THE ARBITER OF ETHICS 243 



If we are to found ethics on biology and evolu- 

 tion we are driven to inventing a sort of spiritual evo- 

 lution which is best expressed by the term naturalism. 

 And if anyone will consider the systems of this kind 

 which are proposed as guides to society, I think he will 

 find that they may all be included in this one general 

 type. There seem to be four possible ways of account- 

 ing for an evolution of the race. Humanity may be 

 guided to a goal of perfection by some divine and 

 omniscient external power which imposed certain initial 

 laws of nature and permits a subsequent evolution to 

 progress without interference; humanity may contain 

 in itself such a directing force; it may be constrained 

 toward a future condition by the conscious effort of 

 a set of judges who will determine and enforce the 

 manner of its evolution; lastly, society may divide 

 into two classes, those who by superior knowledge and 

 power fulfill their destiny at the expense of the op- 

 posite class of the ignorant and weak. 



If we bear in mind that science is not only the study 

 of natural law as an objective series of events, but 

 that, if it is to have any application to the needs and 

 desires of society, the natural balance and operation 

 of forces and energy must be interfered with, then it 

 is easy to see that the first two doctrines of naturalism 

 are not scientific. To say that the human race is 

 guided to a goal of perfection, previously determined, 

 by either an external and divine power or by some 



