DARWIN 



that the inevitable growth of the human race leads to 

 overpopulation and an increasing "struggle for ex- 

 istence." In this conflict, the weaker sink into misery, 

 sickness, and vice, and great numbers are eliminated 

 by death due to these agents, which is greatly to the 

 benefit of humanity because it postpones overpopula- 

 tion and consequent misery of the whole country. 

 Charity and the alleviation of sickness and vice are 

 thus to be discouraged as they tend to increase the life 

 and fertility of the unfit; the elimination of the weak- 

 er will permit the better and stronger individuals to 

 live, temporarily, in more comfort and plenty. Dar- 

 win eagerly seized this amiable doctrine and extended 

 it to include all organic beings, both plants and 

 animals, assuming that the synonym of life is an in- 

 cessant and ruthless struggle with physical environ- 

 ment and with all other organisms to attain the two 

 essential factors of life, — food and procreation. It 

 should be borne clearly in mind that the sentimental 

 humanitarianism of Rousseau was the seed from 

 which grew our modern scientific philosophy of broth- 

 erly love and eugenics, when fertilized by the pleas- 

 ant and altruistic doctrine of Malthus. Having set- 

 tled upon this postulate, Darwin then argued that 

 those individuals of any species, which happen to 

 possess by inheritance any slight advantage, will have 

 a better chance of surviving and of leaving progeny 

 which will also possess this advantageous trait. Fa- 



c 187 : 



