132 ANALYSIS OF THE FOUR PRINCIPLES (CONTINUED). 



i 



III. DISCRIMINATE AND INDISCRIMINATE ACTION OF THE SEGREGATIVE 



PRINCIPLES.* 



1. Discriminate Action. 



Under each of these four segregative principles we may raise the 

 question as to the difference in the results ; first, when the principle 

 under consideration is guided by some discriminative influence, 

 continued from generation to generation, and, second, when it acts 

 without discrimination and without cumulative results in successive 

 generations. It is evident that discriminative survival, which is the 

 same as selection, when continued in the same form for successive 

 generations, must be cumulative in its effects. Discriminative iso- 

 lation, that is, segregate intergeneration, arises whenever adapta- 

 tion for appropriating certain resources brings together in one iso- 

 lated group those that are by innate qualities and aptitudes the 

 better adapted. In most of these cases it is not possible that another 

 group should arise within this first group simply through being more 

 highly endowed in the same respect. Cumulative isolation is for the 

 most part produced by the subdivision of groups that have already 

 been established, and the agencies producing the successive divisions 

 are likely to be different in their nature, and, therefore, not cumu- 

 lative in their effects upon any one character. This, however, does 

 not prevent each isolation from being more or less segregative in 

 regard to some of the characters. 



Election, that is, the discriminate success of individuals through the 

 attainment of certain habitudes and acquired characters, is likely to 

 be cumulative in the effects produced on successive generations; for, 

 as long as increased facility in the performance of certain acts is an 

 advantage, both habitudes and aptitudes aiding in the performance 

 will be combined in an increasing degree in each generation. 



Discriminate partition, that is, segregate association, arises when- 

 ever adaptation for dealing with either the environment or the social 

 conditions brings together in one separate group those that are by 

 habitudes (that is, by acquired characters), the best adapted. It is 

 manifest that among social organizations occasions producing such 

 partition must often arise; and it seems probable that among even 

 the least-endowed creatures great advantage must sometimes come to 

 those who have in some degree acquired characters enabling them to 

 meet new conditions in the environment, which come upon the spe- 

 cies with a sweep that none who are unprepared can withstand. Such 



* See Table of "Discriminate and Indiscriminate Forms," page 136. 



