SOCIAL EVOLUTION. 607 



various essays on this subject, is Mr. Spencer's theory of social evolu- 

 tion. The practical effect of such a doctrine on all engaged in helping 

 forward, according to the measure of their strength, the cause of hu- 

 man well-being, it is not difficult to perceive ; nor does Mr. Spencer 

 altogether blink this aspect of the case. In the last two pages of his 

 recent work he has the following remarks : 



" If, as seems likely, some should propose to draw the seemingly awkward 

 corollary, that it matters not what we believe, or what we teach, since the pro- 

 cess of social evolution will take its own course in spite of us; I reply that, while 

 this corollary is in one sense true, it is in another sense untrue. Doubtless, from 

 all that has been said, it follows that, supposing surrounding conditions continue 

 the same, the evolution of a society cannot be in any essential way diverted from 

 its general course ; though it also follows (and here the corollary is at fault) that 

 the thoughts and actions of individuals, being natural factors that arise in the 

 course of the evolution itself, and aid in further advancing it, cannot be dis- 

 pensed with, but must be severally valued as increments of the aggregate force 

 producing change." 



Whether this explanation will be satisfactory to those who draw 

 the " seemingly awkward corollary," may, perhaps, be doubted. Mr. 

 Spencer apparently does not rely much on the practical efficacy of his 

 answer, for he at once proceeds to supplement it as follows : 



" Though the process of social evolution is, in its general charaoter, so far 

 predetermined that its successive stages cannot be antedated, and that hence no 

 teaching or policy can advance it beyond a certain normal rate, which is limited 

 by the rate of organic modification in human beings, yet it is quite possible to 

 perturb, to retard, or to disorder the process. The analogy of individual devel- 

 opment again serves us. The unfolding of an organism after its special type has 

 its approximately-uniform course, taking its tolerably-definite time, and no treat- 

 ment that may be devised will fundamentally change or greatly accelerate these; 

 the best that can be done is to maintain the required favorable conditions. But 

 it is quite easy to adopt a treatment which shall dwarf, or deform, or otherwise 

 injure ; the processes of growth and development may be, and very often are, hin- 

 dered and deranged, though they cannot be artificially bettered. Similarly with 

 the social organism." 



If I am not mistaken, however, the case of the social organism is 

 not similar. The favorable conditions which it is important to main- 

 tain with reference to the individual organism are conditions external 

 to the organism ; whereas that condition of social develojmient, the 

 efficacy of which forms the question in dispute, consists in efforts after 

 social improvement made by the units composing the organism. The 

 analogy, therefore, of individual development completely 'fails us 

 here, unless, indeed, Mr. Spencer supposes the objectors he is address- 

 ing to be standing outside the social organism, and proposing to experi- 

 ment upon it as upon a foreign body. But, not to dwell on this point, 

 the conclusion arrived at is that, " by maintaining favorable condi- 

 tions, there cannot be more good done than that of letting social prog- 

 ress go on unhindered ; " whereas " an immensity of mischief may be 



