82 The Universe and Life 



before final decision is made, must often wait for ex- 

 perience of the distant consequences of a course of 

 action. The individual must not fail in the needs of 

 his own self, for that is to defeat hfe. But also he 

 must not fail to recognize the needs and purposes of 

 others, for that too is to defeat life. Through the 

 existence of many individuals having equal claims on 

 life, the problem of what to do, the problem of what is 

 right, becomes immensely comphcated. 



Further degrees of complication arise through the 

 fact that the world is so constituted that some indi- 

 viduals, some living things, must give way to others. 

 The fulfillment of the needs of some individuals neces- 

 sarily involves thwarting the needs of some others. 

 Promotion of fulness of life in some living things 

 means the destruction of life for others. The animal 

 lives on the plant. Many higher animals hve by prey- 

 ing on lower ones. 



For the decision as to what is to be done, as to what 

 is right, this situation presents a desperate problem. 

 Life is what is valuable; life is what is to be pro- 

 moted. If it were possible for every division of the 

 living material, every species, every individual, to 

 flourish without limit, as has been desired in some 

 religions, this would give a satisfactory solution of 

 the problem. But this is not possible. Unlimited 

 flourishing of the cholera bacillus involves the de- 

 struction of mankind. Freedom from destruction for 

 small animals means the destruction of the great 

 carnivores. Unlimited flourishing of all types of 



