EVOLUTION THE MASTER-KEY 



First, then, as to the Spencerian comparison of 

 society to a living organism. Of course, the image 

 had been used before, as in the phrase &quot; the body- 

 politic.&quot; By no previous thinker, however, had 

 its importance and real validity been recognized. 

 In the light of evolution we see its completeness. 

 We recall the history of individual and racial life, 

 the development of one cell into several like cells 

 united to form a lowly organism, and the subse 

 quent differentiation of these similar cells with 

 the production of a single organism composed of 

 many dissimilar cells widely varying in anatomi 

 cal structure and physiological function. Similar 

 ly we see how a dozen men or families may band 

 themselves together for mutual protection each 

 like all the rest in its relation to the whole. Later 

 there occurs a similar differentiation, you and I 

 being variously-functioning cells in the social or 

 ganism. It is quite obvious that if we follow the 

 analogy still further, and, instead of regarding cells 

 as the units (as in the first stage), or individual 

 men as units (as in the second stage), look upon 

 societies as units, each of which is at first like all 

 the rest in its functions, but ultimately becomes 

 differentiated, and, at the same time, more de 

 pendent on all the rest, we end with the concep 

 tion expressed by Tennyson in &quot;Locksley Hall&quot; 

 &quot;The Parliament of Man, the federation of the 

 world.&quot; Nor need we stop here, for the imagina 

 tion may pass beyond the stage of interplanetary 

 warfare, as described by Mr. H. G. Wells, and 



226 



