194 WHAT IS LIFE 



chemical reactions that result in maturity, I repeat* 

 according to my theory, is the index to degree of 

 psychic power, or intelligence, and thus becomes a 

 definite standard for rating the intelligence of races* 

 Measured according to this standard, what is the 

 rating of the ancient Greeks? 

 As Benjamin Kidd said: 



"During the nineteenth century the opening 

 up of many widely-different branches of research 

 has brought a crowd of workers in various de- 

 partments into close contact with the intellectual 

 life of the Greeks. The unanimity of testimony 

 which comes from these representatives of 

 different spheres of thought as to the high 

 average standard of intellectual development 

 reached by this remarkable people, is very 

 striking. "2^ 



The Greeks have a galaxy of illustrious names to 

 their credit such as no other country or time can 

 equal. In every department of intellectual activity 

 they produced masters. They reveled in the ele- 

 gancies of thought, in the audacities of speculation, 

 in the profundity of philosophy, and the elusive 

 witchery of poetry. 

 Galton asserts : 



"The Athenian race is, on the lowest possible 



^^ Social Evolution, 252. 



