EVOLUTION OF MAN \ 



73 



best chance of survival for himself and family. Public 

 opinion is a vitally important part of our environment. 



It is not only important as regards natural selection ; 

 it is perhaps even more important in relation to sexual 

 selection. A man or woman, to be desired as a husband 

 or wife, must, in general, be one whose ideas of right living 

 conform to those of the community, one whose character 

 and disposition are such as to command respect. These 

 characteristics have more influence upon choice in marriage 

 than do merely physical characteristics. 



It may be worth our while to ask one further question. 

 Under present conditions, how is the race to make desirable 

 progress ? How can we influence the evolution of the race, 

 so that it shall take the right direction ? Notice, first, that 

 the very asking of this question indicates an interesting con- 

 dition. \Ye can, to a considerable extent, control our own 

 evolution. The lower animals cannot do so. They lack 

 the intelligence which gives us this power. 



How shall we secure the evolution of the race in desir- 

 able directions? Before attempting to discuss this question 

 it is important to distinguish clearly between human evolu- 

 tion and social progress. By evolution, as we here use the 

 term, we mean a change in innate character. Social progress 

 may be secured by training the individuals of each succeed- 

 ing generation to higher and higher standards of living, 

 even while no change in the innate character of the race 

 has been brought about. 



*7 



The distinction we would emphasize can be easily illus- 

 trated. If a savage should receive some suggestion that 

 should cause him to improve his standard of living, his 



