SCIENCE AND SOCIALISM. 583 



the struggle against wrong, Avhen it is waged consciously, but generally 

 it is a struggle against environment. 



We have first to take into consideration the downfall of the one 

 that struggles. But nature, or if you choose the law of nature, recog- 

 nizes here no distinction of right and wrong : the question is purely one 

 of mio-ht. That one is defeated who possesses the least means, the least 

 amount of fight-capital, however sufficient and abundant the same might 

 be under circumstances different from those here and now prevailing. 

 Certainly no scientific man has ever dreamed of subsuming this case 

 under the Hegelian, phrases evil — good, negation — position, perversion 

 — correction, etc. 



The opposite of this first instance of the outcome of the struggle for 

 existence is seen where one party, by a process of gradual perfection- 

 ment, prevails over its opponents and the environment. To the philoso- 

 pher who is searching for analogies, this appears to be the practical ful- 

 fillment of the idea of perfectionment. Still, these two extremes do by 

 no means exhaust every possible termination of the struggle ; for there 

 is another possible issue — one which, though it be overlooked by the 

 Socialist-Democrat philosophers, is nevertheless of enormously frequent 

 occurrence : the organism that makes the struggle adapts itself to the 

 environment. In doing this, it must oftentimes pass through such 

 straits that it parts with some of its perfections and falls to a lower 

 grade, like many a European baron who has in America found use for 

 himself as a cook's assistant. Or it so remolds itself and its habits in 

 adapting itself to the environment that, while it in no wise becomes 

 more perfect, it nevertheless, as far as possible, insures for the future 

 its present rank. 



Thus, to illustrate by an example, it has been observed that, as a 

 rule, birds of brilliant plumage, which on that very account are more 

 conspicuous objects to their enemies, are far more careful to conceal 

 their nests than birds which^are not so conspicuous. This we explain 

 on the theory that the ancestors of the bright-colored species by degrees 

 became wise by experience, and that this experience, reenforced by 

 habit, was transmitted to their progeny by heredity. Natural selec- 

 tion keeps pace with experience and habit. In the case of these birds, 

 the change in nesting is a step of progress, but they have not thereby 

 gained any perfection. 



If in the historic evolution of organic nature we saw progress only, 

 we should be strongly tempted to regard progress, pure and simple, as 

 a universal natural law for social development as well. But the lesson 

 taught us by birds of brilliant plumage (to say nothing of the loss of 

 acquired perfection) is repeated throughout the whole world of lowly 

 and lowest organisms. These have stood stock-still and must so remain, 

 despite the perfection attained in many directions. The persistence of 

 the low and the imperfect finds its very simple explanation in the per- 

 sistence of its universally prevailing life-conditions. Millions and mil- 



