12 INTRODUCTION. 



which is not the most vital part, and the reconstruc- 

 tions, therefore, have come to be wholly out of focus. 

 Fix upon the wrong " part," and the instability of the 

 fabric built upon it is a foregone conclusion. Now, 

 although reconstructions of the cosmos in the light of 

 Evolution are the chief feature of the science of our 

 time, in almost no case does even a hint of the true 

 scientific stand-point appear to be perceived. And 

 although it anticipates much that we should prefer 

 to leave untouched until it appears in its natural set- 

 ting, the gravity of the issues makes it essential to 

 summarize the whole situation now. 



The root of the error lies, indirectly rather than 

 directly, with Mr. Darwin. In 1859, through the 

 publication of the Origin of /Species, he offered to the 

 world what purported to be the final clue to the 

 course of living Nature. That clue was the principle 

 of the Struggle for Life. After the years of storm 

 and stress which follow the intrusion into the world 

 of all great thoughts, this principle was universally 

 accepted as the key to all the sciences which deal 

 with life. So ceaseless was Mr. Darwin's emphasis 

 upon this factor, and so masterful his influence, that, 

 after the first sharp conflict, even the controversy died 

 down. With scarce a challenge the Struggle for Life 

 became accepted by the scientific world as the govern, 

 ing factor in development, and the drama of Evolution 

 was made to hinge entirely upon its action. It 

 became the " part " from which science henceforth 

 went on " to reconstruct the whole," and biology, 

 sociology, and teleology, were built anew on this 

 foundation. 



That the Struggle for Life has been a prominent 



