BIOLOGY AND SOCIOLOGY 89 



actual functions, and in evolution a progressive 

 subordination of the smaller unit to the aggregate. 



At first sight, biological principles seem to con- 

 tradict themselves on this subject. On the one hand, 

 the human individual is, or, we had better say, has the 

 potentiality of being the highest type of organism in 

 existence — for higher, biologically speaking, not only 

 than any human community now in existence, but 

 than any which we could possibly imagine as coming 

 into existence in the future. When we remember the 

 general agreement of biological progress with our 

 human values, it is clear that to degrade the individual 

 for the benefit of the community is wrong — a 

 biological crime. 



On the other hand, human progress depends and 

 will always depend to an extent scarcely to be over- 

 rated upon the proper organization of the community. 

 So long as present competition continues, the very 

 survival of a nation may easily depend upon the 

 efficiency of its organization as a community. Bio- 

 logical as well as human experience make it perfectly 

 plain that such success, in a unit which is itself an 

 aggregate of smaller units, depends upon the degree 

 of specialization of these constituent units and the 

 division of labour and co-operation between them. 



Biology here then lays down that human individuals 

 should become more and more specialized if progress 

 is to continue ; but since specialization implies the 

 sacrifice of many potentialities for the good of the 



