1 82 THE EVOLUTION OF MAN 



progress. For the present at least the most that it can do is 

 to take the place of natural selection in limiting the propaga- 

 tion of the feeble-bodied and the feeble-minded and in favoring 

 that of the strong and sane. This would at once preserve and 

 perpetuate the best human lines and would in time raise the 

 average of the race as a whole but probably it would not pro- 

 duce a new and better species of man. The eugenist can 

 neither produce new mutations nor does he know what muta- 

 tions or new combinations of characters will be most useful 

 and most viable in future ages. If the fads and fancies of 

 reformers could be established in the germ-plasm and all men 

 could be made eugenically equal the whole race might come to 

 a rapid end. It is probably fortunate that men are not charged 

 with the duty of directing future evolution, and we can only 

 hope that nature, which has directed progressive evolution 

 from amoeba to man, without human guidance, may work 

 still greater wonders in future ages. 



Finally the lesson of past evolution teaches that there can 

 be no progress of any kind without struggle; in physical evolu- 

 tion progress has come through the struggle for existence and 

 for more abundant life; in intellectual evolution, through striv- 

 ings for freedom and enlightenment; in social evolution, 

 through the victory of social instincts and ideals over anti- 

 social ones. The improvement of the human race, if not the 

 further evolution of man will depend in part upon enlightened 

 human effort. To us it is given to cooperate in this greatest 

 work of all time and to have a part in the triumphs of future 

 ages, not merely by improving the conditions of individual life 

 and development and education, but much more by improving 

 the ideals of society and by breeding a better race of men who 

 will "mold things nearer to the heart's desire." 



The Distant Future. What the distant future may hold in 

 store for the human race we can only guess. It may be that 

 the entire race will become extinct and leave the dominance of 



