COHESIVE POWER OF SOCIAL LIFE 277 



supplies, new reactions, and new demands, and these 

 demands must be supplied if growth is to continue. 



But there is obviously only one way in which that 

 can be done, and that way is always the same ; better 

 cooperation, better egoism and altruism, better mutual 

 services, and better fulfilment of mutual obligations. 

 Therein lies the compulsion to social cooperation. 



Standing on this basic axiom, all constructive prob- 

 lems in social life may be resolved into secondary prob- 

 lems of ways and means of extending the principles of 

 cooperative action to larger and larger groups, or con- 

 ditions, for longer and longer periods. To that end, 

 correspondingly larger experience, more comprehen- 

 sive vision, and greater tenacity of purpose are essen- 

 tial. But the constructive method will always remain 

 the same. 



VI. The Consciousness of Social Possession as the 

 Compelling Creative Power in Social Construc- 

 tion and Social Preservation 



In cultural constructiveness, the new agent used to 

 direct, or to control power is the human will, which is 

 itself an expression of intelligence. Intelligence is a 

 highly discriminating constructive response of the in- 

 dividual man to his outer world. But the very at- 

 tribute which makes intelligence one of the most con- 

 structive agents in social evolution, at the same time 

 constitutes its inherent weakness. As a form of energy, 

 its power is immeasurably small. Its discriminating 

 irritability and instability are defects as deadly as these 

 qualities are vital, or essential. 



In physical and organic evolution, progress is made 



