THE PURPOSIVE IMPROVEMENT OF THE HUMAN RACE 587 



tions of his life, the less chance will there be for natural 

 evolution. 



In large part the future evolution of man will be self- 

 directed and his progress will be an approach to his own 

 ideals. One of the chief joys of life is growth, one of the 

 deepest desire of the entire human race is for progress. But 

 in spite of these emotions and desires, human beings would 

 not willingly abandon their humanity in order to become 

 superhuman. Their ideals are not of some other more 

 perfect species but rather of a more perfect humanity. 

 Even his gods have always been created in man's own image. 

 Even the most ecstatic visions of a new heaven, a new earth 

 and a new humanity are still in specific type the old heaven 

 and earth and humanity slightly remodelled. Our highest 

 ideals are merely new combinations of the most perfect 

 conditions, traits and beings that we have known. In his 

 vision of the future triumphs of the race, Whittier describes: 



A dream of man and woman 

 Diviner but still human, 

 Solving the riddle old, 

 Shaping the Age of Gold. 



And all the visions and aspirations of poets, prophets and 

 seers cannot picture any more ideal being than man released 

 from his imperfections and limitations. If the future evolution 

 of man will be largely self-directed and if the goal toward 

 which he would go is merely a more perfect humanity, 

 it follows that there is no probability that the human race 

 will ever in the future give rise to other orders or genera or 

 species of superior beings, no prospect that the future 

 evolution of man will duplicate the tremendous advances of 

 his past evolution. By his knowledge and power man 

 has in a measure risen above nature, he has eaten of the fruit 

 of the tree of knowledge and has become as the gods, 

 knowing good and evil, and now it remains to be seen 

 whether in future ages his race may secure the fruit of the 

 tree of life and become immortal. 



REFERENCES 



Bagg, H. J. 1920. Individual differences and family resemblances in animal 

 behavior; a study of habit formation in various strains of mice. Arch. 

 Psychol., No. 43, 1-63. 



