THE NATURALNESS OF THE SPIRITUAL WORLD 



Species, he insisted that it was only half the story.^ He was bold enough 

 to conclude, therefore, that love was not a late arrival, an afterthought, 

 in evolution, but in a sense the goal of the whole process since by 

 its operation alone could the highest stages of social human organisa- 

 tion come into being.^ "There is no such thing in nature," he remarked, 

 "as a man." There is only social man.^ Furthermore, Drummond 

 recognised in contemporary human society certain anti-social forces, 

 which he designated as "War" and "Industry" (by which he implied 

 predatory competition); these he believed were the remains of the 

 struggle for existence at sub-human levels. What he says on this 

 subject is so interesting that it deserves quotation in full: — 



"When we pass from the animal and the savage states to 

 watch the working of the struggle for life in later times, the 

 impression deepens that, after all, the 'gladiatorial theory' of 

 existence has much to say for itself. To trace its progress further 

 is denied us for the present, but observ^e before we close what 

 it connotes in modem life. Its lineal descendants are two in 

 number, and they have but to be named to show the enormous 

 place this factor has been given to play in the world's destiny. 

 The first is War, the second is Industry. These in all their forms 

 and ramifications are simply the primitive struggle continued on 

 the social and political plane. . . . Along with Industry and for 

 a time before it, War was the foster-mother of civilisation. . . . 

 When society wonders at its labour troubles it forgets that 

 Industry is a stage but one or two removes from the purely 

 animal struggle. 



But one has only to look at the further phases of the struggle 

 to observe the most important fact of all, the change that passes 

 over the principle as time goes on. Examine it on the higher 

 levels as carefully as we have examined it on the lower, and 

 though the crueller elements persist with fatal and appalling 

 vigour, there are whole regions, and daily enlarging regions, 

 where every animal feature is discredited, discouraged, or driven 

 away. ... 



The amelioration of the struggle for life is the most certain 

 prophecy of science. . . . We find the animal side of the struggle 

 for life attacked in such directions, and with such weapons that 

 its defeat is sure. These weapons are in the armoury of nature; 



^ AOM, pp. 30 fF. 2 AOM, pp. 276 and 428. ^ AOM, p. 312. 



37 



