THE PURPOSIVE IMPROVEMENT OF THE HUMAN RACE 585 



But progress in most if not all of these lines long ago reached 

 its possible Hmits within a single individual. 



Another Hne of evolution w^as found by a few animals 

 in the combination of persons into societies which are the 

 highest and most complex type of organization that has yet 

 appeared on earth. It is very probable that this path has not 

 yet been fully explored, certainly there seem to be many 

 opportunities for further advance along this line both for 

 animals and man. 



Finally the path of increasing responsiveness, capacity 

 of profiting by experience, intelhgence, control over environ- 

 ment and consequent freedom, represents the most important 

 outlet that is now open to the highest organisms. 



In all of these paths man has made great progress. But 

 there does not seem to be much if any improvement to be 

 expected from further increase in the size or complexity of 

 his body; in this direction his progress has practically come 

 to an end. 



In social speciahzation and cooperation, mankind is 

 at present making its most important advance and the end 

 in this direction is not yet in sight. The same is true of the 

 advance in intelhgence and control of environment. The 

 most rapid and significant advance in human evolution has 

 passed on from individual cells to persons, then to social 

 organizations, and it now takes in the environment, for man is 

 now adding to his own individual powers the inimitable forces 

 of the universe. In such a brief sketch one may catch a 

 ghmpse of the general course of past and present evolution 

 and of its probable future. 



Certain human famihes and stocks are now becoming 

 extinct and in the distant future this may extend to some of 

 the primary races of mankind, but it seems probable that 

 some of these disappearing races will be incorporated in the 

 surviving ones. By extensive intercommunication and 

 hybridization, it is probable that the distinction between 

 existing races will gradually disappear. In this process 

 it is possible that new types may arise which may ultimately 

 replace the older types, and thus human evolution may 

 go on. But so far as one can now foresee there is no likelihood 

 that the entire human race will become extinct before other 



