EVOLUTION THE MASTER-KEY 



But the most signal achievement of the evo- 

 lutionary psychology is its total dismemberment 

 and annihilation of the accursed lie that human 

 nature is tainted with a burden of "original sin," 

 and its corollary that "human nature is the same 

 in all ages." The relation of the evolutionary 

 philosophy to the problems of evil and of "sin" 

 must subsequently be discussed; but the dogma 

 of the immutability of human nature, which is 

 based on a contemplation of that brief moment 

 which, in our conceit, we call the "history of the 

 world," may here be considered. If we realize, 

 as none are too foolish to realize when it is pointed 

 out to them, that it is human nature which pro- 

 duces the weary weight of all this unintelligible 

 world, and that no real improvement is conceivable 

 in the lot of mankind save such as there is in an 

 amelioration of human nature, we shall see that 

 the dogma of its immutability is the central pillar 

 of pessimism and a denial of the possibility of any- 

 thing worthy to be called progress. If, on the 

 other hand, we contemplate the evolution of hu- 

 manity and draw the magnificent inference there- 

 from not acting like one who starts to tell a good 

 story but misses the point, as some one has well said 

 then we shall find in evolution the central pillar 

 of a sane and rational optimism, as superior to that 

 which is notoriously bred of a good digestion as is 

 Christianity to fetichism. But of all this more anon. 



