CH. xvn METAPHYSICS OF NATURAL SELECTION 191 



open what the tendency of individual variations may- 

 be ? In that case the meaning of " natural selection " 

 will hover between A and C. This last ambiguity is 

 perhaps the worst of all. It leads to the insinuating or 

 implying of A by evolutionists when they are not pre- 

 pared to affirm it definitely and still less to prove it. 

 Too often when C, or even the truism B, is established, 

 we are asked to admit that "natural selection" has 

 been proved. Indeed, the whole process (C) is habitu- 

 ally treated as if natural selection not merely entered 

 into it but were necessarily and everywhere the domi- 

 nant factor in it as if C ivere A ; as if progressive 

 evolution, in which natural selection plays some part, 

 might safely be called " progress by natural selection." * 

 It is natural selection A the natural selection which, 

 according to hyper-Darwinism, stands alone that incurs 

 the gravest suspicion of relying upon chance in lieu of 

 reason. And it is mainly, though not wholly, natural 

 selection A that we shall have to keep in view after this. 

 It is natural selection A that we cannot tolerate in 

 human affairs least of all in morality and religion. 



Natural Selection B is a fact. Natural selection 

 A, B, or C means primarily " struggle " and partial sur- 

 vival viz. survival of the best (in one respect or in 

 another). I cannot think that, since Mai thus and 

 Darwin, any one has the right to deny the existence 

 of a selective process in nature ; and one of its effects 

 must also be admitted its effect in keeping each separ- 

 ate species up to the highest point of efficiency (natural 



1 The reader will please note that we are not repeating our objection, 

 developed in Part III. of this chapter. Even although we conceded 

 Darwin's right to speak of natural selection A, if it exists, as leading to 

 " evolution by natural selection," we must still complain of his (and his 

 friends') question-begging and misleading usage in speaking so not only 

 of A but of C. 



