PROGRESS, BIOLOGICAL AND 

 OTHER 



WHAT is the most fundamental need of 

 man ? It would be interesting to conduct 

 a plebiscite of such a question, a plebiscite 

 of the same sort that was conducted by one of the 

 French newspapers some years ago, to discover the 

 opinions of its readers as to who was the greatest 

 Frenchman of the century. 



When I say the most fundamental need of man, I 

 do not mean those basic needs for food and drink and 

 shelter which he shares with the animals : I mean 

 the most fundamental to him as man^ as an organism 

 differing from all other organisms in the power of 

 thought, in reflection and self-consciousness. What 

 variety of answers would be given, I dare not guess ; 

 but I hazard the belief that the majority, if the sugges- <:; 

 tion were put before them, would agree that his 

 deepest need was to discover something, some being 

 or power, some force or tendency, which was moulding 

 the destinies of the world — something not himself, 

 greater than himself, with which he yet felt that he 

 could harmonize his nature, in which he could repose 



