on
living　and　growing　indefinitely；　and；　circumstances　remaining
favourable；　there　is　no　obvious　reason　why　it　should　ever　die。　The
living　substance　B；　in　a　manner；　answers　to　the　sucker。　If　we　could
restore　the　continuity　which　was　once　possessed　by　the　portions　of　B；
contained　in　all　the　individuals　of　a　direct　line　of　descent；　they
would　form　a　sucker；　or　stolon；　on　which　these　individuals　would　be
strung；　and　which　would　never　have　wholly　died。

A　species　remains　unchanged　so　long　as　the　potentiality　of　development
resident　in　B　remains　unaltered；　so　long；　e。g。；　as　the　buds　of　the
strawberry　sucker　tend　to　become　typical　strawberry　plants。　In　the　case
of　the　progressive　evolution　of　a　species；　the　developmental
potentiality　of　B　becomes　of　a　higher　and　higher　order。　In
retrogressive　evolution；　the　contrary　would　be　the　case。　The　phenomena
of　atavism　seem　to　show　that　retrogressive　evolution　that　is；　the
return　of　a　species　to　one　or　other　of　its　earlier　forms；　is　a
possibility　to　be　reckoned　with。　The　simplification　of　structure；
which　is　so　common　in　the　parasitic　members　of　a　group；　however；　does
not　properly　come　under　this　head。　The　worm…like；　limbless　Lernoea　has
no　resemblance　to　any　of　the　stages　of　development　of　the　many…limbed
active　animals　of　the　group　to　which　it　belongs。　＇89＇　Note　2　（p。　49）。

Heracleitus　says；＇Greek　phrase　Potamo　gar　ouk　esti　dis　embenai　to　suto＇
but；　to　be　strictly　accurate；　the　river　remains；　though　the　water　of
which　it　is　composed　changesjust　as　a　man　retains　his　identity
though　the　whole　substance　of　his　body　is　constantly　shifting。

This　is　put　very　well　by　Seneca　（Ep。　lvii。　i。　20；　Ed。　Ruhkopf）：
〃Corpora　nostra　rapiuntur　fluminum　more；　quidquid　vides　currit　cum
tempore；　nihil　ex　his　quae　videmus　manet。　Ego　ipse　dum　loquor　mutari
ista；　mutatus　sum。　Hoc　est　quod　ait　Heraclitus　'In　idem　flumen　bis　non
descendimus。'　Manet　idem　fluminis　nomen；　aqua　transmissa　est。　Hoc　in
amne　manifestius　est　quam　in　homine；　sed　nos　quoque　non　minus　velox
cursus　praetervehit。〃

Note　3　（p。　55）。

〃Multa　bona　nostra　nobis　nocent；　timoris　enim　tormentum　memorin
reducit；　providentia　anticipat。　Nemo　tantum　praesentibus　miser　est。〃
（Seneca；　Ed。　v。　　7。）

Among　the　many　wise　and　weighty　aphorisms　of　the　Roman　Bacon；　few　sound
the　realities　of　life　more　deeply　than　〃Multa　bona　nostra　nobis
nocent。〃　If　there　is　a　soul　of　good　in　things　evil；　it　is　at　least
equally　true　that　there　is　a　soul　of　evil　in　things　good：　for　things；
like　men；　have　〃les　defauts　de　leurs　qualites。〃　It　is　one　of　the　last
lessons　one　learns　from　experience；　but　not　the　least　important；　that
a　＇90＇　heavy　tax　is　levied　upon　all　forms　of　success；　and　that　failure
is　one　of　the　commonest　disguises　assumed　by　blessings。

Note　4　（p。　60）。

〃There　is　within　the　body　of　every　man　a　soul　which；　at　the　death　of
the　body；　flies　away　from　it　like　a　bird　out　of　a　cage；　and　enters
upon　a　new　life　。。。　either　in　one　of　the　heavens　or　one　of　the　hells
or　on　this　earth。　　The　only　exception　is　the　rare　case　of　a　man　having
in　this　life　acquired　a　true　knowledge　of　God。　According　to　the
pre…Buddhistic　theory；　the　soul　of　such　a　man　goes　along　the　path　of
the　Gods　to　God；　and；　being　united　with　Him；　enters　upon　an　immortal
life　in　which　his　individuality　is　not　extinguished。　In　the　latter
theory　his　soul　is　directly　absorbed　into　the　Great　Soul；　is　lost　in
it；　and　has　no　longer　any　independent　existence。　The　souls　of　all
other　men　enter；　after　the　death　of　the　body；　upon　a　new　existence　in
one　or　other　of　the　many　different　modes　of　being。　If　in　heaven　or
hell；　the　soul　itself　becomes　a　god　or　demon　without　entering　a　body；
all　superhuman　beings；　save　the　great　gods；　being　looked　upon　as　not
eternal；　but　merely　temporary　creatures。　I