336 PROBLEMS OF HUMAN EVOLUTION 



coming to trust riot so much to their physical strength to save 

 them from the bad effect of drink, as to their moral superiority 

 to a degrading vice. Thus there is selection for -moral rather 

 than for physical fibre. It is possible, however, that as civilisa- 

 tion advances there will always be vices, which will act as 

 alcoholism has acted, in their early days finding out mainly 

 deficiencies of physique, later on deficiencies of principle. How- 

 ever this may be, we have to look elsewhere for the main cause 

 Physical of physical degeneration. The rapid progress of science, more 

 ^"tion ra pid than ever before in the world's history, tends to make life 

 easy even for the masses. Science works at the bidding of an 

 ever increasing spirit of altruism which is horrified at the sight 

 of suffering and makes every effort to save the poor from the 

 hardships that poverty brings with it. If the present tendency 

 continues, there will soon no longer be a hardy lower class from 

 wfyich the upper classes can be recruited. The conditions of life 

 will be soft for all, and the whole nation will become adapted 

 to its softened environment. Thus civilisation seems to be 

 moving towards a precipice. The progress of science and 

 altruism only hastens the rate of physical degeneration. 



I have already pointed out how the process may be, though 

 not checked, yet made slower. The basis on which the nation 

 rests should be made as broad as possible. England has thriven 

 in the past through the free admission of foreigners ; there has 

 frequently been an infusion of new and vigorous blood. And 

 it is to be hoped that this will always be taking place in the 

 future, though never rapidly or on a large scale. But the new- 

 comers must be of Aryan race : we must have no hewers of 

 wood or drawers of water sprung from some low and apparently 

 unimprovable stock. The infusion of new blood, however, is 

 no -real remedy : it is hardly more than a palliative. To find a 

 remedy we must look to an entirely different quarter. 

 A possible When morality first appeared in the world, its office was to 

 preventive p reven t the ills that vice and the devious workings of human 

 reason would have produced. Among wild animals Natural 

 Selection deals promptly with all individuals whose instinct does 

 not impel them to live in the way that is best for the species. 



