Man in the Light of Evolution 



given such a dim conception, I believe that 

 primitive human society gave it its iron grip on 

 every fiber of man's nature. 



This old tribal education, necessary and benef- 

 icent as it was, had its dangers, as Bagehot has 

 shown. ^ It was the relentless foe of individual- 

 ity, originality, and hence of progress. Even 

 the slightest and most beneficent changes might 

 call down the anger of the gods. Progress 

 stopped in many Oriental nations. Everywhere 

 it had to be exceedingly slow and gradual. Edu- 

 cation into liberty cannot be accomplished in a 

 day or generation, otherwise the inestimable 

 benefits of tribal education will be lost and an- 

 archy will return. 



In Israel the progressive prophet faced the 

 conservative priest. In Germany, Greece, and 

 Rome the people seem to have always had a 

 voice in the government. The crust of custom, 

 to borrow Bagehot's phrase, had to yield to this 

 pressure. Individual rights were finally empha- 

 sized as much as individual duties. This tend- 

 ency is now so strong that we need to be re- 

 minded of the warning of the great German 



1 Bagehot, W., " Physics and Politics.' 



52 



