EVOLUTION THEORIES 227 



SUMMARY OF PRECEDING ARGUMENT. 

 Collecting now all the threads of this long 

 discussion towards a fuller grasp of the 

 studies of evolution, the result is plain 

 enough. Since we cannot but project our 

 human thought, our social progress, upon 

 Nature, let this be more than that of past 

 or passing phases and groups, but of the 

 incipient social order as well, of Society at 

 its very best, since here is the growing- 

 point of our own evolution. Yet we must 

 test all anew in the field; for by our fresh 

 glimpse of theoretic light, the whole world 

 must be reviewed afresh, and our new light 

 ray tested in its turn for all it may be worth, 

 as well for all it can reveal. The true 

 Darwinian is thus not he who longest swears 

 by the word of the master, and stretches 

 some classic adaptations, say of flower and 

 insect, towards its breaking point, but he 

 who with a social philosophy advanced be- 

 yond that of Darwin's teacher, Malthus, 

 goes forth anew into the field. For one this 

 bettered social theory may be Marx's, for 

 another Ruskin's, for another Gobineau's, 

 Nietzsche's, and so on: each is actually 

 yielding its biological result. Most obviously 

 perhaps, Galton's, since his studies have 

 been again of the population question, but 

 in what new light! And with what fresh 



