:;i)ii i\ i:(iM-|-iii;\(: : i>ïi;i;N\ïin\Ai.!' i):: iiKM^Tiofi-;. 



iii ur<;fanisins o\' iialiii'iil sélection - llic iiiislal>lc Ijeconiiii^^ eliiiiinalcd aiid tlir 

 mort' slahle allowed lo survive. This rimcliuii ol' iialural sélection is, ol" <-oiii-se. 

 widely dillerenl from tlic usual one, llie lalter Ix'ingdirecled af<ainsl iiidividual 

 iinits and nol ajifainsl tlie pattern or distribution whicli Ihe l'iiil compleinenl oC 

 tiiese assume. Possiljly in tliis sn^-gestioii lies also some ex[)lanation of Itie 

 piienomenon of corrélation, Ihough its clVecls in tlie évolution of more stable 

 l'orms is to my mind tlie more important. The nature of sucli a pattern is 

 independent, of course, on the nature of its component units. Oui of well made 

 bricUsa reclangular mass alone can bc built witli stabilily: oui ofspherical sliol 

 a cône, a pyraniid, or similar structure. 



If Ihen, it is permissible to speak of an organism, maii, for instance, as for 

 ail praclical purposes a niere congeries of parlicular units. it follows lliat a 

 study of less coniplex aggregales of more homogeneous units will, by analogy 

 il' iiol nioi'e directly, give us some d<'gree of insigbt into his Irue nature and — 

 a malter of extrême sociological importance — into llie nature of bis reaction 

 lo the extraneous forces conslanlly trained upon him. 



The sludy of the simple leads us by easy and naluial gradations lo llic 

 study of the coniplex, so the study of the forces which the cnveloping envi- 

 ronnienl brings lo bear on a simple molecular aggregale sueh as a cryslal of 

 an inorganic sali will pave Ihe way lo a liUe considération of environinental 

 influences ou lliat higher aggregale, the liuman being. Now, this influence, 

 al tirsl sighl so comprehensive, on close examinalion proves lo be really delini- 

 tely limited. The molécules of, say. sodium l'hloride or any other cryslalline 

 substance, possess Ihe inhérent properly of grouping themselves inlo one spe- 

 citic paltern and one pattern only, and no known extraneous agency is able io 

 deviale them from forming a given size of angle or a givcn relation of planes. 

 But this power is obviously subjecl to oulside influence in either of two direc- 

 tions ; Ihe development or formation can be encouraged or, on Ihe other hand 

 relarded. An environmenl can, in short, be devised which will be the besl pos- 

 sible for Ihese parlicular molécules, enabling the cryslal Ihey form to grow to 

 llie largest possible size and finish its spécial structure down to Ihe minutest 

 conceivable détail. And Ihere can also be devised equally surely an envi- 

 ronmenl in which growlh is scarcely al ail possible or only possible in a niosl 

 rudimentary and incomplète form. But Ihe growlh. such as il is, is enlirely of 

 a type with the gorgeous product of more favourable surroundings — the power 

 lo develop is inhibiled bul nol in any \\ay changed. Environmenl in any form 

 is ulterly powerless lo recasl Ihese molécules in adifl'erent mould. The pallern 

 never varies; wlial does vary is Ihe abilily to exécute it. 



To my mind this reasoning is equally applicable to our organic aggregatcs 

 and Ihe units of which tliey are composed, nolwilhstanding Ihe présent day 

 ])seudo-sociological doctrine of an ail powerful environmenl, which praclically 

 amounls lo an obsession. The existence of a constant powerful play of forces 

 on say, Ihc human aggregale and ils componenl units, by his immédiate sur- 

 roundings cannol be gainsaid, but the other side of the équation, the objective 

 of thèse forces must nol be ignored. Il has been laken for granted Ihat Ihe 

 réaction of the objective will be equal and idenlical irrespective of its nature. 

 W'hat will Ihe réaction be in Ihe case of an « absence » unit? In accordance 

 with llie physical laws of the interaction of forces the magnitude of the force is 

 direclly as Ihe product of llie masses belween which the attraction exists. Let 



