THE DOGMA OF EVOLUTION 



natural capacity but on the increasing ability to with- 

 stand the pressure of external circumstances. The 

 child born in a civilized community is not superior 

 to one born among barbarians. From the mental laws, 

 he draws his final conclusion that civilization is due 

 solely to intellectual progress by which man has in- 

 creasingly dominated his external environment. "Ap- 

 plying this test to moral motives, or to the dictates 

 of what is called moral instinct, we shall at once see 

 how extremely small is the influence those motives 

 have exercised over the progress of civilization. For 

 there is, unquestionably, nothing to be found in the 

 world which has undergone so little change as those 

 great dogmas of which moral systems are composed. 

 To do good to others ; to sacrifice for their benefit your 

 own wishes; to love your neighbour as yourself; to 

 forgive your enemies; to restrain your passions; to 

 honour your parents ; to respect those who are set over 

 you: these, and a few others, are the sole essentials 

 of morals; but they have been known for thousands 

 of years, and not one jot or tittle has been added to 

 them by all the sermons, homilies, and text-books 

 which moralists and theologians have been able to 

 produce."* 



It was this opinion, that civilization was ultimate- 

 ly to be judged by its material achievements rather 

 than by its spiritual excellence, so boldly and une- 



^ History of Civilization, vol. I, p. 129. 



